 Phuong My Chi in the album “Vu Tru Co Bay” (Photo: sggp.org) |
Phuong My Chi has played traditional music for 10 years. Recently, she released an album entitled “Vu Tru Co Bay” (“The Flying Stork Universe”) and organized a show in Ho Chi Minh city.
The album, a collaboration with veteran reformed theater artist Kim Tu Long and producer team DTAP, features Vietnamese folk tales and literary works about the homeland, the fate of women, the family, and love, told through folktronica, a genre of music that combines folk and electronica.
Chi said it was a great idea to integrate modern music with the folk melodies to help her reach a wider audience. “I think it is essential that young people preserve and promote Vietnamese traditions.”
33-year-old Nguyen Quoc Hoang Anh has drawn praise for his projects combining traditional and contemporary art. In 2019, Hoang Anh and some colleagues set up an art platform called ‘Len Ngan’ as a multilingual cultural, artistic, and creative venue to preserve and promote indigenous knowledge and arts. A performance called “Coi thinh khong”, blending Tuong (classical drama) and contemporary music, delivered a new experience to the audience.
“We combine modern Western music with indigenous music and culture. Electronic music is played in a Tuong style. This combination makes folk music more appealing to the young generation,” Hoang Anh said.
 Emeritus Artist Kim Tu Long (Photo: VOV) |
According to Emeritus Artist Kim Tu Long, what young artists have done brings a new perspective to traditional art forms.
“I highly appreciate their effort to combine the folk melodies with contemporary music to promote traditional music to a contemporary audience,” he said.
21-year-old Bui Thi Giang Nam of Ho Chi Minh City, said she is impressed with this musical experimentation. “It’s like a fresh breeze. Listening to this music, I feel a sense of nostalgia, but also recognize the creativity of the new music.”