US star to sing on The Voice Viet Nam

Singer Dia Frampton, the runner-up in The Voice America 2011 will be special guest at the semi-final of The Voice Viet Nam tomorrow, Dec 28.

Frampton will also pay a visit to the HCM City Society for the Protection of the Disabled and Orphans and share her experiences – and voice – with the top eight contestants of The Voice Viet Nam.

She will attend the final night of the contest on Sunday at Phan Dinh Phung Indoor Stadium in HCM City.

Frampton was a member of the American rock band Meg&Dia. After coming second in the reality show, she started her solo career.

Foreign stars to perform in HCM City

Foreign stars will perform at the Hennessy Artistry Concert in HCM City on January 4, 2012.

Vietnamese audiences will have the chance to see Adam Lambert, a runner up in American Idol 2009.

Vietnamese audiences will have the chance to see Adam Lambert, a runner up in American Idol 2009, Yoon-G, dance and rock artist from the RoK, and Reage Aurea, a soul singer from Portugal.

This is the fifth time the event has been co-organised by the Department of Performing Arts under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Moet Hennessy Asia Pacific Company.

Theatre company wins plaudits for adaptation of a tragic love story

Tran Huu Trang Theatre's cai luong (reformed opera) play Chiec Ao Thien Nga (Swan Coat) has won the HCM City's Literature and Art Award for 2012.

The awards are given every five years.

Chiec Ao Thien Nga is based on popular Vietnamese legend No Than (The Magic Crossbow) set during the reign of Kinh An Duong Vuong in the third century BC.

The 120-minute play depicts the star-crossed love story of the King's daughter My Chau.

It is about the doomed relationship between Chau and her husband Trong Thuy, the son of her father's enemy King Trieu Da, who are married off to improve relations between the two kingdoms.

Chau shows Thuy her father's magic crossbow which protects the country from aggressors.

Thuy steals the bow and returns to his country. When her father discovers the truth, Chau kills herself.

Hundreds of artists from cai luong, dance, music, and design came together to create the masterpiece.

The highlights of the play were its powerful but melodious singing and outstanding stagecraft.

Its director, Hoa Ha, used music by the city's 80-member Symphony Orchestra under the skilled baton of Tran Vuong Thach.

The jury chose Chiec Ao Thien Nga for the award from among dozens of works staged in the city by both State-funded and private troupes.

It gave away awards to 50 other works in literature, architecture, photography, music, films, and fine arts created between 2006 and 2011.

The award for literature went to Mua He Gia Buot (Cold Summer), a contemporary novel by Van Le of the city's writers' association.

The movie award went to People's Artist Dao Ba Son's Long Thanh Cam Gia Ca (A Song about Musician in Thang Long Citadel).

The awards honour and encourage local artists to make quality works on serious topics.

Cultural events to celebrate New Year

A range of cultural activities to promote traditional craft villages and celebrate the New Year and Tet (Lunar New Year) will be held in Ha Noi's Old Quarter from today until February 27.

Visitors can enjoy paintings by artist Sy Tot and his family members from Co Do Village at Kim Ngan Temple, 42 Hang Bac, learn about traditional photography from the Lai Xa Village at Dong Lac Temple and experience Dong Ho and Hang Trong folk paintings at 87 Ma May Street.

Meanwhile, information about plans to upgrade the Old Quarter will be available at the Old Quarter's Information Centre, 28 Hang Buom Street.

American jazz artist begins Metropole residency

American jazz singer Tabitha King will perform jazz regularly at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Ha Noi from January 1 to April 30.

King, who achieved worldwide fame with her self-titled CD Tabitha – Mind Games, will sing every night except for Mondays at 8.45pm.

Bicycle group peddles mass cycling event

Join Positive Mass this Friday on a bicycle ride inspired by an international event called Critical Mass, held on the last Friday of every month in over 300 cities around the world.

Founded in 1992 in San Francisco, the purpose of the ride is not to cycle to a particular destination but to attract people to pedal around the city as a group.

Organised by the Ha Noi Bicycle Collective, the ride starts at 8pm and ends around 10pm. It will depart from the Tra Chanh (tea with lime) corner opposite St Joseph's Cathedral, Nha Tho Street.

Hot Rock bar promises to provide party mood

Every Saturday night from 9pm until 2am, Hot Rock Bar's Sub Elements will rock listeners with powerful sub-woofers blasting local and international music. The bar, located at Hacinco B3.7 Building, corner of Le Van Luong and Hoang Dao Thuy streets in Thanh Xuan District, has room for both dancing and lounging. Free entry all night! For more information call or text Bush (English&Vietnamese) 01687668225.

HCM City readies for countdown

HCM City's annual countdown party to welcome the New Year will be held on Nguyen Hue Street in District 1 on December 30 and 31.

It will feature laser and water shows, LED and other attractive lighting, and circus acts by international artists like Dennis Ignatov, Jennifer "Foxie" Marie Drilling, and "Cheetah" Russell Platt.

There will also be DJs Mark Jolly, Drew Tudose, Alan Pham, and Jessica Nguyen, and singers Ho Ngoc Ha, Thu Minh, Ha Anh Tuan, Ha Okio, Minh Thu, and Ngo Thanh Van.

The party will begin at 6pm on both days, and the countdown, 15 minutes before midnight on New Year's Eve.

Hotel Equatorial pool party to welcome in 2013

An outdoor pool party themed St Tropez White Party will be held at the Hotel Equatorial on New Year's Eve.

There will be music by DJs and games, a magic show, and a lucky draw.

Guests are required to come dressed in white.

Entry will cost VND300,000 per person. The hotel is at 242 Tran Binh Trong Street, District 5.

Fireworks guarantee New Year blast-off

The city will see two firework displays on New Year's Eve. The 15-minute displays will be set off at the Thu Thiem tunnel in District 2 and Dam Sen Amusement Park in District 11.

Opera House hosts classical concert

The HCM City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) will present a New Year concert at the Opera House on January 9.

The HBSO Choir and Symphony Orchestra will perform works by composers like Georges Bizet, Johann Strauss, and Giacomo Puccini under the baton of conductor Tran Nhat Minh.

The concert will start at 8pm. Tickets costing VND150,000 to 300,000, and 60,000 for students, are available at the box office at 7 Lam Son Square, District 1.

Ethnic lives and crafts go on show in City

A showroom displaying documents, photos and objects relating to the cultural life and crafts of ethnic groups in Viet Nam was opened on Tuesday at the History and Culture Museum in HCM City.

The material and spiritual life of ethnic groups are reflected through utensils, tools and religious objects. More than 200 items of pottery and bronze are on display.

Typical products from famous trade villages, such as Bat Trang and Chu Dau, are highlighted.

Traditional arts find new home in old house

A venue for performing traditional arts opened at 66 Bach Dang Street on Tuesday to serve tourists to Hoi An in central Quang Nam province.

The two-storey building has unique architecture and a small stage creating a cosy atmosphere for audiences to enjoy musical instruments, hat boi (traditional southern drama) and folk songs every evening from 9pm. The cost is VND100,000 (US$5) per ticket.

Writers’ Association delegation visits Laos

Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association Huu Thinh and his Lao counterpart, Phuilavan, discussed cooperation plan for 2013 during their talks in Vientiane on December 25.

They agreed to make joint efforts to compile a collection of short stories and notes on Laos.

The two sides pledged to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese veteran writers to make field trips to former Lao battle fields, namely Hua Phan, Xiengkhouang, the Plain of Jars, Luang Namtha and Attapeu, and collect materials for their creative work.

They will also share experience in writing and translating documents relating to the two countries’ relations.

During 2012, the Vietnamese side invited Lao writers to attend the Asia-Pacific Poetry Festival and the 10th Vietnamese Poetry Day.

The two associations, together with the Cambodian counterpart, revised the regulations of the Mekong award.

They also exchanged delegations and organised field trips for writers during the Vietnam-Laos, Laos-Vietnam Friendship Year 2012.

VNN/VOV/VNS