VietNamNet Bridge - In the hall situated in the center of the ancient town of Hoi An, musicians with wrinkled hands are passionately playing music. Every few minutes, the audiences clap their hands.

From nightfall, an old house on Le Loi Street begins welcoming old men with a cane, carrying different musical instruments. In dim light, they passionately play renowned music works of Vietnam and the world.

"I went from curiosity to admiration,” said Hieu, a visitor from Hanoi, after the show.

A French couple called at the house to enjoy five music pieces, film, take photos and enthusiastically applauded.

Mr. La Gia Quang, 86, said his band has worked for around 10 years. They initially performed at the Serenade café, located in an alley on Le Loi Street. The band has moved to a new place, named Cung Dan Xua. Currently the band consists of three musicians and a singer. The oldest member is 86 years old and the youngest is 62. The band only performs on the 14th and 15th day of the lunar month, from 7pm to 9pm.

Mr. Quang is the nephew of the late musician Hoi La Hoi, who is known for “Spring and Youth” song. He began playing piano and guitar when he was a child. In Hoi An, he has trained many pianists and his passion for music is still shown through his old hands on the keyboard.




"Playing piano for two consecutive hours, my hands are weary but after the show ends, I still want to play some more music works," Mr. Quang said. His two sons are also pianists, who join most music shows in Hoi An town.

Quang’s colleague, Mr. Thai Chi Hao, 86, who plays accordion, said that these shows help him recall his childhood memories. Before 1960, Hoi An always lived in the atmosphere of music. Every evening, from small children to the elderly, all sat on the porch to play mandolin or guitar.

"The French were very excited with the musical atmosphere here. Hoi An that day had only bikes so that the sound of music was not affected by motorbike engine sound," Hao said.

In the 90s, the music atmosphere was forgotten. One of the pioneers who revived the movement was Mr. Vo Phung, Director of the Cultural and Sports Center of Hoi An. Four years ago, he knocked on the door of each elder musician in the town to invite them to perform at Cung Dan Xua.

"We invite elder musicians to play music to restore the culture and the beautiful images of the ancient town. The elder instrumentalists also said that they wanted to play their favorite music together to promote the image of Hoi An tourism but they did not know where to start," Phung said.

No matter what the weather is, the shows of the U90 instrumentalists are always packed with the audiences.

Mr. Hoang Vu, 74, the MC and singer of the ban, said he loves love music but previously he did not think that one day he would stand on stage to perform. He can sing and play mandolin very well. "At first I came here to enjoy music and sometimes to sing a song for fun but I’ve become a “singer” for almost two years," Mr. Vu said.

"We're old now and we do not know about the future of the band," Quang said. A few years ago, a member of the band, guitarist Vo Tan Nam died of a traffic accident. The band took a break for a while, but then the music sounded again as a way to remember the former member.

Director of the Hoi An Culture and Sports Center said the band is maintained thanks to the enthusiasm of the elder musicians.

Compiled by P. Lan