Traditional music
Northern Vietnam is the cradle of the ca-trùa traditional poetic music sung by women with a singular vocal technique. This aesthetic first appeared over six centuries ago in the province of Tonkin, and is nicknamed the "song of courtesans". The voice rests on an instrumental base provided by a lute(dan day), and a drum(trong chau) marks the punctuation and signals the start of the sung parts. With the help of two chopsticks, the singer herself beats out the rhythm by striking a phach, a bamboo or wooden board, with two wooden chopsticks. Recognized by Unesco as an intangible world heritage site since 2009, ca-trù was originally performed during community ceremonies, and has since been added to rituals. Today, it is considered a form of entertainment in its own right.
After Vietnam's declaration of independence, ca-trù almost fell into oblivion. The preservation of this ancestral style of music is made possible, among other things, by the Hanoi Ca-trù Club, founded in 1990, which offers ca-trù performances throughout the year. Artists such as singer Pho Thi Kim Duc have left their mark on the history of ca-trù.
Alternating singing called quan ho comes from the village of Ninh Diêm in the commune of Hoà Long. This artistic practice takes place during ritual festivals and relies on the vocal skills of the performers. Men and women, dressed in traditional costumes, sing alternately a cappella. Texts range from love stories to prayers, depending on the context of the celebration. This style of music is considered by the public to be one of the most moving in Vietnam. More popular and contemporary artists such as Thuy Cai, Thuy Huong, Quy Trang and Quang Vinh have studied quan ho in their musical careers.
Hát chầuvãnis a more mystical style, played to invoke spirits during spiritual ceremonies. Musicians play a two-stringed fiddle(dan nhi) or a half-moon-shaped lute(dan nguyet) and sing. This art form is widespread in Nam Dinh province, Hà Nam and a few other provinces in the north of the country. Energetic and rhythmic, it leads the audience into a form of trance. It wasn't until 1986 that the government authorized the practice. The artist Phạm Văn Tỵ is renowned for his virtuosity in hát chầuvãn.
Classical music
In Vietnam, classical music has flourished thanks to the French presence in Indochina. This colonial influence can also be seen in the architecture of the genre: the 900-seatHanoi Opera House and theHaiphong Opera House are replicas of the Opéra Garnier in Paris. Among the country's prides are composer Nguyen Van Quy, the "Vietnamese Beethoven", pianist Dang Thai Son, who won first prize in the 1980 Chopin International Piano Competition, and Lê Dung, a renowned soprano singer who has contributed to Vietnam's international operatic renown.
Vietnamese jazz
Vietnam has only recently seen the birth of a jazz movement: it's undoubtedly thanks to Nguyen Lê, a Vietnamese jazz artist based in Europe, who has helped popularize Vietnamese sounds by highlighting other local artists via collaborations, such as Ngô Hông Quang, Huong Thanh and also saxophonist emeritus Quyền Văn Minh, originally from Hanoi.
Current music
If rock, pop, hip-hop, electronic music and even metal have only been emerging in Vietnam for a handful of years, it's because the political regime has long condemned popular, Western-inspired music. From now on, bars and clubs are no longer required to close before midnight, and "red music" (the embodiment of socialist values upheld by the government until the fall of the Berlin Wall and the lifting of the American embargo) is no longer favored. The tân nhạc ("new music") was born, and with it, V-pop. Like K-pop in Korea and T-pop in Thailand, young artists such as Lam Trường, Mỹ Linh, My Anh, Thanh Lam, Mai Khôi and Son Tung M-TP are producing mainstream music and creating a buzz on social networks. Traditional music, sung in Vietnamese and played on percussion and string instruments, is giving way to more electronic, Western-sounding sounds, with lyrics in English. Some artists perform solo, others in the form of groups (Monstar, Lip B or Uni5), the latter often belonging to entertainment companies. Alongside the international music scene, V-pop is featured at the Monsoon Music Festival, considered Vietnam's biggest international music festival, and held in Hanoi every autumn.
Traditional dances
In north-western Vietnam, dance is part of everyday life. Each ethnic group cultivates its own practice, directly associated with spiritual life. As a result, folk dances abound, nourishing the artistic identity of the entire country.
Among Vietnam's 54 different ethnic groups, the Thái stand out with their traditional xòe dance. This choreographic ritual, a symbol of community solidarity and inspired by the daily activities of this people, is recognized as an intangible heritage of humanity by UNESCO. Men and women take part in this practice, wearing traditional costumes, forming a circle by holding hands and circling around a fire. The dance is performed to the rhythm of instruments such as the tinh tau zither (with two or three strings), drums and gongs. The xòe takes place at weddings, popular festivals in the Thái region or during the New Rice Celebration, a uniquely popular moment following the rice harvest in the mountainous provinces of northern Vietnam.
The Thái have six ancient xòe dances, all of which evolved into the form still practiced today. Among the ancestors of xòe are "Khắm khăn mơi lẩu", which literally means "lifting the handkerchief to offer the liquor", and "Nhôm khăn", which indicates "throwing the handkerchiefs in the air". These lively forms were created at a time when the cotton and weaving crafts were booming. These dances, in which handkerchiefs are brandished in colorful, sophisticated patterns, showcase the talent of Thái women.
Xòe is passed down from generation to generation, regardless of age or gender. Some schools in Thái province teach this folk dance, and some enthusiasts have even opened classes or organized exhibitions on the subject. The Vietnamese government has also set up grants to support artists representing this artistic movement, enabling them to continue spreading this cultural tradition.
The khen dance of the Hmôngs is also the image of an entire community, that of the Hmôngs (or Mongs), present in particular in southern China and northern Vietnam, in the most mountainous regions. Although history attributes to them the reputation of a warlike people, they are above all one of the communities that suffered the most during the Indochina war, and remain marginalized to this day. Dance is a powerful means of expression for the Hmôngs. Performed by boys, it is rather martial, agile and even perilous. The dance features a musical instrument called the khen, played only by men. Men use the khen to call out to their first female conquests. In the eponymous dance, they must be able to play the instrument and perform a succession of movements. Like other traditional dances, the khen dance is held at village festivals and other popular celebrations.
Theater
Tuong. Theater plays an important role in Vietnamese society. The most classical forms have their roots in Chinese opera. The gestural and ceremonial aspect of the performances gave rise to the tuong, which evokes historical narratives on stage, and is characterized by the actors' pronounced make-up.
Legend has it that a famous Chinese actor, Lý Nguyên Cát, was imprisoned by the Vietnamese. To serve his sentence, he was asked to teach the basics of Chinese theater. The first artist to distinguish himself in tuong was Dao Duy Tu, who became one of the country's most respected playwrights. In Hanoi, you can attend tuong performances at the Hong Hà Traditional Opera Theatre.
Hàt chèo is a theatrical style based on comic song, which emerged in the Red River delta under the impetus of singer Pham Thi Tran. Unlike tuong, chèo 's singing is faster, less accented, the characters are not necessarily of high rank, and the costumes are less sophisticated. The essence of chèo is not to recount the country's historical glories, but rather to engage in discussion around social issues. Any story, especially about peasant life, finds its place in chèo, making the theatrical form very popular in Vietnam.
Trained in dance, singing and drama - usually at a famous school in Hanoi - some artists are still making a name for themselves on the chèo scene. These include Như Xuân Hinh, Quôc Truong, Thanh Ngoan and Tu Long.
Nowadays, cai luong and modern theater are eclipsing hàt chèo and tuong. Cai lu ong has incorporated many more modern elements into its staging. A theatrical form based around "puppets on water" has become much more popular in recent years in Vietnam than traditional theater. The Thang Long Water Puppet Theater is one such venue.
