Model receives stiff fine for costume mishap

Thai Ha, one of Vietnam's A-list models, has been fined VND5 million (USD239.7) for her clothes that were too revealing at an event in HCM City.

The HCM City municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism decided that the costume Thai Ha wore during her act, on February 18, was inappropriate. The show, called Umbrella Party, included several other well-known models, such as Ngoc Quyen, Minh Trieu, Thanh Hai and Quanh Di.

While giving a vigorous performance her costume apparently slipped, showing a little bit too much. Photos of the event quickly spread online, and lit up chat rooms and forums.

This 'slip' just happened to take place at a time when the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Department of Performing Arts is trying to tighten controls over 'decency rules' in the performing arts.

Following several similar incidents involving artists, such as Thuy Tien, Ly Nha Ky, Minh Hang and Thu Minh, the department has been determined to apply stricter sanctions on these kind of violations.

The department is in the process of drafting a regulation, under which, if it is decided that an artist's costume is too revealing, they would be be banned from performing for between three months to a year.  In the worst cases, the ministry could put a life ban on an artist and impose a complete media black-out.

Thai Ha paid her fine on February 20. The organisers of the event met with officials from the HCM City municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism on February 21 to determine their responsibility.

Thai Ha blamed the incident on the fact that the organisers had asked her to wear something skimpy, along with the fact that she was overly energetic in her performance.

Justin Bieber’s autobiography to be introduced in Vietnam

The Vietnamese version of Canadian teen star Justin Bieber’s famous autobiography book will be published in Vietnam later this month.

The book, entitled “Buoc toi dinh cao: Cau chuyen cua toi” (First step to Forever: My Story) by local Nha Nam publisher tells the journey of a 13-year-old Canadian boy who has struggled hard to achieve international stardom and how he first appears on Youtube.

The 240-page Vietnamese version is divided into 7 parts that follow the Canadian teenager from his first steps into the music industry to his current star status. It unveils behind-the-scene stories, as well as the hard work and payoff of the teen pop star’s rapid success.

“First step to Forever: My Story” is expected to be available at local stores from February 20, 2012.

Born in 1994, Bieber now has millions of fans from around the world. His debut single, “One Time”, was released in 2009 and listed in the top ten in Canada and in the top thirty in several international markets. His debut album, the seven-track EP My World, came out in November 2009, and was soon certified as platinum in the United States.

Bieber was voted the Richest Teen Star in 2011 and nominated for the prestigious Grammy prize. He became the first artist to have seven songs from a debut album chart on the Billboard Hot 100.

11 films to compete for 2012 Golden Kite Awards

The 2012 Golden Kite awards ceremony will be held at the Friendship Palace in Hanoi on March 13.  

This year’s event involves around 10 feature films, 19 video films and a large number of documentaries. The feature films are focused on action, comedy, entertainment and horror.

Among potential candidates for the Golden Kite awards are ‘Long Ruoi’, which has earned a high sales record of VND40 billion, ‘Do Hay Day' by Overseas Vietnamese director Siu Pham, which attended the 16th Busan International Festival, and 'Mui Co Chay’ (Scene of Burnt Grass), ‘Tam Hon Me’ (Mother’s Soul) and 'Hotboy Noi Loan’ (Lost in Paradise) which competed at the Golden Lotus awards in Phu Yen last December.

Dedicated film directors honoured

The names of two famous film directors, Bui Dinh Hac and Dang Nhat Minh, will resound at the Golden Kite 2012 award ceremony at the Friendship Palace in Hanoi, on March 13.

Born in 1934, Bui Dinh Hac became director of the Vietnam Department of Cinematography. He has had a large treasure of feature and documentary films, many of which helped him gain international prizes.

Among his well-known works include documentaries films, “Nguyen Van Troi song mai” (Long-live Nguyen Van Troi), “Saigon thang 5 - 1975” (Saigon, May 1975), “Nguyen Ai Quoc den voi Lenin” (Nguyen Ai Quoc comes to Lenin), “Ho Chi Minh, chan dung mot con nguoi” (Ho Chi Minh, portrait of a human), and the feature films “Nguyen Van Troi”, “Duong ve que me” (On the road to native village).

He was granted the Ho Chi Minh Prize in 2007.

The other film-maker, Dang Nhat Minh, born in 1938, started his film-making career in 1965 with the first work entitled, “Theo chan nguoi dia chat” (Following the geologist).

Not until 1983 when both his feature film, “Thi xa trong tam tay” (The town is within the range) and documentary film “Nguyen Trai” won the Golden Lotus award, has his name become popular.

Minh’s most recent success is “Dung dot” (Don’t burn). His film, “Bao gio cho den thang Muoi” (When does October come) also secured a position for Vietnam’s cinematographers in the world film scene after 1975.

Minh was honoured with the Ho Chi Minh Prize with four films of “Thi xa trong tam tay”, “Bao gio cho den thang Muoi”, “Hanoi mua dong nam 46” (Hanoi in winter of 1946) and “Mua oi” (Guava Season).

Annually organised by the Vietnam Cinematography Association, the nation’s noblest Golden Kite award has this year attracted the participation of 10 feature films, 18 dramas, and many documentary, scientific and cartoon films.

Famous Japanese pianist to enthral Hanoians

Leading Japanese pianist Yamashita Yosuke will perform at Hanoi Opera House on February 25-26, on the occasion of his 70th birthday.

Also participating in the concert are famous Vietnamese saxophonists Quyen Van Minh, Quyen Thien Dac and Nguyen Bao Long, under the baton of conductor Honna Tetsuji, music director of the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra (VNSO).

During the event, great American composer George Gershwin’s masterpiece “Rapsody in Blue” will be introduced, along with “Take the ‘A’ train”, one of the most popular works worldwide by Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington.

Yamashita Yosuke will also display his own masterpiece “Mt. Semba” at the concert, which is considered vivid evidence of the effective cooperation between the Japanese artist and the VNSO, following his first Vietnamese performance at the “Yamaha-Jazz Christmas Night” last year.

Yosuke has gained great success in both Japan and the US, and his talent is compared to world-known American jazz musician Cecil Taylor.

Hanoi hosts archaeological conference

The Goethe Institute in Hanoi will host an international conference on Vietnamese archaeology from February 29 to March 2.

The event, co-organised by the German partner, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Cultural Heritage Department and the National History Museum, is expected to attract many overseas and domestic archaeologists and scientists.

A series of lectures on Vietnam’s history and archaeology will also take place, airing a number of different points of view.

The conference will focus on Vietnam’s rich culture, ranging from the Dong Son culture in the north, Sa Huynh culture in the central region and Oc Eo culture in the south as well as updates on research currently being carried out on Thang Long Citadel and Dai Viet State.

Composer to be honoured with memorial in Hue

A memorial to the late composer Trinh Cong Son (1939-2001) will be build on Bau Ho Hill along the banks of the Huong (Perfume) River in the central city of Hue.

Son, considered among the nation's greatest songwriters, wrote over 600 songs and was also a poet and painter.

The memorial will be situated on a 10ha site near tourist sites such as King Tu Duc's Mausoleum, the Thuy Bieu eco-village and Vong Canh Hill and will host displays dedicated to the music, poetry and art of the composer.

Hue’s traffic solution meets expert opposition

A recent plan to reform two ancient bridges in Hue in order to ease the traffic congestion has met with opposition from local experts who say the solution could destroy the artifacts.

According to Nguyen Dang Truong, deputy director of the Thua Thien Hue province’s Traffic Investment and Construction board, the 200-year-old Vinh Loi and Kho bridges crossing Ngu Ha River in the Hue Citadel will be expanded to more than 10 meters wide, to ease local traffic.

“We will expand the bridges with little effect on its ancient architecture.The construction will be suited to the hundred-year-old relic,” he said. “If we built new bridges over the river, the panorama of the citadel would be destroyed,” he added.

However, the explanation doesn’t please restoration experts.

Researcher Mai Khac Ung, former manager of the research department of Hue Relic Conservation Center said all architecture in the citadel is united. He said expanding the bridges will lead to the reconstruction of the citadel’s road as well as entrance gates and it will ruin the whole relic.

“Why do they choose the way to destroy the relic to clear the traffic? They should lower population density in the citadel or limit the number of vehicles travelling at the location,” he added.

Professor Hoang Dao Kinh also expressed his disagreement to the plan.

“If the situation is not urgent, they shouldn’t do it. If easing the traffic is necessary, the solution should be building new bridges,” he said. “If they renovate the bridges, we’ll lose that heritage.”

In addition, according to some locals, the best way to ease traffic in the area would be separating the traffic flows, since the congestion is usually caused by large vehicles becoming stuck and being unable to find the way out. In fact, when the jam, which usually lasts about 20 to 30 minutes, occurs, vehicles will move to the other three bridges on the river, some locals added.

For his part, Phan Van Tuan, deputy director of the Hue Relic Conservation Center informed that expanding the ancient bridges is one of the 5 least damaging ways that the locality has researched to ease the traffic.

Besides expanding the bridges, authorities have also thought about decreasing the population density in the citadel area, easing traffic on roads and entrances at the location, building a new bridge and separating traffic flows.

“Expanding the bridges is our lowest priority,” he said. “Still, it’s fair to say that the bridges are not really original anymore since they have been covered with asphalt as well as many TV, water and telephone cables.”

Culinary festival celebrates food of Brunei

The Embassy of Brunei in Viet Nam, in collaboration with the Melia Hanoi Hotel, will organise a food festival to celebrate Brunei's National Day today.

During the event scheduled on February 24-26 at the hotel's El Patio restaurant, Bruneian guest chef will delight even the most demanding palates with delicious ingredients and recipes of this country.

Connoisseurs can savour Brunei's specialities such as beef satay (grilled chunks of meat served with a spicy peanut sauce), ambuyat (sago starch), kelupis (steamed glutinous rice with coconut milk) with beef curry and much more.

The Brunei Food Festival is available as a dinner buffet from 6-10pm.

Classes cook up some fun for children

The kids' cooking class at Hanoi Cooking Centre will allow your kids to roll up their sleeves and explore their creativity in a safe and supervised environment.

This one-hour class is a fun way for kids to learn about food and prepare some simple dishes. Children will learn how to prepare pita with cheese and salad and chocolate peanut butter balls.

The class will take place at 44 Chau Long Street, Ba Dinh District, on Saturday, from 3.30-4.30pm. Bookings are essential at info@hanoicookingcentre.com or (04) 37150088.

Capital city literati to gather for reading event

This monthly reading event brings out voices of all kinds to share their written work. The motivation behind the event is to call together Ha Noi's diverse community of poets, short fiction writers, bloggers, essayists, and creative text message crafters. With the goal of exchange across culture, Noi Hanoi is open to writers of any language, aspiring or professional. Each night has a theme, and this month's is "Appetites".

Noi Hanoi is happening at 8pm on Sunday at CAMA ATK on 73A Mai Hac De Street. Free entrance.

Saigon Saigon Bar signs off each month with Carnival

Caravelle Hotel, on the last Saturday of every month this year, will hold a Cuban-themed Carnival Party on its rooftop Saigon Saigon Bar.

Starting at 9pm, the bar will reinvent South America's popular street festival with spirited samba dancers in costume and non-stop music from Cuban bands Luna Negra and Warapo.

Partygoers are invited to bring along their masks, carnival costumes and best dance moves.

Maslenitsa festival at Windsor Plaza Hotel

Windsor Plaza Hotel will celebrate Maslenitsa, the ancient Russian holiday and folk festival to bid farewell to winter and welcome spring on Saturday.

Kicking off at 2pm, the traditional celebration, which includes songs, dances, games, contests, traditions and a bevy of hot and hearty pancakes, is said to bring good luck for the year to all participants.

Annual cycle charity race begins on March 10

The annual cycle charity race will hold a fundraiser for disadvantaged children, the Saigon Cyclo Challenge, in Phu My Hung in District 7 on March 10.

A decoration competition, Cyclo Deco, will take place from February 26 to March 8. Decorative cycles will be on display outside the Crescent Mall until the event day. The race, organised by the Saigon Children Charity, will begin at 8.30pm at The Crescent.

Young voices shine at talent contest

After months of preparation, the first Vietnamese version of reality show Britain’s Got Talent has seen a number of young voices win the hearts of millions with their sweet performances.

9 year-old young Vu Dinh Tri Giao now has the nickname “angel’s voice” after her performance in the 8th episode of Vietnam’s Got Talent,broadcast last week.

“I chose the song “You Raise Me Up” since it expresses my love for my parents,” Giao shared before her performance.

In her cover performance of the song, originally by the Irish boy band Weslife, the young voice from Ho Chi Minh City stunned the audience and won the jury’s compliments with not only her pure face but also an amazing emotional singing.

“Today you may become the only one turning this stage into heaven, and you are a little angel there,” actor Thanh Loc, a member of the contest’s jury commented.

“Your singing is full of love and I can’t say anything but that I love it,” Thuy Hanh, another judge said.

For his part, musician Huy Tuan, also a judge, said the love Giao put into the song is the reason she received a big yes.

“This is the first performance today that can hold me from the start to the end,” he added.

Giao’s family said they encouraged her to enter the contest since they want her to be more outgoing as well as have the chance to meet people.

“I’m so happy and excited to see other contestants in the semi-final,” the girl shared with smile.

Another small contestant who won people’s hearts with his big voice is Nguyen Le Nguyen from the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.

In an impressive performance of the song “Born This Way” by Lady gaga, the 11-year-old boy hypnotized audiences and the jury with his professional performance style, strong voice and vibrant dance moves.

“You look like a shy little boy, but that boy turns into another person when you sing,” musican Huy Tuan commented after Nguyen’s performance. “You sing “Born This Way,” so I think you were born to be on stage,” he added.

The young boy also excited audiences with his mature comment. “I idolize Lady Gaga for her fashion style first, but what makes her my real idol is that her songs include meaningful messages,” he said before receiving a big yes to go on to the next round.

Last month, the contest’s jury was also moved in tears with a performance of a young contestant from the northern city of Hai Phong.

Vu Song Vu, 13, stunned people with a sweet and emotional cover of the blockbuster Titanic’s soundtrack “My Heart Will Go On”.

“This is the first time I cry listening to a boy singing. I don’t know how to express my feeling but I’m deeply touched. Thank you so much for bringing me and everyone here such a very special feeling,” Thuy Hanh said with tears on her eyes.

“Not only women, men too. I’m also touched by your singing. This is the first time I’ve heard this song performed by a man,” Thanh Loc added.

Before reaching the contest, Vu has been a Youtube sensation since his cover of the song was released on the video sharing site in last June. Besides covering English noticed songs, Vu also performed Vietnamese songs like “Ba Toi” (My Grandmother) and received positive comments from netizens.

Publisher brings English book pirates to court

The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court has recently accepted the civil case of copyright dispute between Tri Viet Publisher and two language schools in Ho Chi Minh City.

The publishing company has accused Vietnam Australia Society English Center (VAS) and Australian International English (AIE) of allegedly infringing copyright on a number of English textbooks and CDs that belong to Tri Viet.

Known better under the English name First News, Tri Viet has been a respected name in the domestic publishing industry for years, known for putting out high quality translations of foreign books, as well as language teaching and learning materials.

The company announced last July that many of its publications had been pirated, especially by English language schools in Ho Chi Minh City.

In a press conference on Tuesday, said that the case began last November when the company filed it through Poor People Law Office, its legal representative.

Although there are other schools who allegedly violate its copyright, Tri Viet said it chose to go after VAS and AIE first as their alleged violations were the most serious, of which it also obtained the strongest evidences.

Phuoc said the publisher will request compensation of VND 760 million (US$ 36,520) from these two schools (VND 380 million each). According to its lawyer, the case could last at least 18 months.

Le Hoang, a senior publishing manager who was also present at the conference, said that he welcomed Tri Viet’s initiative as the case would no doubt alarm lawmakers and warn perpetrators, especially when pirating of intellectual works remains an unresolved issue in Vietnam.

Poetry, music helps learning

The value of poetry and music as well as ways to use them in teaching and learning English were explained in a talk given yesterday by Jeremy Harmer, an experienced teacher, trainer and author.

Titled The Marriage of True Minds – Poetry, Music and Language Learning, the talk attracted more than 200 Vietnamese and foreign teachers who teach English at universities, colleges, international schools and foreign language centres in the city.

"We [teachers] can encourage students to be more creative with the language. Poetry allows you to see the whole world in just a few lines and can make students feel the whole world. And music can do exactly the same," Harmer said.

He said students must be made aware of the beauty of the language they are trying to learn. Once they have heard its beauty, they would be motivated to learn faster, he added.

"Poetry is useful in so many different ways. You can use it for games, for fun, for making people's hearts sing or suffer. And music can do exactly the same. We don't even need any grammar or vocabulary," Harmer said.

Harmer, currently a faculty member for MA TESOL at the New School in New York, is the author of several books for teachers.

His new book, Essential Teacher Knowledge, which will be available in Viet Nam in April, gives teachers new to the profession, especially non-native speakers, a thorough grounding in the English language as well as in language teaching techniques.

Music gala lauds mothers, soldiers
 
Dozens of artists will perform at a gala performance in HCM City this weekend to highlight the contribution of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers and soldiers.

The event will feature nearly 100 singers, dancers and musicians as well as performers from the city's Music Conservatory and Bong Sen Traditional Art Troupe.

Revolutionary music and dance created by famous composers and choreographers will be highlighted.

Pop star Dam Vinh Hung will perform Pham Minh Tuan's Bai Ca Khong Quen (Forever Song), one of the composer's favourite songs which praises the country and its soldiers.

Singers Huong Giang and Ngoc Tuyen will perform Nguoi Me Quang Nam (Mothers Who Live in the Central Province of Quang Nam) and Nguoi Linh Gia va Hoa Hong Tham (Veteran Soldier and Scarlet Rose), both composed by Doan Nho and Dinh Nghiem.

Contemporary dancer Thanh Nguyet and 20 dancers from Bong Sen will accompany them on the stage.

In Tuan's Khat Vong (Ambition), pop singer Le Quyen will provide her fans with something new by performing a patriotic song, instead of a romantic tune.

Veteran singers such as Ai Xuan, Trong Tan and Phuong Hoa will also participate in the evening.

They will perform well-loved songs by veteran composers, who have made significant contributions to the country's music industry.

With previous operatic experience under their belts, the singers will display a wide range of passionate sounds.

They will sing before an expected audience of 1,800 at the Opera House.

The show's stage director Tran Vi My said that, through the gala, young audiences could learn more about traditional and revolutionary music.

The event's organiser, the city-based newspaper Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon), in co-operation with its partners, has raised nearly VND27 billion (US$1.3 million) for charity.

The money will be used to build houses for mothers of fallen fighters and veteran soldiers nationwide.

The concert will begin at 8.30pm tomorrow at Opera House, 7 Lam Son Square, District 1. It will be aired live on HCM City Television's HTV9 channel.

Indigenous Aussie band comes to capital

Indigenous jazz outfit Visions of a Nomad will perform at the University of Foreign Trade and the University of Commerce in Hanoi at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.

The Australian band’s sound combines an eclectic mix of world jazz fusion and classically
influenced music.

Their highly original repertoire is both evocative and energetic and heavily accompanied by the didgeridoo, an ethnic Australian musical instrument.

The four-piece have been around since 1990 and still consist of the original members of Michael Cming, Silvana van Dijk, Tim Berry and Adama Storey. The band aims to combine traditional music with a modern twist.
 
Hungarian artworks showcased in City this year  

Paintings and other art works on Hungary and its people were on display at the University of Fine Arts in Ho Chi Minh City early this year.

The exhibition presented to the public art works by Vietnamese painter Le Thuong and objects from the ethnological collections of Hungarian collector Elek Ersebet, president of the Lisai Elek Janos Fund in Hungary.

Ethnological collections included many farm tools, daily living equipment, handicraft products, paintings, photos and keys to cooking, said Ms. Elek Ersebet.

They are all on display at the Lisai Elek Janos Fund office and have attracted thousands of people.

The Lisai Elek Janos Fund focuses on educating young people to preserve their traditional culture. It has also organised many international literary camps, exchanges and exhibitions of a large number of artists at home and abroad.