VietNamNet Bridge – Every Sunday afternoon, the atmosphere around the statue of King Ly Thai To in Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem District turns bustling thanks to the sound of musical instruments and the voice of a group of young street singers.

Young people gather nearby the statute of King Ly Thai To near the Hoan Kiem Lake and play music together.

With several guitars and box drums, they sit nearby the statue playing musical instruments and singing songs together. Hoang Khanh, 25, leader of the group, said after his graduation from college in Hanoi, he often went out along with his guitar and sang for fun in public. Gradually, more and more young music enthusiasts came to join him and a group of young street singers took shape in October 2011.

On the first days, the street singing group had trouble dealing with local authorities as they were accused of making noise in public places. After a while, they were allowed to perform around the statue of King Ly Thai To in the park of the same name.

Members of the group normally show up at 4 p.m. every Sunday.  Their performance may last until 10 p.m. Khanh’s group is open to all people who can sing and play musical instruments. Therefore, on some days the group may have nearly 100 people sitting side by side and singing together but on other occasions, the number may fall to several, Khanh says. Normally, members number 20 to 30. The youngest are seventh and eighth graders and the oldest are around 30.

For those singers, there is an unwritten rule that those wishing to stay in the group must keep in mind that they do not sing for money. Member Tran Duy Linh, 24, said: “Many people think we perform for money.”

In addition, the group respects its members’ privacy and requires no joining fee.

Hoang Khanh, leader of the street singing group, plays the guitar

The group used to join local singer Thai Thuy Linh in several fundraising performances at hospitals and shelters for orphaned and underprivileged people.

Recalling an interesting experience of singing in a public place, Linh says a Hawaiian man came across the group and joined. He even showed them skills of playing musical instruments in public.

Moreover, the image of the street singers has been added to the wedding photo albums of many couples. Some couples insisted on giving the group some money but to no avail.