Grammy winner to perform in Saigon bar

DJ Jazzy Jeff, who won two Grammy awards along with Will Smith as hip hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The French Prince, will perform at Lush bar on December 19.

The artist, real name Jeffrey Allen Townes, began to work with Smith in 1985, and the duo had several gold and platinum albums and singles in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

After they broke up in 1993, Townes established a production company called A Touch of Jazz and has won critical acclaim.

The performance will start from 9pm at the bar at 2 Ly Tu Trong Street, District 1.

Baroque music for Christmas

The Saigon Philharmonic Orchestra will perform A Baroque Christmas concert at the HCM City Conservatory of Music tomorrow.

Its artists will perform baroque and classical compositions like Bach's Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, Carl Stamitz's Concerto for Clarinet & Bassoon in B Flat Major, and Arcangelo Corelli's Concerto Grosso in G minor, Op. 6 No. 8, also known as the Christmas Concerto.

The concert, at 8pm, will be held at the Saigon Philharmonic Orchestra, 112 Nguyen Du Street, District 1.

Sharpen your skills with Christmas cooking class

Hanoi Cooking Centre (HCC) is hosting a special edition Christmas cooking class for the whole of Christmas month.

Kids can select from two options, a Gingerbread House Class on December 14 and 20, or DIY gingerbread house kits.

The HCC also offer a range of festive treats including mince pies, Christmas pudding and brandy butter, all available for delivery until midday on December 24. Contact info@hanoicookingcentre.com or (04) 37150088. HCC is at 44 Chau Long Street.

THBC hosts babies and blasphemy nights

THBC (The Hanoi Bicycle Collective) Tapas Bar will lure parents with its latest event Hot Chocolate and Babies to be held on Sunday.

Guest will be treated with delicious Spanish-style hot chocolate while enjoying a documentary titled Babies that follows the lives of four infants born in Namibia, Mongolia, Japan and California.

On December 25, THBC will host a free Blasphemy Party featuring the theme "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life". The party will feature blasphemy music before a wrap up with a screening of Monty Python's Life of Brian.

Both the Hot Chocolate and Babies and Blasphemy Party will start at 6pm, at No 44, Alley 31, Xuan Dieu Street.

New styles of Calligraphy come to Ben Thanh Theater

Calligraphy exhibition ‘Inspiring creativeness’ from Thanh Son, Dang Hoc and Tran Quoc Au is available until January 6 at Ben Thanh Theater, 6 Mac Dinh Chi Street in District 1.

On display are more than 200 works made on wood and oil on canvas. “I hope this is the new step in creativeness for Vietnamese calligraphy as art is endless creativeness,” said Son.

Along with calligraphy, the exhibition also introduces to visitors the art of tea drinking. There, visitors will have a chance to learn more about the history of Vietnamese tea and the differences between Vietnamese tea with teas in Japan and China.

Tiger Beer’s party-on-the-go bus journey to six cities

Tiger Beer has initiated Tiger Excitement Journey featuring entertainment activities for young people in Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, Hanoi, HCMC, Can Tho and Kien Giang to mark the festive season from December 18 to January 25.

Locals have a chance to enjoy inspirational flash mob dances and admire three bus-makeovers featuring tons of activities for people to join. The “Party-on-the-go bus” brings participants to a high-tech world, where they can play games on an interactive multi-touch bar or admire body painting art.

The “Crystal-ice bus” has music and interactive games, while the “Megacity bus” is a bird’s wing-shaped stage equipped with impressive laser shows and booming sound systems.

The organizer also runs an online contest at facebook.com/TigerBeerVN to find ten winners to become VIPs in the Tiger Excitement Journey.

The party-on-the-go bus journey will come to Nha Trang from December 18-20, Quy Nhon December 25-27, Hanoi January 3-5, HCMC January 13-15, Can Tho January 19-21 and Kien Giang January 23-25.

Movies workshop to discuss LGBT

‘Queer Forever!’ workshop concerning the topic of gay and transgender citizens with the screening of related movie Love Man Love Woman by director Nguyen Trinh Thi takes place from 3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Goethe Institute in Hanoi on Saturday, the institute announced in a statement.

The workshop will also feature discussions with local filmmakers such as Nguyen Dang Di and Marcus Vu Manh Cuong on the topical subject.

Vietnamese filmmakers have been paying more attention to the topic of gay and transgender groups in recent years and LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people) characters are being portrayed more often on TV and in the cinema. The topics of gender and sexuality are also commonly mentioned in local media.

Related feature films Choi voi (Adrift, 2009) by director Bui Thac Chuyen, and Bi, Dung So! (Bi, Don’t be Afraid, 2010) by director Phan Dang Di netted awards from renowned international film festivals. Director Vu Ngoc Dang through the hugely-successful movie Hot boy noi loan (Lost in Paradise, 2011) brought the film to both international and domestic audiences.

Through the demonstration of LGBTs in cinema, the event aims to discuss gender equality for a broader audience of cinephiles, art lovers, LGBT citizens and heterosexuals. They will talk about how LGBTs are being portrayed on screen, if cinematic representation of LGBTs manipulates, discriminates, or protects their rights and encourages them to raise gender equality awareness; how social, political, and economic influences have shaped their images; what do these movies tell us about LGBT communities in Vietnam; what they tell us about the relationships between our dominating culture (where heterosexuality is the norm) and LGBTs and lastly what action can we take to fight any discrimination against LGBTs.

*The Goethe Institute will also screen Indian movie Bitter Seeds - a 2011 documentary exploring the relationship between escalating rates of suicide among Indian farmers and the crippling cycle of debt, crop failure and dispossession brought about by the introduction of genetically modified cotton seeds – at 7 p.m. on Friday.

This beautifully done and emotional documentary portrays the critical aspects of genetically modified seeds and how it affects India’s cotton farmers and their families, and invites audiences to reflect on how we are cultivating our lands.

At the end of the film the audience will have a chance to exchange with Le Thi Phi Van, an expert in rural development and food security who works as a scientist at the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development.

HCMC-based club presents 50s night

Listed on the Lonely Planet Guide to Viet Nam and Southeast Asia as one of the "hippest night clubs in HCMC", CAMA and Everyone's A Dj, will present a 1950s Motown dance party this Saturday.

Titled, Shimmy Shimmy Coco Pop, party-goers will be able to dance along to old favourites such as Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and Fats Domino through to The Supremes, The Marvelettes and Stevie Wonder. Music from the Spencer Davis Group, The Rolling Stones and The Who through to Chinese, French and Indonesian rarities will also hit the decks.

The party, one of Sai Gon's best and longest running dress up parties will welcome guests in 1950's and 1960's attire, with doors to open at 8pm until midnight at CAMA ATK, 73A Mai Hac De Street. Tickets are available at the door.

France-Vietnam cuisine festival to take place in HCM City

A France-Vietnam cuisine festival will be held at Park 23/9 in Ho Chi Minh City on December 14-15 as the biggest street festival to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Visitors will have the chance to enjoy French agricultural products, food and high quality red wine imported or produced in Vietnam and currently served at both French and Vietnamese restaurants.

They can join the best bread maker – contest “Coupe Louis Lesaffere” and the winner will represent Vietnam to attend the World Baking Cup in Paris in 2014.

The highlights of the festival will include two outdoor music shows entitled “Bonjour Vietnam” with participation of famous singers, such as Ho Ngoc Ha, Ha Okio, Phuogn Vy, Pham Anh Khoa, Witenoiz, Andre Ngo Trio, Trang Phap, Ong Cao Thang and Dong Nhi.

Gifted pianist Nguyen Van Anh to grace city opera house

Pianist Nguyen Van Anh will perform at a concert to mark the 40th anniversary of   Vietnam-Australia diplomatic relations at HCMC Opera House at 8 p.m. on Friday.

The concert, organized by HCMC Union Of Friendship Organizations, Vietnam – Australia Friendship Association and HCMC Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO), will take place under the baton of conductor Tran Vuong Thach.

Audiences will be entertained by the sweet melodies of famous pieces such as Hungarian Dance No.1 by Brahms, Concerto A Minor for piano & orchestra by Grieg and Symphony No.1 in C Major, op. 21 by Beethoven with the HBSO also participating.

Anh, born in Sydney in 1987 to Vietnamese parents, started learning the piano as a baby aged just 15 months thanks to the guidance of both her parents who are professional musicians. At four she was accepted into the Young Artists Program for gifted and talented musicians at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. By nine she had obtained her Associate Diploma in Music (Australia), and at 12, received her Licentiate Diploma in Music (Australia), making history before her teens.

She has given numerous media performances across all major Australian TV channels as well as on radio since she was five years old.

She has won several awards and prizes during her piano studies across Australia, including the Kawai Piano Award (Australia), the Audience Prize in the 13th Sommerklavierfest, Bad-Bertrich (Germany) and the 2011 Excellence in Youth Awards for Arts and Culture, New South Wales.

She has also performed in Italy, Germany, Austria, the U.S. and Taiwan. In November 2005, she made her solo debut in Vietnam and performs annual concerts in HCMC and Hanoi.

Tickets, priced from VND200,000 to VND400,000, are on sale at HBSO Box Office, 7 Lam Son Square, District 1. Students just pay VND80,000 for admission. For bookings and deliveries, call 08 3823 7419, email: info@hbso.org.vn, website: http://www.hbso.org.vn.

Loboc children’s choir of Philippines comes to city

The Loboc Children’s Choir will perform at HCMC Conservatory of Music at 8 p.m. on Friday to celebrate an early Christmas.

The program will feature famous works such as Look at the world, All things bright and beautiful by John Rutter, Pasigin by E. Palaruan, Get on Board by Afro-American Spiritual, The Impossible Dream by Darion/Leigh and many Christmas songs from Cloringen/Gersmehl/Hayes.

The Filipino choir was founded in 1980 at the Loboc Central Elementary School in Loboc, Bohol with 30 kids aged from 9 to 13. Established to give color to school and community events, the choir won first prize at the National Music Competitions for Young Artists in 1993 and 1995.

In 2000, it represented the Philippines during the International Children’s Culture and Arts Festival in Tianjin, China, and held concerts in Beijing and Hong Kong. It became the National Champion in the category of Children’s Choirs during the National Music Competitions for Young Artists in 2001.

From a notable project in Bohol, the choir has toured many places in the U.S.

The choir, under the auspices of the Met and of its leaders led by Trustee Bea Zobel, Jr. and Executive Director Ino Manalo, regaled the exhibit launch with a special concert which was followed by a Christmas Concert tour in major business establishments in Makati City and Ayala Alabang. This climaxed with a command performance for Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain during her cultural exchange visit to the Philippines.

Asian Food Channel comes to Vietnam

Vietnamese pay-TV operator HTVC Cable TV System has begun broadcasting Scripps Networks Interactive Asian Food Channel to its 700,000-plus subscribers.

The 24-hour regional food and lifestyle network will be carried exclusively on Television Media Service Company's platform.

The launch in Vietnam builds on our ongoing strategy of regional expansion for AFC and marks the 13th territory where the channel is available, said Derek Chang, the managing director for Asia Pacific at Scripps Networks Interactive.

We look forward to providing food lovers in Vietnam with an avenue to immerse themselves in cuisine from around the region and the world, and working closely with TMS to engage and grow our audiences in the country, he said

Asian Food Channel programmes include E & O Search for AFC's Next Celebrity Chef, Back to the Street, Great Dinners of the World and 36 Ways to Live.

Beside introducing world cuisine to Vietnam, we will share Vietnamese cuisine art with international friends," said Le Thi Phuong Thao, director of Thao Le Entertainment Company, a representative of AFC in Vietnam.

New insights into Thang Long Citadel detected

The archaeological excavation of the ancient Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, which was recognised as the World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2010, has revealed evidence dating from the 11th century to 19th century.

The results were announced by the Archaeology Institute in coordination with the conservation centre of Thang Long Heritage on December 11.

Excavation of two holes, covering over 100 square metres between February and December this year, has uncovered cultural layers filled with architectural relics from the Ly, Tran, Le to Nguyen dynasties.

It is the first time archaeologists have found the foundation buttresses from the Ly and Tran dynasties at Kinh Thien Palace inside the Citadel.

Most notably, a huge drain from the Tran dynasty was found during the excavation.

Experts said the rich results from four digs in the Thang Long Imperial Citadel since 2011 have gradually revealed the main space of Kinh Thien Palace under the Le dynasty.

However, inferences on the central axis of the site from the Ly and Tran periods need further research.

A general and long term plan is necessary, but not just the exploratory excavation as what is being done now, they noted.

Heritage photo exhibition opens in Hue City

Hue City is hosting an emotive photo exhibition, showcasing selected images from the 2013 Vietnamese Heritage photo competition.

The exhibition, which opened on December 11, was organised as part of the second Vietnam Heritage Photo Awards launched by Vietnam Heritage Magazine and the Vietnam Cultural Heritage’s Association on June 2013.

So far, the competition has received a phenomenal 6,016 submissions from 339 entrants nationwide, featuring natural and cultural heritage such as architecture, sculpture, handicrafts, traditional villages, music, dances, festivals, folk games and religion.

The event provides the opportunity for photographers to express their national pride by capturing the natural beauty of the landscape and Vietnamese culture. Some of the notable works  include Bien va con nguoi (Sea and human) by Nguyen Xuan Huu Tam, Hue City, and Di cho ve (Back to home from market) by Nguyen Van Dong.

Le Thanh Hai, Vietnam Heritage Magazine Editor-in-chief, affirmed  many of the excellent photographs will be shared with domestic and foreign readers, contributing to honouring  the values ​​of Vietnamese life and culture.

Canon, one of the major sponsors, has published nearly 1,000 large images to be displayed at exhibitions in 16 provinces and cities across the country.

Hard Rock Cafe set to celebrate 4th birthday

Hard Rock Cafe HCM City will celebrate its fourth anniversary in late December with a three-day concert featuring UK band Rubylux.

Rubylux Live will be the highlight of an extravagant birthday party with games, a lucky draw, food and beverages, and entertainment at its rock n' roll-inspired memorabilia cafe.

The celebrations will kick off on December 27 with daily specials of Corona Rita, a twisted cocktail made of Hard Rock House Margaritas and Corona beer.

Rubylux, Hard Rock Cafe's first resident band ever in 2010, will start its concerts at 9.30pm, with entrance tickets costing VND250,000 (US$12) on a first come first served basis.

Hard Rock Cafe serves American food and cocktails besides a regular diet of rock music.

HCM City movie complex hosts Comedy Week

BHD Star Cineplex will host a week of Vietnamese comedy films from December 13-19.

FunFest 2013 will feature movies by some popular actors and directors like Thai Hoa, Johny Tri Nguyen, Dustin Nguyen, Dinh Ngoc Diep, Huy Khanh, and Hoai Linh.

They will include Long Ruoi (Long the Fly), De Mai Tinh (Deal with it tomorrow), Cuoi Ngay Keo Lo (Marry Me Soon), Co Dau Dai Chien (Battle of Brides), and Nha Co 5 Nang Tien (Five Fairies in the House).

Tickets cost VND45,000 and VND35,000 for B-Card members.

BHD Star Cineplex is at 3C 3/2 Street, District 10 and 2 Hai Trieu Street, District 1.

Music, art show to raise funds for typhoon victims

A music and art show will be held tonight at the Sai Gon Pearl urban area in Binh Thanh District of HCM City to raise funds for the victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan.

The programme is being sponsored by the Viet Nam Federation of UNESCO Associations and the UNESCO Centre for Culture – Education.

The show, which is expected to attract about 1,000 people to raise funds for the victims of the typhoon, which recently struck the Philippines.

Taking part in the performance will be Gipsynation band, designer Tommy Nguyen and models and beauty queens from recent beauty contests. Those in attendance will also have the opportunity to meet and take photos with the performers.

All money collected at the show will be given to the Philippine Consulate General in HCM City.

Tiffany Chung confronts global warming in The Galápagos Project

New and recent works by Tiffany Chung in The Galápagos Project, which confronts our troubled world by examining the aftermath of colonization and modernization, has come on display at Galerie Quynh in District 1.

Deriving from Chung’s studies on the decline and disappearance of towns and cities due to deindustrialization, demographic change, land development, environmental catastrophes and extreme climate impacts, the work investigates the complexity of urban progress and transformation in developing post-industrial nations.

At the gallery at 65 De Tham Street, Chung will present The Galápagos Project: on the brink of our master plans.

Two new maps will be unveiled: one based on flood predictions for HCMC in 2050 and the second shows a two-channel video installation portraying an allegorical fantasy focusing on the end of the human race. In addition, Chung will exhibit her widely acclaimed ‘floating town’ which premiered at the Singapore Biennale in 2011.

This is the first sight of the ambitious installation in Vietnam. Titled ‘Stored in a jar: monsoon, drowning fish, color of water, and the floating world’, the work was created in response to the extreme flood prediction in 2050 of HCMC and the lower Mekong basin and the rising sea levels as a result of global warming.

Chung has participated in numerous museum exhibitions and biennials in the U.S, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Taipei, South Korea, Norway and Spain.

Chung lives and works in HCMC.

Source:VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/Dantri