Various events at 2012 Hue Festival

The festival of drums and percussion instruments entitled ‘Am Vang Hao Khi Viet’ (Resounding of the Vietnamese Spirit), was held at Nghinh Luong Dinh Square in Hue city on April 10-14, as part of the ongoing 2012 Hue Festival.

The performance, which consisted of five drum and percussion groups, with different musical styles delivered performances, showcasing national musical traditions.

The round main stage was decorated with designs of Dong Son bronze drum and were flanked by 100 drums, representing the 100 children of Lac Long Quan and Au Co, known in Vietnamese Legend as the Dragon King and Fairy.

The organising board expected to offer the drums to 100 schools in Thua Thien – Hue and Ben Tre provinces, after the conclusion of the festival.

Also on April 10, a program entitled ‘Royal Night’ was also held at Dai Noi (Imperial City). During the event, tourists enjoyed arts performances including ‘Nha nhac’ (Hue royal court music), royal dances and ‘Tuong Hue’ (Hue classical theatre).

The ‘Huong Xua Lang Co’ (Fragrance of ancient village) programme was also held on April 9-10 at Phuoc Tich ancient village in Phong Dien district, as a part of this year’s festival. The event featured cultural spaces and activities of the ancient village.

The festival aims to promote the city’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage, as well as its unique cultural and natural environment to domestic and international visitors in Thua Thien – Hue province.

Electronic musician Tim Exile performs in Hue, Hanoi  

Tim Exile, an electronic musician, software developer, composer and live stage artist, will perform in Hanoi on April 14 and at the Hue Festival 2012 on April 10-11.  
         
Tim showcases his radical approach to composing, improvising and performing. He has released critically acclaimed albums including ‘Listening Tree’ in 2009, ‘The Mouth’, a game-changing software product for musicians, and has recently been pioneering new ways of exploding the traditional musical process with an online jamming project via his website timexile.tv.

Tim will perform at the An Dinh Palace on 97 Phan Dinh Phung Street at the Hue Festival on April 10-11 at 8.30pm.  Tickets can be purchased at the Hue Festival Office on 17 Le Loi Street in Hue City.

He will appear as part of the Hanoi Sound stuff Festival in Chu Van An Stadium at 10 Thuy Khue on April 14 at 6pm. In addition, Tim will deliver a workshop for Vietnamese Musicians at Hanoi Rock City on 27/52 To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho, Hanoi at 7.00 pm on April 13.
 
Discover the city with Friends of Viet Nam

Friends of Viet Nam Heritage, an educational group mainly composed of Ha Noi residents, have devoted themselves to the preservation of Vietnamese culture and heritage. The group has planned a number of events, in conjunction with groups from different parts of the world who have offered their assistance expertise. A walking tour to visit Dong Xuan Market and surrounding area has been scheduled for Saturday, April 14. The two-hour tour will begin at 9.30am and will have an English-speaking guide. For further registration information, contact: sue.jacka@gmail.com.

The group will also host an English-speaking excursion to the village of Chang Son, famous for the craft of making paper fans, which will begin at 8.30am on Sunday, April 15.

Another French-speaking walking tour of the Ha Noi Citadel begins at 9.30am, on April 19.

Contact Linda at linda10.vn@gmail.com, and Nicole at nicole.nicolemaillard@gmail.com for the events, respectively.

Le Duy Ung’s battlefield sketches on display
 
Over 200 sketches by artist and decorated general Le Duy Ung came on display titled ‘Sketches on battlefield’ at Quang Binh Provincial Cultural Center on Tuesday, aimed at marking the 37th anniversary of the Reunification Day, reports VietnamPlus.

Apart from 200 sketches, the organizers also showcase some sculptural works by Ung. His sketches come in the form of lively diaries about his days in the battlefield.

Born in 1947 in Co Hien Hamlet, Hien Ninh Commune, Quang Binh Province, artist Ung joined Vietnam People’s Army, units C20, E101, F325 and army corps II.

Images of Uncle Ho are always an inspiration for Ung’s works. He always depicts Uncle Ho with a fantastic imagination and fervent heart of a soldier.

On April 28, 1975, Ung together with the Liberation Army rushed to Saigon on tank No. 847 to take photos and make sketches about the battles when the South was liberated and the country reunited.
 
AmCham to host fundraising gala dinner

The American Chamber of Commerce in Ha Noi will host a fund-raising event on Saturday, April 14 to benefit the AmCham Scholars programme. This programme identifies and rewards the most talented final-year students in the universities of Ha Noi.

This year's gala will feature a New Orleans-style Mardi Gras party, live auctions, food, drink and music. The evening will begin with a cocktail reception, complete with musicians, jugglers and magicians. The venue has been designed to look like New Orleans' Bourbon Street. Guests will be able to enjoy other specialities of the city, including beads, masks, an open bar, a sit-down dinner, live music and dancing.

The event will take place at the InterContinental Ha Noi Westlake Hotel, 1A Nghi Tam Street, Tay Ho District, from 6-10.30pm. Ticket cost VND2,500,000.

Foreign, VN short films to hit the screen

Future Shorts, the largest short film network in the world, will screen the best international and local short films in HCM City at Yoko on Sunday, April 15 and Snap Cafe next Wednesday, April 18.

They will include tragicomic stop-motion Mourir Aupres de Toi (To Die by Your Side) by Oscar-nominated director Spike Jonze, The Arm directed and written by female trio Brie Larson, Sarah Ramos, and Jessie Ennis, and animated short L'homme Sans Tete (The Man without a Head) by Juan Solanas.

The screening will begin on 7pm at Yoko, 22A Nguyen Thi Dieu Street, District 3, and 7.30pm at Snap Cafe, 32 Tran Ngoc Dien Street, District 2.

Tickets cost VND60,000 but only VND30,000 for students. Admission is free for filmmakers.

New Zealand food, wine festival at Park Hyatt

Epicureans can enjoy a variety of fresh and delicious products at the New Zealand Wine and Food Festival to be held at Park Hyatt Saigon next Saturday, April 21.

The event will feature a range of the country's finest seafoods, beef, lamb, and dairy products as well as a selection of New Zealand wines.

It is open to the public.

Vietnamese-French DJ duo to perform in HCMC

The Beats Saigon will present Vietnamese-French DJ duo Tha Trickaz at Vasco's bar and restaurant next Saturday, April 21.

Pho and iRaize, who have been together for more than 10 years, represent the perfect combination of hip hop and electro music.

The show at the bar, 74/7D Hai Ba Trung Street, District 1, will start at 9pm. Admission is VND100,000.

City theater to feature French opera

French opera ‘The Child and the Spells’ (L’Enfant et les Sortileges) by composer Maurice Ravel will be performed at HCMC Opera House on Saturday at 7 p.m., featuring artists from the Children’s Choir of the National Musical Theater in Paris.

The Child and the Spells is performed with music by Maurice Ravel and libretto by Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette who then wrote a book with the same title from 1919 to 1925. The opera expresses the passion of fantasy stories and elegance of music.

The opera has been staged in over 30 countries worldwide. This time, artists will collaborate with Hautes de Seine orchestra and Choeur de chamber of Matrise des Hautes de Seine.
 
Magic of Handel to enchant Hanoians

Conductor Graham Sutcliffe will lead artists from the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra (VNSO) and Vietnam National Opera and Ballet in a concert in Hanoi on April 14-15.  

They will perform Handel’s Water Music and extracts from oratorio Messiah.

The concert will feature soprano Ha Pham Thang Long, alto Ngo Huong Diep, tenor Trinh Thanh Binh and bass Vu Manh Dung, along with the Hanoi International Choir, the Hanoi Freude Choir and the Choir of College of Art Education.

Sutcliffe was resident conductor of the VNSO for six years and during the time led the orchestra in more than 120 concerts. He has conducted both opera and ballet and has an extensive repertoire of symphonic music. In 2005, he was awarded the Order of the British Empire for his work in cultural relations between Vietnam and the UK.

Soprano Long holds a Master of Arts in vocal performance from the National Academy of Music and won the second prize in the 3rd National Chamber Music Opera Competition. She has performed the main roles in La Boheme, Cosi Fan Tutte and The Magic Flute.

‘Coconut Festival 2012’ ends in Ben Tre Province  

The third ‘Coconut Festival 2012’ ended in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre on April 10.  
       
The organizing committee announced three awards for an art installation of a coconut road by Ben Tre Department of Construction; a giant coconut made of coconut fiber by Ben Tre Urban Work Company; and the first traditional music instrument made of coconut by the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The committee also awarded merit certificates to 16 artworks in the handicrafts design contest.
Nguyen Thi My Hanh, 19, triumphed over 64 contestants and won the title of ‘Beauty of Coconut Region’. Hanh comes from Binh Dai District and is a student of Ho Chi Minh City University of Theatre and Cinema.

Pham Thi Phuong Thao from Thanh Phu District and Huynh Thi Le Hang from Tien Giang Province were the first and second runners up. Thao and Hang are students of Hutech University and Ho Chi Minh City University of Sports respectively.

The five-day festival, which opened on April 5, was celebrated with many cultural activities to highlight the regions native fruits and agricultural products.