NANTES — A concert titled Chạm (Touch), hosted by the young musician Hoàng Thu Trang, will bring French audiences a glimpse of Vietnamese music and culture. The event will be held in the cultural centre Espace Cosmopolis in the city of Nantes on February 3.

This is one of a series of art activities organised in the framework of AuxCoeurx du Việt Nam (To the Hearts of Việt Nam) to celebrate Việt Nam Month in Nantes. The event is organised by 80 non-professional artists who are Vietnamese students, Vietnamese residents of France and French people living in Nantes, Paris, Lorient and neighbouring provinces and cities.

Aux Coeurs du Việt Nam is organised by Việt Nam Loire Atlantique Friendship Association and the Association of Vietnamese Students in Nantes. The event features more than 20 activities introducing Việt Nam, its history, people and culture. It takes place from January 31 to February 18 in Nantes.

An exhibition featuring the costumes of the 54 different ethnic groups in Việt Nam was held at the opening event on Wednesday.

The concert Chạm (Touch) will bring the audience to Việt Nam – the S-shaped country in the southeast Asia with spectacular landscapes, rich culture and diverse food. Each song in the concert will include French subtitles and be accompanied by fine images, which help to give the audience the opportunity to ‘touch’ and feel the quintessence of Vietnamese culture.

“I combine traditional Vietnamese music with modern melodies, accompanied by images and light in order to bring the best experience to audience. There have been many difficulties as most participants are non-professionals and many in the team do not speak Vietnamese fluently but must perform in Vietnamese. We have been practising for three months to mount an hour on stage. Music will make us overcome all the geographic and language barriers and bring us close together,” Trang said.

Independent: The concert is organised with the participation of nearly 80 non professionals living in France. Hoàng Thu Trang (right, sitting) is the art director of the concert. — Photo courtesy of Association of Vietnamese Students in Nantes city

In this concert, Trang will debut her latest song – Hà Nội Của Em, Hà Nội Của Anh (Your Hà Nội, My Hà Nội).

Mái Đình Làng Biển (Communal House of a Coastal Village) song is a sweet, peaceful melody about Vietnamese heritage and the đình làng (communal house), a place of community and worship that has been preserved for years.

Cheerful, festive melodies depicting the traditional Tết of Vietnamese people with the signature items of peach blossom flower and bánh chưng (square sticky rice cake) will also be featured.

The beautiful and poetic images of the capital of Hà Nội with Hoàn Kiếm lake, the flower season, the street covered with golden leaves and small alleys are illustrated in the two songs Hà Nội 12 Mùa Hoa (Hà Nội, 12 Flower Seasons) and Hà Nội Của Em, Hà Nội Của Anh (Your Hà Nội, My Hà Nội).

The concert also introduces the audience to the unique features of Vietnamese music such as the flute or ca trù (ceremonial singing).

Nearly 80 non-professional artists prepared for the concert. They include Musique Rendez-Vous music band, comprised of Vietnamese students in France, and NEST VIỆT orchestra, whose 40 members are Vietnamese mothers and their children growing up in France.

Vũ Tuyết Chinh in Nantes said, “As a mother of two Vietnamese French children, I find it important to teach them Vietnamese and develop the love for Việt Nam. I have spent three months with the team and my children to prepare for the event. I practise with my children, learn Vietnamese songs and will have the opportunity to perform on such a big stage to introduce Vietnamese music and culture. It is such a memorable and precious experience for me and participants.”

Hoàng Thu Trang, who started composing at the age of 12 and graduated from Hà Nội Conservatory of Music, is currently living in Nantes. She is the founder of the music band Music Rendez-Vous in France. Over the last few years, Trang has organised more than ten concerts with the band across France to introduce and promote Vietnamese music and culture. — VNS