Local rock music gaining popularity

As many as 20,000 rock music lovers took part in RockStorm7 night concert which was held in HCMC on December 27. This was seen as a highlight in the local music industry, manifesting the vigorous sprit of rock music.

RockStorm7 undoubtedly created an unforgettable music feast among rock enthusiasts with the participation of six bands playing different styles of rock including Stevans from Switzerland and SPF from Thailand.

There are currently more than 10 leading rock bands in Vietnam such as Buc Tuong, Microwave, Ngu Cung and Unlimited.

Perhaps due to the fact that this type of music is too strong and overwhelming for a majority of people, rock music is only available at bars, clubs and a few music festivals without much attention from the media. Therefore, the possible way to connect rock music and its lovers is by means of album launch and promotion on digital platforms.

However, issuing albums is also seen as a challenge for bands because it does require high creativity to make only one song. In addition, not many rock bands can actually earn much money from concerts and shows. As a result, they often run into financial difficulties whenever issuing albums.

Some popular old rock hits are Tim lai by Microwave, Cao nguyen da by Ngu Cung and Rock xuyen man dem by Buc Tuong. Not a single album has been released by any rock band for the past three or four years. That Buc Tuong launched Dat Viet album in the middle of last year rocked the local music industry.

Singer Dinh Tuan Khanh of Microwave says rock music is not as popular as other genres, putting rock singers in a disadvantageous position. Although they are more hard-working and spend big on musical instruments, their incomes are lower than those of pop singers.

Regarding RockStorm, each season attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators at the stadium and millions of viewers on the web. When their favorite songs turn up, the whole stadium bursts into joy and excitement.

Despite any genre, music in general is the universal language. Even though rock is not popular, it still has fans.

Remnants of palace found in Thai Binh

Based on recent discoveries unearthed at an excavation at the Tran Temple and Ngoi Mausoleum in Hong Minh Commune in the northern province of Thai Binh, archaeologists have come to the conclusion the site was a part of a former royal palace dating back to 13-14th centuries.

Lo Giang Palace was used under the reigns of Tran Nhan Tong (1278-1293) and Tran Anh Tong (1293-1314), and was also known as Kien Xuong Palace under the reign of Tran Hien Tong (1329-1341).

Six holes have been dug at the site, and archaeologists have found various artifacts and decorative patterns dating nearly 800 years.

According to Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu (The Complete Annals of Dai Viet) by historian Ngo Si Lien, the palace was home to Queen Kham Tu Bao Thanh, the wife of King Tran Nhan Tong and mother of King Tran Anh Tong, who died there on September 13, 1293.

The palace was also used by King Tran Hien Tong.

Although it is believed to have been an important royal residence, the palace's correct location, appearance and size has remained a mystery until now.

According to researcher Bui Minh Tri, director of the Centre for Researching Royal Citadels, the findings are an important breakthrough to definethe correct location of the palace.

Vietnamese symphonic poem to be performed

The symphonic poem Dien Bien Phu by composer Tran Manh Hung will be performed at the 16th International Festival de Musica nas Montanhas in Poços de Caldas, Brazil.

Tran Vuong Thach, the HCM City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera's conductor and director, will work with Brazil's symphony orchestra, Orquestra Sinfonica; flutist Danilo Mezzadri; and harpist Suelem Sampaio to make sure the one-movement symphony is performed smoothly.

"Consisting of folk tunes from the northern mountainous region, this symphony clearly presents the colours of Vietnamese music," Thach said, explaining why he chose Hung's piece.

Thach said he hopes Dien Bien Phu will teach audiences something about Viet Nam and its music.

The Festival de Musica nas Montanhas – one of the biggest classical music events in Latin America – will be held from January 11 to 24.

Exhibition displays experimental art

A set of works in a wide range of media by artists eL, Vo Tran Chau, Dino Trung and Ta Bach Duong will be displayed at the exhibition Black Fog from tomorrow at Nha San Collective.

Black Fog is inspired by a same titled poem by eL, whose real name is Phuong Lan. The poem is a compression of memories and obsessions from childhood until today: "For me it's [fog] like a glass layer which refracts all existence, distances and isolates everything. It surrounds and conceals many truths under cover of darkness, a chronic, suffocating and dead-end nightmare."

eL shared her point of view with her artist friends, who then gave their different perspectives through art works including installation Khe Khang Thoi, Dung De Chung Dap Canh (Be Gentle, Don't Let Them Flap Away) by Vo Tran Chau, 17-minute experimental video Black Mist by Dino Trung, and installation Nhung Chiec Lo Cam Xuc (Jars of Emotions) by Ta Bach Duong.

At the opening at 6pm, eL will recite her poem supported by electronic musicians Luong Hue Trinh and Nguyen Manh Hung.

Black Fog will run until February 1 at Nha San Collective, 24 Ly Quoc Su Street. Free entry.

Live folk-rock on Saturday with Soundsylvania

The touring US folk-rock duo Soundsylvania will be playing an exclusive Ha Noi show at The Hanoi Social Club on Saturday.

Soundsylvania consists of Shane Palko and Evan Stout, both from Pennsylvania. With poetic lyrics, their songs range from simple to complex, loving to brooding. The duo presents unique vocals stitching into intricate guitar compositions and the moving rhythms of the drums.

Tickets cost VND100,000 at the door. The Hanoi Social Club is at 6 Hoi Vu Street.

FVH to host tour of Ha Noi architecture

Friends of Vietnam Heritage will host a city walk to learn about the evolution of colonial style architecture on Saturday.

The English-speaking tour will start at 9am from the Ly Thai To Park next to the old post office – the heart of the French colony during the start of the 20th century. From there the group will walk towards the Opera House and down towards the School of Pharmacy, originally the University of Ha Noi, designed by French architect Ernest Hebrard.

Following the wide, tree-lined boulevards of Ly Thuong Kiet and Tran Hung Dao, walkers will trace the evolution of French colonial style architecture from the turn of the century to the end of the French era in the 1940's.

Cost: VND70,000. Limit: 20 people. To register contact Katie Jacobs at: katielaurenjacobs@gmail.com.

New Year's flea market to open in District 2

The Saigon Urban Flea Market in collaboration with Saigon Outcast bar will organise a New Year's flea market on Sunday.

The event will include secondhand, vintage and retro clothing, collectibles and antiques. There will be a selection of jewelry, art and crafts by local artisans and designers.

The open-air market will be open from 9am to 5pm at 188/1 Nguyen Van Huong Street in District 2.

Classical orchestra concert celebrates New Year

The HCM City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) will host a New Year Gala Concert at the city's Opera House on Saturday.

The concert will include classical music by Chopin, Offenbach and Strauss.

The HBSO symphony orchestra will perform under the baton of conductor Le Phi Phi.

The show will begin at 8pm at 7 Lam Son Square in District 1. Tickets are VND200,000-400,000 and are available at the Opera House's box office.

VN legendary myths featured at Cargo Bar

A series of concerts called Standpoint Theories featuring Vietnamese legendary myths will begin at the Cargo Bar tomorrow.

The myths include those about Au Co, mother of Viet Nam, Son Tinh, the God of the Mountain who married Hung King's daughter, Chu Dong Tu, a poor fishermen who fell in love with Princess Tien Dung, Princess Lieu Hanh, one of Viet Nam's Mother Goddesses, and Ba Chua Xu, known as Lady of the Realm.

The stories will be told with music, dance and lights performed by singer and musician Le Cat Trong Ly and illustrator Hong Trung of Viet Nam, lighting designer Julian Hodgson of Scotland, and sound engineer Alain-Timmy Vegas of the UK.

Artists from the US include dancer Emily Navarra, musicians Bryon Ramsey-Leonard Rudd and David Moses Haimovich, media artist Daniel Day Long, scenographer/animator Julien Noyer, percussionist Eric Meftah and bassist Gareth Katz.

The show will begin at 8.30pm on January 9, 10 and 11, and one show at 2.30pm on January 11. Cargo Bar is at 7 Nguyen Tat Thanh Street in District 4. Tickets can be purchased from www.ticketbox.vn.

 HBSO to kick off Johann Strauss's concert

The Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) will kick off a special concert at Ho Chi Minh City Opera House on January 10.

The show will introduce some of Johann Strauss's most famous works. He was widely considered as a king of waltzes and patriotic marches such as Blue Danube Waltz, Voices of Spring Waltz.

In addition, Johann Strauss II also wrote symphonies lyrics with funny melodies such as Pizzicato polka, Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka, Radetzky March, Egyptian March.

Singers like Vo Thuy Ngoc Tuyen, Pham Khanh Ngoc, Pham Duyen Huyen and Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen will perform at the concert.

Clap Hanoi – Film Festival to bring together new talents

A film festival ‘Clap Hanoi’ intended for new talents in cinema, television and on the internet will be held for the first time at the L'Espace French Cultural Centre in Hanoi from January 17 to 25.

At a press conference in Hanoi on January 7, French Audiovisual Attaché in Vietnam, Loïc Wong, shared that the French Cultural Centre in Vietnam has decided to organise the new program after seeing so many new developments in the field of film making.

According to Attaché Loïc Wong, the event aims to promote French culture and cinema in Vietnam and increase exchanges in the developing media industry between France and Vietnam.

The festival will screen over 30 films from both France and Vietnam, which will focus on seven categories: television short films, scripted reality, short film, video art, feature length film debuts, web content and feature films.

“We chose films based on their artistic value, but also on the way they were produced and fabricated”, Attaché Loïc Wong shared.

Frist episode of “Les Revenants” (The Returned), a French supernatural drama television series created by Fabrice Gobert, will open the festival at 8 pm on January 17 with Vietnamese and English subtitles.

Cinema lovers will have a chance to enjoy not only cinema works, such as Bref; Pep’s; C’est Mon Histoire (My History); Ngay Dau Tien Cua Mua Thu (The First Day of Autumn); Hai Chu Chau (Uncle and Son) and Dap Canh Giua Khong Trung (Flapping in The Middle of Nowhere), but also the best videos on the internet, including Rap New+, Pho and Studio Bagel.

Audiences will also have an opportunity to meet with French and Vietnamese professional media programme producers such as Olivier Stroh, Stéphane Bouillaud, Catou Lairet, and Lorenzo Benedetti, who will share their experience and give their advice on the evolution of the media and entertainment industry.

Attaché Loïc Wong expressed his hope that the talks will create a platform to promote professional and artistic discussions aiming to inspire young budding artists and provide them with key tips to success.

SCTV plans seven new programs this year

Saigontourist Cable TV (SCTV) on January 6 announced its seven new programs for viewers this year.

There are two different comedy programs at 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. daily, featuring first-time pieces on TV played by local artists. Each comedy act is an angle about life with full of joy and meaningful lessons.

SCTV14, a channel for Vietnamese movies, will maintain its three time frames at 6:45 p.m., 7:45 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. for psychological films. Action movies will show at 9:45 p.m. daily.

Sports lovers have a chance to see some leading football tournaments, including La Liga, Serie A, EPL, Bundesliga and Ligue 1, at weekends. Especially, from 2015 viewers can watch games of Copa America, Brazil League, Copa Libertadores, Copa Do Brazil, and Copa Sudamericana from 2015 to 2017. It is expected that 110 football games will be broadcast live on SCTV sports channels and VOD service from now until 2018.    

The cable TV provider will continue its exclusive showing of ATP and WTA tennis tournaments while WWE and CSI wrestling games will be broadcast on SCTV15.

SCTV9 will show 700 episodes of Hong Kong’s latest TV dramas from 7:15 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. daily. Especially, the screening time of these movies simultaneously happens in Vietnam and Hong Kong.

From early this year SCTV16 will become the 24-hour foreign film channel. It will broadcast Hollywood blockbusters on Saturday and Sunday at 11 p.m. Films categorized in specific themes like cops, warriors, Will Smith, and Rocky are available as well.

A highlight will be the video on demand (VOD) service which requires viewers to have the Hybrid box SCTV. It provides a thousand of comedy acts and tens of thousands of high-quality film episodes, sports games and local programs like cai luong (southern opera). Furthermore, audiences can watch 150 local and foreign channels by the SCTV-VOD device.

Tran Van Uy, general director of SCTV, said in a statement that the company expects to expand its cable network nationwide by 2020 with four million subscribers.

SCTV was established on August 27, 1992 by Vietnam Television (VTV) and Saigontourist.

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