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Sound stuff: Artist Dao Anh Khanh carries props for the contemporary music show Bridge of Sound. — File Photo |
HA NOI — It is generally acknowledged that after the initial steps taken a decade or so ago, contemporary music has developed rapidly and exerted a positive influence on the local entertainment industry.
The upcoming Cau Am Thanh (Bridge of Sound) concert, taking place at Dao Anh Khanh's studio, is set to reaffirm this.
Hosted by artist Khanh and leading contemporary artists, the programme is in it's second year of a two-year sponsorship by the Danish Cultural Development and Exchange Fund.
The Cau Am Thanh concert in Ha Noi follows on from the success of the debut event Hoi Tu Anh Sang (Light Convergence) held last year, under the cultural programme, Dong Chay Ngan Nam (1,000-Year Flow), comprising of three big events which are a mixture of various contemporary arts.
Contemporary music will be performed in live acoustic sets. The music will carry both classical and modern influences, and will allow artists to perform free-style, which means the same song might not be performed the same way twice.
The concert will feature appearances from pioneers of contemporary music in the country, namely Tri Minh, Vu Nhat Tan, Hong Giang, Ngoc Dai, Linh Dung and Thanh Lam, together with artists from Europe and the US.
This is the second time C-drik Kidec from Belgium will perform at Khanh's studio. Music brings the artists together and helps him to integrate with other Vietnamese artists.
"We will listen to the music, our common language, and organise the sounds to help audiences feel and see our music," he says.
The local artists themselves are expected to bring in a few unknowns in terms of their performances, because it will be the first time a few artists from other genres will venture into this new art form. These include local pop stars Thanh Lam and Tung Duong and rock stars Le Tien Dat and Nguyen Hong Long.
A 500m bridge made from different shaped bamboo will act as a stage for the artists as the music swirls above the rooftops and trees, hanging in the air.
On stage, 20 singers and 50 dancers including the Big Toe hip-hop troupe and dancers from the Muong ethnic group in the northern province of Hoa Binh will interact with each other based on the music being played.
Bridge of Sound will feature contemporary music and Vietnamese music like ca tru (ceremonial singing) and tuong (classical theatre), played on traditional musical instruments. Artists want to illustrate the progression from old to new.
While each artist will retain their own unique style, the music will also encourage them to listen and share emotions with others, Khanh says.
"I will use the image of a bridge in the performance because I think of the link between contemporary and traditional music and domestic and foreign artists," he adds.
Audiences are in for an audio-visual treat, the director promises, with different presentation styles, stage props, flash video presentations by Phuong Vu Manh and lighting arrangements by Ngo Hoang. The Quoc Trung Company is in charge of providing the instruments for the show.
The opening night tomorrow is invite only while the second show the following evening is free-of-charge to the public.
The third event, Tree of Life, will take place in October, the most important month for activities to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of Ha Noi. This will also be the largest event of the 1,000-Year Flow, Khanh says. — VNS