EVENTs HANOI TRADITIONAL PERFORMANCES
Trang, head of Bac Ninh Quan Ho folk music company, at mobile 0913-073-326.
Cheo singing performances Street songs of the poor and blind Every Saturday night Hát xẩm is a minimalist style of Vietnamese singing, traditionally performed by the poor and the
Cheo, a kind of popular opera / traditional music, is shown at 8 p.m. every Friday at the Kim Ma Theater, 71 Kim Ma St, Ba Dinh Dist., Hanoi. English interpretation offered. Price: VND150,000 per person. Tel: (04) 3764-8079/ 0904549-579 (Ms Ngoan)
Ancient folk form
Quan họ is a folk song form that originated in the northern province of Bac Ninh in the 13th century. The form took on elements of other genres as it spread throughout the country, incorporating a dialogue style of singing in the 18th century, the period when Vietnamese literature blossomed. As a folk art with a highly collective nature, quan họ songs alternate from group to group with singers keeping up the conversation by exchanging songs. There is no accompanying instrumental music. Bac Ninh Quan Ho folk music company offers quan họ performances on request; an hour costs around VND30 million. Performance venues can also be requested. Contact Mr Quy 34 • V I E T N A M
vietnam.net. Price: $10 (VND210,000). Reservation is necessary. Tel: 01 223 266 897 Ca Trù is performed by Hanoi Ca Tru Club at Kim Ngan Temple, 42-44 Hang Bac St, Hoan Kiem Dist., Hanoi, at 8 p.m. every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Tickets $10 (VND210,000). Contact: Ms Le Bach Van at 0913544876, Email: bachvancatru.vn@gmail.com EXHIBITIONS
Artists capture essence of Hanoi Till 20 January Nearly 30 oil paintings by Nguyen Trong Tai and Dang Van Quynh are displayed at Hotel de l’Opera, 29 Trang Tien St, Hoan blind and especially wanderers, usually accompanied with a simple đàn nhị (two-string violin) or đàn bầu (single-string zither). Hát xẩm is a Vietnamese blues from the 13th century. It is making a comeback, after several decades. Artists at the Centre for Research on and Development of Vietnamese Music now perform xẩm at Dong Xuan Market, in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, every Saturday night. Free.
Ca trù
Group painting exhibition Until 28 February, 2014
Kiem Dist., Hanoi, till 20 January. Dang Van Quynh has sketched a modern Hanoi full of faces, bringing out the true form of the streets. Nguyen Trong Tai’s paintings are soft tones of emotion, voices of colour and rhythms of light. His details are scant, leaving an open space in order to create fancifulness.
Japanese street art Till 16 February
Ca trù, an ancient Vietnamese musical form with a singer accompanied by three-string đàn đáy and other instruments, is performed at 87 Ma May Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, at 8 p.m. every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, by artists from Ca Tru Thang Long Club, www.catru-
HERITAGE - JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2014
for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam presents a mural painting exhibition ‘Abilight’ by Hitotzuki in Hanoi till 16 February. Hitotzuki is an artistic collaboration formed in 1999 by Kami and Sasu, aimed at expanding the stage for street culture. ‘Abilight’ is a newly coined word by Hitotzuki, deriving from ‘Ability’ and ‘Light’. It conveys a positive message to the visitors in Vietnam to share a forward-looking feeling. Hitotzuki draws mural paintings on the premises of the Japan Foundation Centre for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam. Also they draw on T shirts, bags, caps, skateboards, watches and cups. Japan Foundation Centre for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam, 27 Quang Trung St, Hoan Kiem Dist., Hanoi. Open: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Closed from 28 January to 5 February.
The Embassy of Denmark, 19 Dien Bien Phu St., Hoan Kiem Dist., Hanoi is holding an exhibition that lasts for six months, ending on 28 February, 2014. The exhibition has a total of 26 specially-selected paintings, from an array of genres, from the wellknown Pham Luc, Ngo Chinh and other up-and-coming artists. Free entry. Tel: (04) 3823 1888 (Contact person: Ms Truong Uyen Ly, ext. 223) MUSIC
New Year Concert The Japan Foundation Centre
8 p.m., 15 January