Vietnamese ex-pats have also made a significant contribution to the music scene, especially from Westminster, California. Over the years this has metamorphosed into the popular style of playing Westernized music on mainly Vietnamese instruments such as the dan bao, dan tranh and dan sao trio you can hear on this album, or the crossover pop from stars such as Cam Ly and Quang Linh. By the 1930s, the Vietnamese were making their first stabs at a homemade version of western music. Western music was first introduced into Vietnam by the French, with songs such as La Marseillaise becoming popular following World War One. The dan bao can be heard on many tracks on this album in a variety of musical styles, from traditional to modern. Foremost among these is the monochord, dan bao, probably the instrument that most represents the quintessential sound of Vietnamese music. Vietnam also came under the influence of the Hindu kingdom of the Champa and the Khmers, yet some instruments appear to be purely Vietnamese in origin. Instruments such as the dan tranh sixteen stringed zither) is intimately related to the Chinese guzheng, while the Ty Ba lute is very similar to the Chinese pipa. China occupied the country for a thousand years until 938AD and has had a profound influence on the musical tradition. Unlike their near neighbours in Southeast Asia, Cambodia and Thailand, Vietnam shares its closest artistic and musical heritage with the Far East China, Japan, Korea and possibly Mongolia. Vietnamese musicians are able to tap into one of the world’s richest musical cultures. This album features some of the very finest including the wonderful female vocalists Thu Hien and Van Khanh.Įven with the so-called economic miracle and the further opening up to foreign influences, one thing will always remain. Singers are therefore the biggest stars, held in great esteem. Like other Southeast Asians, Vietnamese like a catchy melody and love nothing more than singing karaoke, whether that be in a bar, at home or even on a bus. Instead people buy in the old fashioned way go to their local friendly independent shop, listen to the latest sounds and hand over their hard earned cash. There are no big western chain stores to buy from, while on-line stores have yet to make an impact. Like the organized chaos of thousands of scooters in a perpetual near miss accident, so random rows of CD stores are dotted along the streets. The energy and bustle of today’s Saigon (officially Ho Chi Minh City) is reflected in a thriving music industry. Like anywhere in the world, manufactured idols are popular with the new generation, but even they like to include the strains of the one stringed dan bao into the mix somewhere. Proud of their history, proud of their resilience and proud of their culture and music. This shouldn’t come as a surprise when you consider the Vietnamese have already seen off Chinese, French and American occupiers. Vietnam may have experienced an onslaught of Western culture in the last twenty years or so, but a strong Vietnamese identity and tradition remains firmly intact.
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