Lao performers to celebrate friendship with VN

A troupe of 47 Lao artists will present a special show of music, dance and arts at the Ha Noi Opera House next Tuesday as part of the Lao Cultural Days programme in Viet Nam.

Taking place on July 16-20, the Cultural Days programme includes a fine arts exhibition and film screenings to introduce Lao culture features and enhance the long-standing and close friendship between Viet Nam and Laos on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.

The artists will perform Lao songs, instrumental music and dances praising the beautiful landscape and culture of the country. Traditional dresses of ethnic groups in Laos will also be displayed at the event.

The Lao singers will sing several Vietnamese songs and one song composed by a Lao musician that honours late President Ho Chi Minh.

Free tickets for the performance can be collected at the Viet Nam Performing Arts Centre, 32 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Ha Noi.

Old cannon found on riverbed

A cannon from the Nguyen dynasty has been found on a riverbed in the northern province of Yen Bai.

The cast-iron weapon was discovered under 10m of water by residents fishing on the Thac Ba reservoir in Phuc An Commune, Yen Binh District.

Provincial museum director Tran Xuan Ca said that based on the clear ideographical characters on the 121cm cannon, it was produced in 1832 under the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945).

The 400kg cannon was the fourth of the era to be found in the province. It would be put on public display in due course.

Artist explores his own ‘Mental Places'

German artist Martin Schuster will present his unique style at a one-day exhibition to be held tomorrow in the capital.

His works – from the graffiti-covered walls of East Germany to the lacquer-filled rooms of the University of Fine Arts in Ha Noi – are often composed of large frenetic scenes with a tension between the landscapes and the characters that produces an air of mystery for viewers. Having spent most of his life in a small town best known for its asparagus, moving to Ha Noi was an understandable shock to Martin's sense of peace and his environment.

Through large oil paintings, lacquer works, pencil drawings and etchings, exhibition-goers will be taken through various "mental places" which will pose questions about their dreams, desires and perceptions.

Titled Mental Places, the display will take place at House 18, Alley 275A Au Co Street, Tay Ho District.

Japanese beat-maker presents distinctive sound

Patience is a virtue, and few understand it better than understated electronic beat-maker Daisuke Tanabe who will be making his debut in Ha Noi this Saturday.

Having honed his craft from the age of 16, Daisuke released his first album in 2006. Since then he has remixed artists such as Elan Mehler and Aaron Jerome, and released music on the ever-reliable Ninja Tune record label.

Taking inspiration from jazz, folk, and reggae as well as the whole canon of electronic music, the young Japanese national will play his laidback electronica for one night only in Ha Noi.

His performance will take place at CAMA ATK, 73A Mai Hac De Street. Tickets are VND120,000 on the door or 80,000 in advance from the venue.

Celebration of first Vietnamese rock festival

This Saturday, Hanoi Rock City will present Summer 71 Nhac Tre – a celebration of the very first Vietnamese rock festival which was held in May 1971.

Eclectic, versatile DJ Dirty Fingrz will dig up old records to pull out some of Viet Nam's finest nhac tre (youth music) classics, throwing in a couple of special remixes and surprises to boot. In addition, rare video footage will also be shown.

The night will also feature live performances by Daddy Long Legs and ex-members of the rock bands The White Eagle, Freebirds and Good Mouth Feel.

The free-entry event will take place at 27/52 To Ngoc Van Street, Tay Ho District, from 9pm.

Live electronic music hits City bars

Come to Daddy, a live electronic music and multimedia show, will be performed at Yoko Bar on July 18 and Vasco's Bar on July 19.

The event will feature three international DJs – Daisuke Tanabe from Japan, Bottlesmoker from Indonesia, and Jase of The Beats Sai Gon.

VJ Paki from Italy will provide the visual effects for both shows.

Entrance fee is VND100,000 at Yoko, 22 Nguyen Thi Dieu, District 3, and VND150,000 at Vasco's, 74/1D Hai Ba Trung Street, District 1 in HCM City.

Philippine jazz singer set for weekly performances

Philippine jazz singer Mariedel Mapile will perform every Friday in July at the Zest Bistro&Cafe.

Mapile has been singing professionally for 10 years and has performed at many of Manila's top hotels, singing both contemporary songs as well as popular songs from the 1930s.

Her performance will begin at 7 pm at Zest, which is at 5 Ton Duc Thang Street in District 1.

Colombian artist presents solo exhibition

Contemporary Colombian artist Luz Angela Lizarazo will present a solo exhibition of paintings, objects, and installations featuring women's life at San Art on Thursday.

Born in 1966 in Botoga, she obtained a PhD in fine arts from the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France. She has held exhibition in Colombia, Spain, and France.

Lizarazo's exhibition is part of "Irregular Hexagon: Colombian Art in Residence," an art project consisting of six one-person exhibitions by artists from Colombia and hosted by six institutions in Morocco, Israel, Australia, Turkey, Singapore, and Viet Nam.
The exhibition, at the studio at 3 Me Linh Street, District 1 in HCM City, will remain open until August 16.

Camp offers chance to learn culture

A youth camp on Vietnamese culture and cultural activities, Viet Nam Camp 2012, will open today at the Cultural and Tourism Village in suburban Ha Noi.

About 200 participants include high-achieving students, youth who have made a contribution to society and overseas Vietnamese.

Campers will join cultural exchange programmes with ethnic people, including the Thai, Ha Nhi, Muong, Gia Lai, E De, Mo Nong and Xo Dang groups.

History, traditional costume and musical instruments of each ethnic group will be presented to the campers.

Hue seeks national heritage status

Authority of Hue City has approved an application asking the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to recognise Hue traditional music as a national intangible cultural heritage.

The application features 36 tunes, including 23 used widely across the country and recorded in films and various albums.
The national recognition is a preparatory step to seek the World Intangible Cultural Heritage status from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Father-daughter duo to perform in Hanoi

Former Mayor of Northbrook City, Illinois, Mark Damisch will perform works by Debussy, Copland and Chopin in Hanoi at 8 p.m. today, July 12, and Friday with his daughter Alexandra as the Vietnam National Academy of Music in Hanoi holds a piano recital.

The event is among several cultural activities co-held annually by the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi and the academy to promote culture and arts between the two countries.

The Hanoi performance is part of his summer concert tour of India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Australia and New Zealand.

Damisch began the organ at four at the Evanston Conservatory of Music. He switched to the piano at seven, the same year that he played in public for the first time at a church in Valentine, Nebraska and was touring Europe by his teens.

In addition to a successful career as a personal injury lawyer, a stint as a corruption-busting prosecutor and three terms as mayor of Northbrook, Damisch returned to his music in 1974. For several summers over the past decade, Damisch and his family have performed classical concerts to promote peace and goodwill in parts of Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

The concert will take place at Concert Hall of the Vietnam National Academy of Music, 77 Hao Nam Street, Dong Da District. Admission is free and to receive tickets register at http://creator.zoho.com.

VNN/VNS/SGT/ND