Musician Hoang Van Dai is in the vanguard of experimental music in Viet Nam, a major talent despite not being a popular one. Audiences will have a chance to sample his work in performance tomorrow in Ha Noi, in collaboration with Danish saxophonist Lotte Anker. Dai spoke to Culture Vulture about the concert.
How did you set up this colloboration with Lotte Anker?
I have been following foreign musicians who have performed in Viet Nam over the past three years. I met and spoke to Lotte about collaborating last year.
Lotte arrived in Viet Nam last Thursday. We are now rehearsing for the concert on Friday [tomorrow]. For the first two days, it has been really difficult. She likes my idea, but it has taken time for her to hear it and catch it. She has to play eastern music well, which is quite different from western.
In my project, there's a frame of music which I have created, but I want involved artists and to discover it with me together. Obviously, this does not exclude improvisation.
Will new compositions be peformed in the concert?
All of the songs were performed in my previous conerts Solar Eclipse I (2001), Solar Eclipse II (2004) and Dai Lam Linh (2010). I'm sure many people wonder why I say I do experimental music when the songs are so old. But this Friday's concert will be surprising because of the movement in the music. Movement is my criterion. Movement will help me to refine and add more new factors to the music.
The audiences who attended my previous concerts will be able to see the distinction. The songs are old, but it doesn't mean I am not working. I make the distinction. I'm moving in my music, in both the old and new works.
How would you describe the genre of your music?
My music is developed from Vietnamese traditional music like cheo (traditional opera), ca tru (ceremonial singing) and tuong (classical drama). But people can't see the traditional materials in my work. Even musicians don't dare talk to me about it.
Tell us more about what will be in the concert?
Two songs, Dua Tre (Bamboo Chopsticks) and Chieu (Afternoon), which I wrote in the 1980s will be performed in the concert, but this is only the second time they are being performed.
The songs will be performed by Linh Dung and Thanh Lam. They sing as they tell stories. Sometimes they perform together and sometimes they are separate. Their performance will not follow any rules about duo singing. I will not control their performances because they have worked with me for a long time and I understand them well. Their spontaneous performance on stage is creativity.
Pop singer Ha Linh will sing together with Dung and Lam. Audiences will enjoy one song which will be performed in three different versions, by Dung and Lam, by Linh, and by Lotte. The performances will include different genres, like pop, semi-classical and contemporary, and will break out of ordinary arrangement and orchestration.
The song Tiec Nuoi (Regret) tells the story of a girl. Dung and Lam's experimental performance will feature the girl's dream. She has a nightmare in a hospital. But, in Linh's following performance, the girl awakens. However, the words sung by Linh cannot express all of the emotion. That diversity will be heard in Lotte's version.
Your band Dai Lam Linh recently appeared on television but some said it should not have appeared because your performance was too shocking. What do you think?
I don't agree. I think that experimental music needs to be popularised. I don't blame the audiences for their reaction because it is first time they have heard experimental music on television.
The monthly music show Bai Hat Viet (Vietnamese Songs) on the channel VTV3 has included four of my songs. I think they were very successful. But it's fair to have fans and anti-fans. I don't resent the audiences.
I'm doing experimental music. If we don't experiment, we don't have new things or ways of changing.
I don't want to look back too much. If I do, I don't have any feeling. When I read newspapers about my music, I'm affected a little bit, but I have to get over it quickly. Ten years ago, I was more sharp-tongued.
Do you think that any collaboration with foreign artists is experimental?
I think that any musical collaboration between Vietnamese and foreign artists must be based on Vietnamese music. Foreigners need to listen to eastern music. Maybe they like it or they don't – it doesn't matter. But we can discuss it. If we want to introduce our music and have exchanges, we should have completely Vietnamese products with Vietnamese language, characteristics and especially culture. Because our national culture will attract people from other nations. — VNS