Artwork exhibition focuses on sea and naval forces

Forty works of sculpture, paintings, graphics and photography, featuring the sea and navy soldiers are on display in Ha Noi to celebrate the Viet Nam People's Navy Force's 60th anniversary.

Twenty-eight lecturers of the Viet Nam Fine Arts University are participating in the exhibition, entitled Bien, Dao To Quoc va Nguoi Chien Sy Hai Quan (Country's Sea, Islands and Navy Soldiers), to express their love for the sea and islands and admiration for navy sailors, through various materials such as oil-on-canvas, acrylic, natural colours and water colours, as well as metal composites and mixed materials.

"The artworks not only depict many beautiful and vivid images of the sea, islands and navy soldiers, but also show the artists' love, responsibilities and belief in the force," Colonel Mai Trong Dinh, an official from the force, said. "The artists have focused on the life and feelings of the sailors working in Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago and DK1 artificial house on the sea."

Among the most eye-catching sculptures at the exhibition is a bed-like sculpture by Tran Trong Tri, who has just returned from Truong Sa.

Tri's artwork consists of a wooden platform and a lot of white metal curves representing sea waves on top. In the middle of the "waves" is a drain containing water.

Tri said he was inspired by the single beds used by the sailors on a rescue ship near Truong Sa archipelago.

"The platform represents the bed, which is as stable as the soldiers, despite the fierce waves," he said.

He said his 20-day trip to Truong Sa inspired him a lot in his new artworks based on the themes of water and peace.

The exhibition will run at the Fine Arts University, 42, Yet Kieu Street, till May 20.

Beethoven’s greatest musical masterpiece performed in HCMC

The Symphony No.9 in D minor, Op. 125 by the legendary German composer Ludwig van Beethoven will be performed at the Ho Chi Minh City Opera House on May 8-9.

The symphony is regarded as the greatest musical work of Ludwig van Beethoven.

Norwegian top orchestral musicians; and internationally famed opera artists including Siri Torjesen, Magnus Staveland, Cho Hae Ryong and Vu Manh Dung; together with more than 50 artists of the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) will join the concert.

The show will be led by conductor Maestro Terje Mikkelsen, who had graced many prestigious European concert halls.

Ticket prices of concert are from VND150, 000-VND800, 000 and available at the Ho Chi Minh City Opera House.

Hoi An trees get heritage recognition

The Vietnam Association of Conservation of Nature and Environment has recognized four tree species in Hoi An City as Vietnam’s Heritage Trees.

The tree species include three red wootung trees in Lang Beach, a banyan tree on Lao Islet, Ken (cocoon tree) and Nanh trees in Bai Huong Village.

The banyan tree is supposed to have grown for 610 years. The wootung trees are aged from 155 years to 250 years while the Nanh tree and Ken tree are more than 200 years old and around 16-18 meters high.

The trees attract a large number of visitors to the central city every year.

Free drum workshop at Saigon Outcast

Outdoor bar Saigon Outcast, and its partners Singapore International Foundation and The Performing Arts Academy of HCM City will organise a free drum workshop at the bar on Saturday.

The two-hour workshop will include instruction in playing different genres of music, playing with and without a stick, and hand and foot techniques.

Teacher Kenny Hogan from Singapore has been a professional drummer, drum clinician and instructor for the past 22 years. He has conducted approximately 300 drum clinics internationally and in Southeast Asia and represented Singapore at numerous major international music festivals in the world.

The programme will start at 2pm. The bar is at 188/1 Nguyen Van Huong Street in District 2.

Overseas singer Khanh Ly to perform in Vietnam this month

A beloved expat Vietnamese singer is poised to hold two shows in Hanoi and the northern city of Hai Phong later this month.

Almost one year after her last performing tour in Vietnam, Khanh Ly will return to Hanoi with a live concert themed “Goi Ten Bon Mua” (Naming Four Seasons).

The show will be held at 8:00 pm on May 22 at the Vietnam National Convention Center, situated at 1 Thang Long Avenue in Nam Tu Liem District.

The concert will see the singer perform several of revered Vietnamese composer Trinh Cong Son’s songs which have made her name.

Ly will also sing much-loved works by three other salient Vietnamese composers, Pham Duy, Lam Phuong, and Vu Thanh An.

The event will feature duets by Ly and four other female singers and divas, Anh Tuyet, Hong Nhung, My Linh, and Uyen Linh, who won the third season of Vietnam Idol in 2010.   

Ly will also make her debut appearance for her fans in Hai Phong at another show which will see her pair up with four younger male singers, including Hoai Lam, the winner of the second local season of the “Your Face Sounds Familiar” reality show.

The Hai Phong concert will start at 8:00 pm on May 23 at the Youth Culture and Sports Center, located at 45 Lach Tray, Ngo Quyen District.

Local media reported that Ly has been involved in charitable activities, including donating money to 160 eye operations for needy patients, since late last month, when she brought her late husband’s ashes back to Vietnam.

The singer postponed her live show in the southern province of Binh Duong – once again – following her husband’s death in January 2015.

The 70-year-old artist, who lives in the U.S., said she would not be able to sing in the show as she was then mourning the death of her dearly loved husband, who passed away at 71 in California.

The veteran singer held two live shows in Hanoi and the central city of Da Nang on August 2 and 8, 2014, respectively.

These two concerts were overshadowed by a hassle between Ly and Vietnamese composer Pho Duc Phuong, director of the Vietnam Center for Protection of Music Copyright (VCPMC), over the right to use several songs by late composer Son in her musical events.

Model indicted for attacking police

Hanoi police have announced they had charged a model and actress for her actions against law enforcement officers.

Hoan Kiem District police said on Tuesday that they have indicted Trang Tran for insulting and attacking police officers on February 26.

Trang Tran, 30, whose real name is Tran Thi Trang, was arrested on the evening of February 27 and temporarily detained for investigation into her offense.

Trang and her friends were in a taxi driving in the wrong direction on Dao Duy Tu Street in the capital one day earlier.

When the cab was stopped by police officers, the Vietnamese model began reacting negatively.

She stepped out of the car and had an uncooperative attitude, which quickly escalated into contemptuous insults and even an attack on the police officers.

The model also threw foul language at the current regime.

Trang was then taken to the police station for her abusive behavior and actions against law enforcement officers, where she also called other police officers names.

The investigative police confirmed Trang was under the influence when she adopted such abusive language and destructive acts.

The police later set her free on bail as she showed remorse and has good identity records.

Trang has won several prizes in the local modeling industry and appeared in large fashion events.

She recently tried her hand at cinema and theater and played a wanted criminal in “Huong Ga,” one of last year’s local blockbusters.

Chocolate festival stirs up Metropole

World Champion Pastry Chef and Chocolatier Olivier Bajard from Perpignan, France, will anchor a five-day chocolate festival at Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi from May 6 to 10.

The event will feature chocolate stirred into a plethora of cocktails and placed on pedestals at daily chocolate buffets. A jazz diva will complement the buffet tonight (Thursday), while a fashion show will complement the buffet tomorrow night.

Chef Bajard will hold court in the kitchen, cooking up some of the cakes he's famous for in France. He will team up with the hotel's chefs to offer an unforgettable evening of great food and desserts on Saturday. The festival will conclude with a Mother's Day brunch on May 10 and will feature his extravagant creations.

Bajard won the top title at the World Championship of Dessert Crafts in 1995. In 2005, he founded the International School of Pastry in Perpignan, France. He currently owns and operates a pastry shops in France.

Electronic nights to feature US, UK artists

Two electronic music shows featuring musicians from the US and UK will be held at The Observatory on Friday and Saturday.

The Friday show will present DJ Horasse from Detroit, offering selections ranging from disco to techno to house. He will be joined by local DJ Hybiya Line.

The other performance will highlight two DJs, including Manchester-based Andy Harper and Saigon-based Nic Ford.

Both shows will begin at 9pm at 5 Nguyen Tat Thanh Street in District 4. Entrance is free before midnight and VND100,000 afterwards.

Affordable "Art for You" makes a comeback

After the success of the first Art for You – an affordable art event in December 2014, Manzi and Work Room Four will present the second Art for You from May 8 to 11.

Offering a space where people can buy affordable art, the show will have on sale a large collection of more than 200 sketches, photographs, illustrations, sculptures, and paintings. All the works will reflect a range of ideas and will come in different mediums, offering questions and responses from some of the finest creative talents in Viet Nam today.

"Apart from allowing people to find works they love and at a price they can manage, and allowing art lovers to learn more about local art contexts, the programme will also help promote talents, support artists, and contribute to the development of the domestic art market," said the organisers.

The second Art for You will feature more than 70 Vietnamese and international artists. Entry will be free and the show will be open from 9.30am to 7pm at Manzi Art Space, 14 Phan Huy Ich Street.

FVH offers history lesson in Vietnamese music

Tomorrow night, join the Friends of Viet Nam Heritages for a journey of the musical history and traditions of Ha Noi.

The show will present the city's music through history, using traditional voices, rhythms, and beats combined with contemporary installation arts. Several well-known singers and musicians will perform quan ho (love duet), cheo (traditional opera), chau van (ritual singing), and cai luong (contemporary opera), as well as tuong (classical opera) and ca tru (ceremonial singing).

Enthusiasts can e-mail Helen at helenshuntley@yahoo.com for more details. Tickets are available for VND200,000 for a limited crowd of 10 people.

The "journey" will start at 7.45pm at the Centre of the Old Quarter's Cultural Exchange, 50 Dao Duy Tu Street in the Old Quarter area.

Free concerts to entertain HCM City

Free music shows for the youth will be organised every Sunday morning in May at Nguyen Du Stadium.

The shows will have the themes Students Songs, My Love Sings and Welcome Summer. Twenty professional and amateur acoustic bands in the city will perform in the events.

The first show, entitled I Love Viet Nam, was organised here last Sunday, with well-known bands such as Black Feel and Lion Band and singer Phuong Anh Idol participating in it.

The stadium is located at 16 Nguyen Du Street, District 1.

Southern folk song festival launched in Dong Thap

The 6th Vietnam Folk Festival for the southern region opened in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap on May 6.

About 200 professional and amateur artists from 12 provinces, including those from the Cham, Khmer, S’tieng and Ta Mun ethnic groups, are taking part in the festival to share and exchange their unique cultures and knowledge through various shows and dances.

The festival, which runs until May 9, presents an opportunity for visitors to enjoy original folk songs deeply imbued with regional identity and the unique folk singing.

The best performances will be selected to participate in the final round of the National Vietnam Folk Festival which will be held in the central province of Nghe An.

The Vietnam Folk Festival has been held biennially since 2005 under the association between Vietnam Television and the Association of Vietnamese Folklorists.

Film week on President Ho Chi Minh held for teenagers

A film week for teenagers celebrating the life of late President Ho Chi Minh was launched on May 5 in the cultural centre of Ho Chi Minh City’s District 6.

The event is a part of the 2015 “Youth Journey for the Homeland’s Sea and Islands” held from May 6 -17 by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and the Navy High Commander on the occasion of the 125 th birthday anniversary of the national hero.

The film week is being held across the country, with screenings of films featuring the revolutionary struggle of Vietnam and the life of the late president, namely “Ho Chi Minh: Portrait of a Man”, “Ho Chi Minh in Hong Kong” and “The Legend Makers”, among others.

The event aims to promote national pride in teenagers and encourage them to study and follow late President Ho Chi Minh’s moral example.