Australian multicultural band returns to Vietnam

The Music of Joy- an Australia's unique and multicultural band will return to Vietnam for free performances from July 12 to 19.

The concerts will take place in Ho Chi Minh City on July 12, Soc Trang Province on 14, Hai Phong on 17 and Hanoi on 19.

Established over twenty years ago, the Music of Joy includes around 30 musicians from various countries joining together with one common goal – to share the most joyful and uplifting music.

They use many kinds of folk music instruments, such as harmonium, table of India, jembe  of the indigenous peoples of Africa and others.

This is the fourth times that the group return to Vietnam. They performed in the country by 2010, 2012 and 2013.

Vietnamese seafood banquet sets Asian record

A seafood banquet – 777m in length– in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on July 5 for over 700 guests has set a record as Asia’s longest ever.

The food was awesome, with seven variants of seafood including crab, clams, oysters and snails,artfully arranged on each table.

Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury, General Director of Asia Record Organization (ARO), attended the event, announcing his organisation’s recognition of the party as the longest of its kind in Asia.

Bac Ninh to spend $2.8m on preserving Dong Ho paintings

The northern province of Bac Ninh will spend VND60 billion dong (US$2.8 million) to retain and develop a local art speciality, Dong Ho folk paintings.

The money, from the provincial budget and other sources, will be funnelled into the paintings in Thuan Thanh District, under a scheme approved on Thursday.

Accordingly, VND2.1 billion (nearly $100,000) will go to restoring and develop the paintings over the next two years.

Another VND50 billion ($2.3 million) will be spent on building a centre to conserve and promote the art over the next six years.

The rest of the funds will be spent on preparing a dossier for UNESCO outlining why the folk paintings should be classified as Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Bac Ninh Province has been famous for the paintings for hundreds of years. The woodblock paintings printed on paper from the bark of the do (poonah) tree mainly reflect aspirations for a peaceful, happy and prosperous life.

In March last year, the craft was recognised as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap has suggested to the Government that a collection of golden objects belonging to the Oc Eo-Go Thap culture be recognised as nationally precious, according to the provincial People's Committee.

The 49-object collection dates back to between the third and seventh centuries. Several of the object represent the Hindu god Vishnu and flowers such as the lotus and water lily as well as sacred animals such as the cow, Nandin, pig, Vahara, snake, Shesha, snail, Sankha and many others.

The collection is of rare quality, reflecting the height of the Khmer-type culture flourishing in southern Viet Nam at the time, said a representative of the provincial museum.

The objects were excavated from 1984 to 2013 at the Go Thap archaeological site in Thap Muoi District.

They are being preserved at the Dong Thap Museum.

The objects are believed to have been offerings to heavenly beings in return for their support.

The province hopes that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will soon consider the proposal and send it to the Prime Minister for approval.

Live music venue at bookstore to attract people

Street music performance will be held regularly on weekend at Huy Hoang Bookstore and Cafe, starting July 5.

Violinist Quang Phuc, bassist Anh Thanh, guitarist Thanh Tung and drummer Anh Thuan will play various kinds of music including pop, flamenco, latin and more.

It is the first time that a bookstore has organized a street music show. We want to create an art and cultural venue for visitors, Huy Hoang bookstore’s representative said.

The show will run one hour from 5 p.m-6 p.m alternately on Saturday and Sunday at 357A, Le Van Sy Street in Tan Binh District.

Vietnamese film festival underway in France

Vietnamese films in different genres are being screened at the first Vietnamese Film Festival in the French northwestern port city of Saint Malo, as part of activities in the framework of the Year of Vietnam in France in 2014.

The six-day event, which began on July 1, introduces to French audiences a selection of 15 films, including features, documentaries and animations.

They include Choi Voi (Adrift), Mui Du Du Xanh (The Scent of Green Papaya), Mua He Chieu Thang Dung (The Vertical Ray of the Sun), Dong Duong ( Indochina ), Khat Vong Thang Long (Thang Long), and Mui Co Chay (The Scent of Burning Grass).

In addition, two films about Dien Bien Phu historical battle - Dien Bien Phu by famous French director Pierre Schoendoerffer and Song Cung Lich Su (Living with History) by Vietnamese director Nguyen Thanh Van, are also being screened.

French movie director Regis Wargnier chairs the festival's jury. A total of 10 awards, including Best Director, Best Script, Best Documentary, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Soundtrack, will be presented.

Addressing the festival’s opening ceremony on July 3, Regine Petit, who chairs the festival, said the event offers the French audience a better view of Vietnamese cinema as well as its cinematic talents.

Head of the Vietnamese Cinematography Department Ngo Phuong Lan, who is also head of the Vietnamese delegation attending the festival,said she hopes the event will help the French public get deeper understanding on the nation, history, culture and society of Vietnam.

The festival also offers a chance for French and Vietnamese film-makers to share experience, while opening up new prospect for the cinematography sectors of both countries, she said.

Local TV debuts health consultancy programme

Da Nang Radio and Television (DRT) will debut the weekly ‘Family Doctor' programme on July 20, director Hoang Hung announced yesterday.

Co-organised by DRT and Canh Cung media company, the show will be the first-ever medical and health consultancy TV programme in the central and Central Highlands region.

It will be broadcast on DRT's channel 2 on Sunday and channel 1 on Monday.

The programme will feature doctors and medical staff discussing alarming diseases as well as providing daily life medical consultations.

DRT's broadcasts can be viewed throughout the Southeast Asian region as well as through Mobile TV nationwide.

Uncle Ho biopic to hit screens this year

A feature film on the life of President Ho Chi Minh is set for release on November 10 to coincide with the leader's birthday.

The 120-minute biopic, titled Nha Tien Tri (The Prophet), is being made by Viet Nam Feature Film Studio, the leading State-owned production house belonging to Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Based on a screenplay by veteran author Hoang Nhuan Cam, it tells about the life of President Ho Chi Minh from 1947 to 1954 during the war against the French.

It recounts his time in the Viet Bac Military Base as the country's first president who led the Vietnamese people in their struggle and fight against French colonialism.

Cam's work is based on short stories and poems written by the former President, including Viet Bac Anh Dung (Brave Viet Bac), Giac Ngu 10 Nam (Ten Year Sleep) and Vua Di Duong Vua Ke Chuyen (Talking on the Walk).

Vuong Duc, the film's director, said the crew began filming in Ha Noi early last month and then in the northern provinces of Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Tuyen Quang, Thai Nguyen and Ha Giang.

Ha Noi-based actor Bui Bai Binh was chosen from among hundreds of professional and amateur candidates to play the role of President Ho Chi Minh.

"I decided to give the biggest challenge to Binh, who is famous not only for his acting but also passion and enthusiasm," said Duc.

"Through our film, we wanted to spotlight our leader's remarkable ideas for achieving his country's freedom," said Cam, who spent six years to complete his screenplay.

"Facing hard challenges, our Uncle Ho always believed in the country's future victory. We named our film Nha Tien Tri, The Prophet, for that reason," he said.

The film's post-production work will be completed next month.

Son Tra Peninsula design wins American architecture prize

Son Tra Peninsula Strategic Vision Plan, which was designed by the US's Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), has been awarded the excellence prize from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the city's construction department announced yesterday.

According to AIA, SOM was responsible for two of the six winning projects in the Regional and Urban Design Category for the Denver Union Station Neighbourhood Transformation project and the Son Tra Peninsula Strategic Vision Plan. Both projects demonstrate SOM's commitment to ecologically integrated and livable development strategies.

Adjacent to downtown Da Nang city and covering nearly 60sq.km of unique natural landscape, the Son Tra Peninsula project outlines strategies to guide future development and to protect this peninsula's unique natural assets, which are currently threatened by a wide range of economic development pressures.

Korean musicians perform to mark ASEAN-RoK ties

Republic of Korea’s singer An So Eun and the Chungnam Gukak Orchestra performed traditional Korean music and thrilled the audience at Ho Chi Minh City's Ben Thanh Theatre on July 3 night by singing Viet Nam Que Huong Toi (Vietnam, My Homeland) as part of celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary of ASEAN-RoK relations.

" Korea Fantasy – Sound, Dance and Performance" featured folk music from some RoK provinces like Gyeonggi, Namdo, and Samulnori based on percussion rhythms.

The artists performed Pansori, often referred to as Korean Opera, in which a singer and a drummer tell a themed story.

The genre was recognised as one of the 28 intangible world heritages by UNESCO in 2003.

Gukak Chungnam Orchestra, established in 1990, has performed at over 1,600 concerts, and is one of that country's leading art troupes.

Venezuelan handicrafts to take centre stage at Hanoi display

An exhibition of Venezuelan handicrafts in Hanoi from July 8 – 14 will give Vietnamese people an insight of the mixed culture of the Latin American country, said Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on July 4.

The event at the Vietnam Exhibition Centre for Culture and Arts will feature some 100 items such as bags, hats, vases, cradles, and jewellery.

They are made of various materials, from stone, wood and bark to crocodile bones.

Representatives from the ministry said before the landing of European explorers in America in the 15 th century, Venezuelan natives used to make utensils in their own unique way.

After that, local life was influenced by African and European cultures, and locals started creating things that embody multi-style features.

Apart from the exhibition, a workshop will be organised on July 11, looking into the making of handicrafts of the Warao people – a native group in Venezuela.

The activities are part of the Venezuelan Culture Week in Vietnam celebrating the 25 th founding anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations.

Vietnamese folk melodies feature on stage in France

An arts programme featuring Vietnamese folk songs and dances was held in Paris, France on July 4 to celebrate Vietnam Year in France 2014.

The stage was livened up by a resounding gong choir of Ba Na ethnic artists, passionate Ca Tru (ceremonial singing) and performances of Vietnamese traditional musical instruments, such as dan bau (monochord), dan tranh (16-chord zither), flute and T’rung (bamboo xylophone).

In particular, a choral performance by a Vietnamese troupe and France’s Choisy le Roi choir won much applause from the audience as it featured Vietnamese and France songs praising love for the country and the solidarity between the two countries.

Speaking at the event, Director of the Vietnamese Culture Centre in France, Le Hong Chuong expressed hope that the performances would leave a deep impression on French friends, helping them to explore Vietnam’s culture, land and people.