Elephants raced in Dak Lak
An elephant race was held in Krong Na commune, Buon Don district in the Central Highland province of Dak Lak, as part of the 2012 Buon Don Ethnic Cultural Festival, which took place on March 24-26.
This year?s festival offered many special programmes such as elephant racing and elephant soccer as well as a prayer for the elephants? health and the elephant bathing ceremony. Nearly 20 mahouts also reenacted scenes of hunting and taming wild elephants.
The festival also featured traditional ethnic group rituals and performances including the water wharf ceremony; a show of traditional ethnic costumes and a gong music concert.
The festival, organised every two years, is one of the traditions of Buon Don district ethnic minority people to help preserve and develop their distinctive cultures. This year?s festival attracted thousands of local and international visitors.
Performance marks International Theatre Day
The experimental theatre piece Nguyen Du voi Kieu (Nguyen Du and Kieu) was performed yesterday at the Ha Noi Opera House, as part of the celebration by the Association of Viet Nam Theatre Artists of the 50th anniversary of International Theatre Day.
The play, inspired by Truyen Kieu (The Tale of Kieu), the national epic poem written by Nguyen Du in the 18th century, was staged by the Youth Theatre?s experimental theatre group using a combination of contemporary and traditional forms.
The Association of Viet Nam Theatre Artists joined the International Theatre Institute (ITI) under UNESCO in 2004 and set up the Viet Nam ITI Centre. Celebrations of the 50th anniversary of International Theatre Day will be held today at the UNESCO office in Paris with the participation of many famous artists. The institute, which has 100 members, aims to highlight the role of theatre in the development of world culture and to promote the influence of theatre in contemporary life. ?
Int?l exhibition held during Hung Kings Temple Festival
The sixth international photography exhibition opened in the northern midland city of Viet Tri on March 26 as part of the 2012 Hung Kings Temple Festival.
The exhibition is jointly organized by the Vietnamese Association of Photographic Artists (VAPA) and the Phu Tho provincial Literature and Arts Association.
On display were 542 photos taken by 354 artists from 38 countries and territories around the world. They were selected from more than 10,600 entries by 1,602 photographers from 55 different nations.
The exhibition, which will be on show until April 2, is a good opportunity for Vietnamese and foreign artists to exchange ideas and share experiences. It will also help Phu Tho province promote its beautiful landscape and cultural identity.
Local artists from Phu Tho, Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa and Thua Thien-Hue also showcased their works, focusing on the unique features of different regions in the S-shaped country.
VN?s biggest conical hat recognized
A 30kg conical hat was recognized as the biggest of its kind by the Vietnam Records Book on March 24.
Made of more than 960 palm leaves layered together on a bamboo frame, the 1.6m tall hat with a diameter of 2.74m, took 40 days of hard work by the artisan Thai Do and his 10 partners in the central city of Hue to finish.
The artisans also embedded poems and images featuring the beauty of the ancient city of Hue like the Huong River, Thien Mu Pagoda and Truong Tien Bridge, between the layers of the leaves. The decorations are revealed when the hat is placed under a light.
The hat is now displayed at Non La Restaurant at 19 Ngueyn Dinh Chieu Street in District 1 in Ho Chi Minh City.
Ninh Binh hosts Dong Son historic artefacts? exhibition
Thousands of objects from the Bronze Age?s Dong Son civilisation to the Nguyen dynasty are on display at the Gymnasium in the northern province of Ninh Binh through late April.
The objects come from collectors from throughout the northern and central regions of the country, including Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Ha Nam, Hung Yen and Nghe An provinces. The Ninh Binh Club of Ancient Objects Lovers and 12 other collectors donated 35 rare objects to the Ninh Binh museum last Sunday. On the same day, the museum auctioned 14 ancient objects, including bowls, vases, a tea tray, and a lime pot.-VNS
Vietnamese film attracts French audiences
The movie ?Chuyen cua Pao? (Pao?s Story) was screened in Paris on March 24 during the second Francophone film festival, transporting French audiences to beautiful scenery and presenting the daily lives of the Mong ethnic group in northwestern Vietnam.
The audience included overseas Vietnamese, French friends, and international friends from International Francophone Organization (OIF) member countries.
Helene, a Greek student studying in Paris, said she found the film very interesting.
Ambassador Duong Van Quang, Chief of the Vietnamese Mission to UNESCO, said Vietnam aims to deepen its ties with the OIF and its member countries through boosting the teaching of the French language in Vietnam.
Quang stressed that culture and language cooperation is the ?backbone? of the OIF, and Vietnam is stepping up economic cooperation with member countries.
On International Francophone Day in France, two Vietnamese students also won prizes at a French language contest held by the OIF and the International Francophone Press Union.
Vietnam?s Got Talent causes Youtube debate
Several contestants on Vietnam?s Got Talent have not only impressed audiences with their covers of world famous songs, but have also created an army of fans who are willing to spend days arguing with each other to protect their idols.
In the third semi-final night of the show, broadcast on March 18, a contestant named Dinh Ngoc Hoang performed a cover of the song ?She?s Gone,? by the US?s famed rock band Steelheart. Hoang amazed the contest?s jury and audiences watching the show with his strong voice.
However, instead of simply voting for him to win the contest, fans seemed to be overexcited with the performance and found extreme ways to debate on Youtube and express their admiration for Hoang.
The fight started when a netizen nicknamed woojin128 commented on to the music video ?She?s Gone? by Steelheart that ?I came here because of Dinh Ngoc Hoang.? Since then a large number of Vietnamese fans have flocked to the video sharing site to express their agreement with the comment.
?Dinh Ngoc Hoang isn?t Steelheart, but Vietnamese know about Steelheart after watching Hoang?s cover in Vietnam?s Got Talent,? user thanhtuc said.
Some people added fuel to the fire by saying that Steelheart has to say thanks to Hoang since he brought more viewers to the clips, comments that infuriated many fans who idolize the band.
?Seriously, I feel disgrace for people who know about this wonderful song after hearing a weak copy version and thought that is better than the original,? a netizen nicknamed LeeOnMaiden responded.
It wasn?t only Youtube users from other countries who were annoyed. Even many Vietnamese fans also disagreed that Hoang?s cover made the song famous in Vietnam.
?Hey guys, I?m a 24-year-old Vietnamese girl and I started listening to ?She?s Gone? by Steelheart in the 7th grade. That means I?ve known about the band for around 10 years and I?m pretty sure there are many other Vietnamese who have known Steelheart since their childhood. So stop saying that people know ?She?s Gone? thanks to Hoang,? user winterstone said.
?Thank God! I?m Vietnamese and I know this song NOT because of Hoang? luppintd humorously commented.
Many comments saying the cover was better than the original only made things worse. In responding to comments, other people said that it?s silly to compare the two versions.
?Please don?t compare Hoang with Mike (Steelheart?s singer). I listened to him and it was a very good performance but comparing him with Mike is just silly,? filipmajstorovic said.
?We can?t compare Dinh Ngoc Hoang with a legend like Mike. Hoang is also a fan of Steelheart and he tried to sing his favorite song,? tnpa11 added.
?She?s Gone? is not the only cause for debate between music fans after the most recent airing of Vietnam?s Got Talent. Earlier, when Westlife?s ?Home? and ?You Raised Me Up?, as well as Miley Cyrus?s ?Let?s Dance?, were sung on stage, the original and cover performances were also compared.
In staying out of the battles, some fans explained that the reason behind the meaningless debates is that people got over excited after seeing talented singers at a time when the local music industry is filled with ?music disasters? and untalented singers who lip-sync on stage.
?Some people are making a big deal out of it. Our music industry is really a mess right now. So when someone makes covers of big songs by famous artists, they will go crazy,? akatsuki2923 expressed.
Some people tried to ease the fight by saying each version is good in its own way.
?Why do we have to make a comparison? Everyone has his own special things. I like both of them,? NoveKute said.
Hanoi Opera House to feature ?Swan Lake? this April
A scene from the Swan Lake ballet, which premiered in Moscow, Russia in 1877.
A rendition of the classic ballet, ?Swan Lake?, featuring Russian and Vietnamese performers will take place at 8 p.m. on April 4 at the Hanoi Opera House.
Under the direction of Russian conductor Mikhail Shcherbakov?s baton, pianists Irina Skobliakova and Professor Tran Thu Ha and violinists Professor Ngo Van Thanh and Bui Tri Dien will perform the world famous masterpiece.
Tickets, priced from VND150 000 to 500,000, are available at the Hanoi Opera House ? 1 Trang Tien Street, or can be booked online at www.ticketvn.com or via email at ticketvn@gmail.com.
For more details, call: 0913489858, 0983067996.
Pianist Bich Tra explores work of Swedish composer
Overseas Vietnamese pianist Nguyen Bich Tra has released a new CD featuring the works of Swedish composer Joachim Raff. The CD was released by the Naxos Group?s Grand Piano label, dedicated to the exploration of undiscovered repertoire for piano.
?I?ve always remembered my first impressions when I read the compositions of Joachim Raff in a library in UK long time ago,? said Tra. ?It was a music full of sunshine, and full of joy and beauty. This CD is like an interesting itinerary to explore and restore Raff?s magic sound once again.?
Tra, 38, graduated from the Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory in 1997 and completed an advanced performance course at the Royal Academy of Music in London in 1999, continuing her studies for master?s degree at the College of Music and Media. Living in Britain, she has toured worldwide and recorded six albums.-
Restored Hue palace opens for public
A project to restore Long An Palace, one of the most beautiful structures in the world heritage site ? the imperial city of Hue, was inaugurated on March 25 after three years of restoration.
Following the inauguration ceremony, Long An Palace is now open to public, featuring a display of 424 outstanding artifacts relating to royal life during the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945).
Long An Palace was built under the time of King Thieu Tri (1841-1847). It consists of seven compartments and two annexes plus 128 pillars made of precious timbers. The entire wooden parts are carved with beautiful scenes, the four sacred animals (dragon, lion, tortoise and phoenix) and more than 1,000 poems in Chinese scripts.
In 1847, when King Thieu Tri passed away, his body was kept here for eight years before burial and the palace then became a worship site for the king, until the French colonialists occupied the country in 1885. In 1908, Long An Palace was used as a library for the Quoc Tu Giam School and became Khai Dinh Museum in 1923.
Located on an area of 6,330m², Long An Palace now displays more than 10,000 artifacts relating to the life during the Nguyen Dynasty which were previously showcased at the Hue Royal Antiquities Museum.
Water puppetry wows Cuban audiences
Audiences in Havana have been mesmerised by Vietnamese water puppetry, performed in the country for the first time.
At the invitation of the Cuban Ministry of Culture, a troupe of 12 artists from the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre participated at the Havana Puppetry Festival from Friday to Sunday.
The unique water puppetry shows focused on Vietnamese farming life such as dragon dances, buffalo fighting, fishing and rice harvesting, narrated by a comic puppet named Teu.
?The performances not only helped Cubans learn more about Vietnamese culture, but also strengthened the special friendship between the two countries,? said Vietnamese Ambassador Vu Chi Cong.
?Through the puppets, the Vietnamese people send a message of peace, prosperity and happiness.?
Fernando Rojas, deputy minister of the Cuban Culture Ministry, said his people had long dreamed of enjoying the over-thousand-year-old Vietnamese tradition.
He agreed with Cong that the performances proved Viet Nam and Cuba?s co-operative friendship in different fields.
With tickets for the planned six performances sold out one week prior to the festival, two more shows were added due to popular demand.
Tran Quoc Chiem, deputy director of the Ha Noi Culture, Sports and Tourism Department, who led the troupe to Cuba, said he was extremely impressed by their response in the country, in which more shows will definitely be held in future.
Founded in 1969, the capital?s famous Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre has brought the Vietnamese art form to many countries around the world.
Tickets to watch Da Nang fireworks won?t exceed $15: organizer
More than 40,000 tickets worth up to VND300,000 (US$15) to watch fireworks by the Han River in the central coastal city of Da Nang on April 29-30 have been issued, according to organizers at the Da Nang International Fireworks Competition.
Three fourths of the tickets will be sold to tourists, while the rest remain as invitations. Prices ranges from VND200,000 (US$10) to VND300,000 (US$15), and tickets can be purchased at booths set up by the Da Nang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and at some travel agencies.
Tourists can also get on a boat to travel along the Han River and watch the fireworks at the same time. However, boat owners are not allowed to charge more than VND300,000 per person.
The annual Da Nang International Fireworks competition to celebrate Reunification Day will take place on April 29-30, featuring five teams from Canada, China, France, Italy and Vietnam.
Besides the two sparkling fireworks nights, there will be other events like street music performances, fashion shows and a cuisine corner.
The Da Nang Department Of Industry and Trade has sent a document demanding that organizations, restaurants and hotels in the city put up fixed prices at their reception desks during the event. The department also announced hotlines for tourists to contact in case of rip-offs.
Previously, police from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism gave a penalty of VND10 million (US$500) to two hotels which suddenly raised the room rates, taking advantage of the fireworks event.
Hanoi to host French Opera for kids
Two special performances of the Opera ?The Child and the Spells? (L?Enfant et les Sortil?ges) featuring young artists from the Children?s Choir of the National Musical Theater in Paris will take place in April in Hanoi.
The Child and the Spells: A Lyric Fantasy in Two Parts, with music by Maurice Ravel to a libretto by Colette, will be performed by the theater?s 12 lead singers and 65 choir members, according to a press release from the event organizer L?Espace.
The opera is Ravel?s second work, written from 1917 to 1925, and was first performed in Monte Carlo in 1925 under the baton of Victor de Sabata.
After being offered the opportunity to write a musical work, Colette wrote the text in eight days. Several composers were wanted to write the music, but she only was happy with the prospect of Ravel.
Tickets, priced from VND 200,000 to 550 000, are available at the Hanoi Opera House, 1 Trang Tien Street, where the opera will take place at 8 p.m. on April 18 and 19.
The tickets can be booked at www.ticketvn.com and ticketvn@fpt.vn.
For free delivery, call 0913489858, 0983067996, 35651806, +66617859.
Source: http://talkvietnam.com/2012/03/art-entertainment-in-brief-273/
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