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Dusty covers: Kimo Williams and Carol Williams perform in Hue. — VNS Photo Ngoc Duy |
THUA THIEN-HUE — The band Kimotion, featuring US pianist Carol Williams and guitarist Kimo Williams, performed on Saturday on the west stage of Thai Hoa Palace in the central city of Hue's Royal Citadel.
The performance included original songs as well as renditions of songs by Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles. Kimo's guitar solos mixed with Carol's piano melodies, creating different tones of emotion.
Kimo, a veteran of the American War in Viet Nam, has won a number of prizes for compositions inspired by his military service, including Symphony for the Sons of Nam and Buffalo Soldiers.
In 1998, he established the US-Viet Nam Arts Programme to boost artistic co-operation between two countries.
Audience member Lam Phuong said Kimotion's ballad performances left the deepest impression on her, noting Carol's composition Empty Boots as a particular favourite.
The song, said Carol, was about a park in Chicago that has 3,000 empty boots, commemorating US soldiers who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the lyrics, she wonders whether the world needs more "empty boots" or should stop all wars and make parks places of peaceful steps without boots like these.
Asked about a message that Kimo and Carol might want to send to Viet Nam, Carol said, "Viet Nam, we love you, it's that simple. We would like to express our feelings to the people of Hue and all people of the country as well. We hope that you are feeling the love and respect that we are giving as our feelings to you." — VNS