VND32 billion music copyright fee collected 

Vietnam Center for Protection of Music Copyright collected VND32 billion (US$1.6 million) in music copyright fees in 2010. 

The fees came from TV, radio, internet, performances, music books, supermarkets, ring tones, karaoke, bars, coffee shops, hotels and restaurants. The copyright fee from karaoke alone was VND3 billion (US$150,000).

The Southern Branch of Vietnam Center for Protection of Music Copyright received VND20 billion, showing an increase of 138.5 percent compared to 2009.

Vietnam Center for Protection of Music Copyright is a nonprofit organization to help authors obtain compensation if their works are reprinted or copied and undertakes the responsibility of collecting fees for writers.

In 2005, the Center joined the International Confederation of Authors and Composers Societies (CISAC) which includes 229 authors’ societies from 121 countries.

This makes it convenient for Vietnamese authors to receive compensation from countries and territories that have a signed bilateral contract with the Vietnam Center for Protection of Music Copyright.

City lacks literary cultural spaces 

Recently it has not been easy to find an appropriate place to read and present literary works in the city.

Publishing houses often choose coffee shops for book releases and exchanges between writers and readers because of their convenience and low cost.

However, the constrained space of a cafe can not seat a large number of people. Writers need to have a large gathering of fans.

Nguyen Ngoc Tu, the best selling author of “Endless field” (Canh dong bat tan), presented her latest work, “Splendid smoke in the sky” (Khoi troi long lay), at the Saturday café in Ho Chi Minh City last November.  The small coffee shop soon became uncomfortably congested with hundreds of people.

Ho Chi Minh City Book Distribution Joint-Stock Company (Fahasa) and Phuong Nam Cultural Joint Stock Corp (PNC) that own the largest bookstore chain in the country have successfully organized book releases and exhibitions at their bookstores in Xuan Thu and Tan Dinh in District 1, PNC bookstores on Nguyen Oanh Street in Go Vap District and Le Duan Street in District 1.

Local authorities admit that bookstores have made great efforts in building a reading culture in the city and organizing reading cultural events.

Sculptor “desculpts” to protest land mines

A sculpture exhibition named Fragments by Canadian born artist, Blake will open at the Bui Gallery, 23 Ngo Van So Street in Hanoi from January 22 to March 13.

Working with clay, later casting in bronze, Blake deliberately ‘desculpts’, breaking his creations to make them resemble their timeless counterparts.

Fragments is a thought provoking exploration of mankind’s ancient ideas of beauty, the human sculpture and how this beauty expresses in modern times, broken by the destructive nature of the history, but never the less intact.

To raise awareness about the destructive nature of war and the devastating effect on innocent people, Blake named all the pieces in the show after brands of landmines - Adam M-72. Claymore M18A1. Sadeye CBU-75. These names hold the fate of individuals just as those from history did.

In conjunction with the United Nations Association program No-More-Landmines & Adopt-A-Minefield, Blake will donate the proceeds from his exhibition to help clear existing landmines, a project he has already undertaken in Vietnam, Cambodia, Russia and Angola.

Deaf artists hold art show

Saigon Hearing Impaired Fine Arts Club is holding its fifth oil painting exhibition at the Bong Sen Saigon Hotel, 117-123 Dong Khoi Street, HCMC’s District 1 until Sunday.

Sixty oil paintings by 11 young deaf artists are on display with prices between  VND500,000 and VND9 million. Last year, a painting called “Sac xuan” (Spring beauty) by Thanh Loi, a member of the club, was sold at a charity auction for VND230 million with proceeds going to poor people in the central flooded region.

The Saigon Hearing Impairment Fine Arts Club has been held at 101 Pham Ngu Lao Street, HCMC’s District 1 for five years. It has 15 young artistic members with hearing problems. Every year, the club organizes a couple of shows of their work.

Documentaries screened to mark Party Congress

Six documentaries on national defence and construction will be screened from January 20-22 to mark the success of the 11th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV).

The selected documentaries include films shot from the ‘60s of the 20th as well as those made in 2010.

A 40 minute film of “Images of Ho Chi Minh’s revolutionary life” made in 1960 has recalled the revered CPV founder’s activities at home and abroad from 1920 till 1960.

The documentary won the Golden Lotus award at the second national film festival in 1973.

“The South is in my heart”, of the same length, confirmed the Party’s stance that the southern region is always integral to Vietnam. It also told a moving story about President Ho Chi Minh’s deep feelings for the south, which were reflected in his famous saying “The South is always in my heart”.

Director Hong Ha shot the film in 1976, just one year after the American war came to an end, as a tribute to the late President Ho Chi Minh who longed for the national reunification.

General Vo Nguyen Giap, the famous commander in chief of Vietnam’s People’s Army, is also highlighted at the festival through “General Vo Nguyen Giap, a century-a life”. The documentary recalled the considerable contributions to the two wars against French and US invaders the nation’s hero made, who turned 100 years old last October.

The remaining two films feature the contributions that CPV member have made to the national liberation and construction.

Ho Chi Minh’s Complete Works launched

The National Political Publishing House has brought out the third edition of the complete works of President Ho Chi Minh, which is published to acknowledge the 11th National Party Congress.

The collection includes 15 volumes containing 3,300 pieces of written work by the late President. This is the third time that the collection has been reproduced and includes an additional 800 new documents.

It is an invaluable asset for the Vietnamese Party and people. The collection’s contents reflect vividly the process of national salvation with Ho Chi Minh at the forefront as well as his ideas which form a system of profound and comprehensive viewpoints on the fundamental issues of the Vietnamese revolution.

Among the 800 new documents supplemented in the collection, are writings and speeches with quite new viewpoints from Ho Chi Minh, which have never been shown before in his writings.

The first three volumes of the collection came out before the 11th National Party Congress. It is expected that the complete collection of books will be published in May, 2011.

Dragon, lion dance festival to be held in HCM City

The dragon, lion dance festival will be held at the Lanh Binh Thanh sports complex in Ho Chi Minh City from January 26-28.

10 troupes from Ho Chi Minh City and another one from nearby Binh Duong province have already registered to attend the event.

This is one of the biggest and most interesting festival in the city to bring the best wishes to every household.

TA