(VOVWORLD) - Over the past week, we have received letters, emails, and other feedback from our listeners around the world commenting on our broadcast and online stories.
B: Thank you all for supporting the Voice of Vietnam on our various media platforms. We’d like to confirm that we have received hard copies of entries for our “What do you know about Vietnam?” contest from Sanil Deep of India and Muhammad Ashik Eqbal of Bangladesh. We appreciate your efforts given the impact of COVID-19 on transport and postal services. We are assessing all entries and will announce the contest results soon.
 A performance of Nha Nhac court music |
A: We’d like to welcome Dom Biddulph of the UK to the Voice of Vietnam. In his very first letter to VOV, Mr. Biddulph wrote: “I am an avid listener of Voice of Vietnam and I regularly listen to the English language broadcast for Europe in the evening. I find the news segment very informative and the music segment very enjoyable. I also enjoy hearing details of the scenery and food of Vietnam.”
B: Mr. Biddulph sent us a reception report for our program at 19:00 UTC on September 17 on the frequency of 7280 khz.
A: Thank you very much for joining us. Our programming is also available on the internet at vovworld.vn and on the mobile apps VOV Media and VOV Live. We hope to receive more feedback from you.
B: Commenting on our Letter Box on August 5, Eve Telford wrote: “Thank you so much for the fascinating response, and for mentioning me. I'm thinking of you and wishing you all the best in these uncertain times. My heart goes out to the traditional Vietnamese singers and musicians who must be having a hard time, due to the COVID-19 restrictions. As for myself, I have had only one gig in seven months. The traditional musicians need to reach out to their brothers and sisters around the world in these times. I'll check out the album you recommended. In fact, I'd love to connect with a Xam artist to learn more about their tradition, and share my own songs. Sending blessings.”
B: Thanks for your interest in Vietnamese folk music. If you want to learn more about Xam singing, we recommend that you contact Xam Ha Thanh, a rising Xam troupe in Hanoi, via their Facebook account: Nhom Xam Ha Thanh. Good luck!
 A performance of Nha Nhac court music at Hue festival |
A: Vietnam is proud to have rich and diverse traditional music. Traditional Vietnamese music has been mainly used for religious ceremonies and festivals. Each of Vietnam's ethnic group owns unique types of musical instruments. Some Vietnamese music genres have been recognized as a UNESCO Cultural Heritage, including Nha nhac or Court Music. In 2003, Nha nhac became the first Vietnamese Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity recognized by UNESCO.
B: Nha nhac, where “nha” means “elegant” and “nhac” means “music” , was an official form of royal music and dance performed at the Vietnamese royal court from the Le Dynasty to the Nguyen Dynasty - from the 15th to the middle of the 20th century. Nha nhac was performed at important royal events such as anniversaries, coronations, funerals, festivals, and receptions.
A: A Nha nhac performance was generally monumental in scale, featuring a hundred skilled musicians and dancers.
B: Nha nhac has played an important role in Vietnamese culture, being not only an art form but also a symbol of a powerful, prosperous and wealthy monarchy.
A: Nowadays, tourists can enjoy a Nha nhac performance in the former imperial city of Hue. You can sit on a dragon boat on the Perfume River, listen to the traditional music, and enjoy a view of one of Vietnam’s most beautiful cities.
 Singers of Quan Ho duet singing |
A: Other Vietnamese music genres that have been recognized as a UNESCO Cultural Heritage include the Quan ho (call and response) folk music of Bac Ninh province, Ca Trù (ceremonial singing) and Don Ca Tai Tu southern folk music.
 A performance of Ca Tru singing |
B: Most recently, Ví dặm folk music was honored as an Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2014 and Xoan singing was inscribed in 2017 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
 Vi Giam singing festival |
A: Vietnamese music, theaters, culture, traditional festivals, and cultural and historical relic sites have frequently been honored internationally. The Google homepage features an illustration of a modern South Vietnamese folk opera commemorating Vietnam Stage Day.
B: The picture depicts a cai luong performance with two singers in the spotlight accompanied by musicians playing a flute, a traditional 16-string instrument called dan tranh, a he Vietnamese monochord instrument called dan bau, and other instruments.
A: Vietnam Stage Day is celebrated on the 12th day of the eighth lunar month. Google called cai luong is a blend of traditional and contemporary features that "combines opera with spoken drama to create a vibrant expression of Vietnamese culture and identity."
B: The Google page also features The Drum Sound of Me Linh, a classic cai luong opera that debuted in 1977 and tells the story of the Trung Sisters, who led a fight against Chinese invaders in the first century.
A: Other Vietnamese subjects depicted by Google Doodle include Ca Tru ceremonial singing, banh chung a sticky rice cake popular at Lunar New Year, Khue Van Cac, the Constellation of Literature pavilion at Vietnam’s first university in Hanoi; the traditional long dress called the ao dai; the Hung Kings Temple Festival commemorating the mythical founders of Vietnam; and the UNESCO-recognized heritage site of Hoi An town.
B: Also sharing his interest in Vietnamese culture, Azam Ali Soomro of Pakistan wrote: “I listened to your latest show of Colorful Vietnam-Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups, in which you told us about the Hang Pinh Fullmoon Festival of the Tay and Nung. Through this program, I learned some interesting things about the Tay and Nung people of Lang Son province who celebrate the Hang Pinh Full-moon Festival in a fascinating manner. People from near and far go to the festival to buy baked cakes as gifts for their parents and as full-moon offerings and to join singing sessions to find partners.”
A: Mr. Soomro said: “Thank you so much dear Voice of Vietnam for giving us such interesting story about the culture and traditions of Vietnam in a very nice way. For me, there is no doubt that the Voice of Vietnam is the best way to learn about all aspects of Vietnam. Keep up the good work!”
A: Thank you, Mr. Soomro, for your encouragement. We hope to hear more from you in the near future.
B: Since we began posting stories on our Facebook Fanpage, VOV5 English Service, we have received lots of feedback and comments from listeners. We’d like to thank you all for your support for our broadcast, our website, our apps, and our Facebook Fanpage. Goodbye until next time!