Toyota Classics returns to Ho Chi Minh City

The 14th Toyota Classics is expected to leave a deep impression on Ho Chi Minh City audiences on the night of November 11.

A collection of world famous concertos will be performed by the renowned Northeast German Philharmonic Orchestra, led by conductor Thomas Dorsch, with the participation of the famous duo Pamela Nicholson and Vasko Vassilev, and a young Vietnamese talent, Pham Thi Duyen Huyen.

All ticket proceeds will go to the “Toyota Scholarship for Vietnamese Young Music Talents” programme.

Thai Kathina ceremony held in Thua Thien-Hue

The Thai Royal Family hosted a Kathina (robe offering) ceremony at Huyen Khong temple in Huong Ho commune, central Thua Thien-Hue province, on October 16.

The Kathina ceremony is one of the official traditional rituals of Therevada Buddhism in which Buddhist followers donate new robes to the monks in the hope that both monks and devotees at the Kathina ceremony will gain merits.

Addressing the Kathina ceremony, representatives from the Thai Royal Family said the Thai Royal Family wants to express their feelings toward Vietnamese Buddhist monks, nuns and followers, as well as the solidarity of Buddhism in general and the fine relations between Vietnam and Thailand.

Hanoi student enters World Rubik’s Cube semi-finals

Nguyen Tai Duc, a student from the Hanoi-Amsterdam High School, has reached the semi-finals of the one-handed event in the first World Rubik’s Cube Championships held in Bangkok, Thailand, from October 14-16.  

The tournament has attracted more than 300 players from 36 countries and territories around the world competing in 18 events including Rubik’s Cube 2x2 4x4, 5x5, 6x6 and 7x7, one-handed, blindfolded, with feet, Pyraminx, Megaminx and with the fewest moves.

The Vietnamese delegation to the event comprise four members from the Hanoi Rubik Club.

Rubik's Cube is a 3-D mechanical puzzle invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik.

In the classic Rubik's Cube, each of the cube’s six faces is made up of nine different coloured squares (traditionally white, red, blue, orange, green, and yellow). A pivot mechanism enables each face to turn independently so the colours can be mixing up. The object of the game is to move the squares so that each face is one solid colour.

Bank launches writing competition on new rural development  

The Bank Magazine, an organ of the banking sector of Vietnam, launched a writing competition themed “Join Hands to Upgrade Rural areas”.

All Vietnamese citizens and foreigners living in Vietnam can participate in the writing competition with the support of the Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Agribank).

Entries must not exceed more than 2,000 words, and reports or pictures must reflect real life events and people in the current context of new rural areas.

Entries can be sent direct by post to the Bank Magazine office at 137 Yen Phu Street, Tay Ho district, Hanoi or via email: baonganhang@gmail.com, no later than 30 September 2012.

The first prize winner will receive VND20 million. There will be two second prizes, five third prizes and many other encouragement prizes.

Local youth hold Silent Party for the deaf  

A group of local youth will hold a Silent Party in Ho Chi Minh City October 22 to raise awareness of non-verbal communication skills, and to raise money for a deaf charity, Saigon Tiep Thi newspaper reported.

The event, which will include food and drinks, plays and games, will take place in silence as way to understand each other’s body language, according to organizers.

According Do Thien Huong, a member of Silent Party, there are over 6,500 languages in the world, together with systems of signals and symbols.

“However, studies say [in many cases] only seven percent of information is transmitted through language, whereas body language transmits 55 percent. This very ability however is mostly ignored,” Saigon Tiep Thi quoted Huong as saying.

“The event aims to create a new language environment for people to practice and experience,” said Huong. The club is supported by the city’s cultural club for deaf people.

Participants will be instructed by club members to express their ideas through signals and body language to communicate with others during the event.

Like the same event held in Hanoi that welcomed 300 visitors, all proceeds from the 450 tickets for the event at 2B/30 Bach Dang Street, Tan Binh District, will be donated to needy young deaf people, according to Saigon Tiep Thi.

Galaxy Y contest for wannabe dancers

The music event Cung Galaxy Y-khuay dong the gioi am nhac (Thrilling the music world with Galaxy Y) will be launched for dance lovers nationwide who have the chance to perform in a video with V. Music boyband, according to the  organizers Samsung Vina.

The contest will be held from November 1 to 21. Participants need to check out www.samsung.com/vn/galaxyy to register, download songs and then record images of their dance performance on cameras, cell phones or webcams based on the downloaded music.

Video clips are required to be fun, unique and creative to net weekly prizes and final round awards. The best individuals and groups in the final round have the chance to join V. Music band in creating a pop video.

The contest is hosted on the occasion of Samsung Galaxy Y’s debut, a new product of Samsung Galaxy smartphone product line. The product is integrated with various applications, namely Zing Me, Zing MP3 and Zing News, and is worth VND3.4 million.
 
Xoan singing introduced to diplomats

A performance of Xoan singing was held for diplomats at the Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi in the evening of October 15.

The event was part of Vietnam’s efforts to seek UNESCO recognition for this traditional art form as an ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage in need of Urgent Protection’.

The programme was attended by General Secretary of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO Pham Cao Phong; Chairman of the Phu Tho provincial People’s Committee and Head of the Steering Committee for building the ‘Hat Xoan Phu Tho’ dossier Hoang Dan Mac; and ambassadors and culture counselors from more than 30 foreign embassies in Vietnam.

“We are proud to present one of the most lively, diverse and unique art forms in Vietnam, which has a long history that has been passed down through the generations,” said Chairman Mac addressing the audience.

Four art troupes from An Thai, Phu Duc, Thet and Kim Doi villages in Phu Tho province entertained the guests with 10 typical Xoan songs including ‘Thuyen Cheo Cach’ (boat rowing songs) ‘Hat Moi Ruou’ (wine-offering singing and dancing), ‘Xin Hoa Do Chu’ (Asking for a Flower), and ‘Mo Ca’ ( A Fishing Ditty).

Accompanied by drums and ‘Phach’ (small wooden sticks used to beat a small bamboo box), the songs express people’s aspirations, dreams and happiness, as well as daily activities.

Photographs of Xoan performances were also on display and provided the guests with information about the origins, types and features of this ancient art form.

Xoan singing in Phu Tho dates back to the era of the Hung Kings. It is also known as Xuan (Spring) singing because it is usually performed in the springtime to pray for peace, bumper crops, and favourable weather, and to show gratitude to the Hung Kings.

On behalf of the diplomatic corps, Moroccan ambassador to Vietnam, El Houcine Fardani, expressed special thanks to the organiser for putting on a brilliant show, which helped foreign friends learn more about the rich and long-lasting culture of Vietnam.

Sharing opinions and feelings about the show, Ambassador Naceur Boucherit from Algeria said, “I am very interested in the beautiful, romantic songs of Vietnamese Xoan singing. I can lose myself in the harmonious mixture between the music and lyrics of the songs.”

‘I was glad to be invited to the event. While enjoying the performances, I could see that Vietnamese Xoan singing has some of the same characteristics as traditional music in my own country. They both reflect the life breath of the culture,” said Egyptian Ambassador Reda El Taify.

The programme was held jointly by the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO, the Phu Tho provincial People’s Committee, and the Phu Tho provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in co-ordination with the Vietnamese Institute of Musicology and the Depart of Cultural Heritage.

Portraits of women in war and peace time

A painting exhibition depicting the heroic images of women in war time and their devotion and diligence during peace time opens on Monday till October 25 at the HCMC Exhibition House, 92 Le Thanh Ton Street in District 1.

‘Vietnamese Women in the War – in the Peace’ features 80 paintings made of paper, oil on canvas, silk or lacquer by Pham Thanh Tam, Bui Ngoc Tu, Do Xuan Doan, Mai Long, Minh Tam and Hoang The Nhiem. There are images of female soldiers, military nurses, war time artists and normal women performing daily tasks in their hometown such as working in rice farms or weaving silk during war time.

Meanwhile, when peace comes women still play an important role in society as mothers, wives and as independent women earning a living.

The exhibition is part of an international workshop themed ‘Women and War: An International Perspective’ organized by Vietnam Women’s Union and Hoa Sen University which opens from Monday until Wednesday at the university, 2 Tan Vien Street in Tan Binh District with activities such as a screening of ‘When the tenth month comes’ directed by Dang Nhat Minh and Barbara Sonneborn’s ‘Regret to inform’. There is also an exchange talk with Minh and a discussion on how women suffer from loneliness during war time.

HCM City songwriter takes the prize

Songwriter Phan Thanh Tuong's Ba Hat De Danh Cho Lo Lem (Three Chestnuts for Cinderella) has won first prize in a national musical composition contest for teenagers, launched by several HCM City organisations.

In his pop song, Tuong used simple but meaningful lyrics about young girls' sweet dreams and hopes.

The jury included well-known composers Ton That Lap, Tran Long An and Nguyen Ngoc Thien, and all members of the HCM City Musicians' Association (HMA).

The HMA and the HCM City Cultural Centre worked together to launch the Pink Songs competition for professional and amateur musicians nationwide to create new songs for teenagers and children.

The contest is part of the organisers' activities celebrating the event 2011 – The Year for Young People and Children, launched by the Central Committee of Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union.

Three second prizes were presented to Vu Minh Duc's Trang Ve Lang (Moonrise Over the Village), Nguyen Quang Vinh's Mua He Ron Ra (Bustling Summer), and Nguyen Duy Hung's Hoa Hoc Tro (Student Flowers)

The organisers received 430 songs in different styles, such as pop, dance and hip-hop by 344 songwriters and composers across the country.

Through their songs, the artists highlight happiness, sorrow, challenges and other issues that teenagers may find difficult to discuss with adults.

Jury member Thien said: "We hope our competition will provide opportunities for musicians of different ages and background to create quality productions for their special fans and young people."

He said the competition was launched to encourage writers, particularly young people, to create new songs for teens.

More than 2,000 CDs and music books, featuring the contest's 12 winning songs and 56 final songs, will be produced later this month.

TA