Vietnam to showcase its ethnic music heritage
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The government has unveiled a program to popularize the rich musical heritage of Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups.
Tuoi Tre speaks to Hoang Xuan Binh, a monochord artist and head of the Theatre of Vietnam’s Traditional Music Dance and Song, about a show his troupe will perform under this program at Hanoi’s Au Co Theatre.
Folk music has been introduced and performed by many music troupes. How will your program be different from others’?
We may not be the first comers but it does not mean we have nothing new for our audience. Since Vietnam is a multicultural country, each of its regions has given birth to its own kind of music, typical of its daily life and traditions. Thus, there will be more to our program than just the popular and familiar quan ho, ca tru, or cheo. Besides showcasing Vietnam’s traditional music genres, we are also coming up with plans to develop them.
Folk concerts are usually performed by virtuosos. Will your program feature any of them?
Yes there are, but not as performers. They will contribute to our show as directors, consultants, and instructors along with other folk music researchers. Their participation will mean audiences can enjoy local music performed in an authentic manner.
Do performers have any difficulty when they have to play several kinds of music?
Performers do not know all the genres at first; there were some that some of them were not even interested in performing initially. But with instruction from our experts, they got to know more about it and do it very well.
Most folk concerts are free but you sell tickets. Do you think it can make any profits?
We give away half of them for free; the rest will be sold to fans. We also receive financial support from the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism for the program since it is part of a project to promote our musical heritage to foreign tourists. We plan to hold the show every month or every three months, to introduce the folk music of our country’s 54 ethnic groups.
We will also perform at diplomatic and government events.
