Music of Vietnam
Encyclopedia
Traditional Vietnamese music is highly diverse and syncretistic
, combining native and foreign influences. Throughout its history, Vietnam
has been heavily impacted by the Chinese musical tradition
, as an integral part, along with Korea
, Mongolia
and Japan
.
The ancient Indochinese
kingdom of Champa
also had an historical effect upon this music, because the Vietnamese court found it intriguing. However, even with these foreign influences, Vietnam has a unique musical tradition stemming from its native roots.
's imperial court and later the music of Champa. Along with nhã nhạc, the imperial court of Vietnam in the 19th century also had many royal dances
which still exist to this day. The theme of most of these dances is to wish the kings longevity and the country wealth.
Classical music is also performed in honour of gods and scholars such as Confucius in temples.
, ca trù
, hò
, and hát xẩm, among other forms.
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Chèo is a form of generally satirical musical theatre
, often encompassing dance
, traditionally performed by peasant
s in northern Vietnam. It is usually performed outdoors by semi-amateur touring groups, stereotypically in a village square or the courtyard of a public building, although it is today increasingly also performed indoors and by professional performers.
which was popular in the Northern region of Vietnam but is considered nowadays an endangered form of traditional music in Vietnam. In the dynastic time, xẩm was generally performed by blind artists who wandered from town to town and earned their living by singing in common place.
and Bắc Giang
Provinces) and across Vietnam; numerous variations exist, especially in the Northern provinces. Sung acappella, quan họ is improvised and is used in courtship rituals.
or hát văn is a spiritual form of music used to invoke spirits during ceremonies. It is highly rhythmic and trance-oriented. Before 1986, the Vietnamese government repressed hát chầu văn and other forms of religious expression. It has since been revived by musicians like Phạm Văn Tỵ
.
which arose in the 1950s after the founding of the Hanoi Conservatory of Music
in 1956. This development involved writing traditional music using Western musical notation
, while Western elements of harmony
and instrument
ation were added. Nhạc dân tộc cải biên is often criticized by purists for its watered-down approach to traditional sounds.
(also hát ả đào) is a popular folk music which is said to have begun with Ả Đào, a female singer who charmed the enemy with her voice. Most singers remain female, and the genre has been revived since the Communist government loosened its repression in
the 1980s, when it was associated with prostitution.
Ca trù, which itself has many forms, is thought to have originated in the imperial palace, eventually moving predominantly into performances at communal houses for scholars and other members of the elite (this is the type of Ca trù most widely known). It can be referred to as a geisha
-type of entertainment where women, trained in music and poetry, entertained rich and powerful men.
, and the plight of Vietnamese refugees gave rise to a collection of musical pieces that have become "classical" anthems for Vietnamese people both in Vietnam and abroad. Notable writers include Pham Duy
and Trinh Cong Son
. Singers include Khanh Ly
and Le Thu.
has become more exposed to and influenced by westernized music along with C
J
K
's fashion style. Musical production has improved and expanded over the years as visiting performers and organizers from other countries have helped to stimulate the Vietnamese entertainment industry. Such performances include international stages like the Asia Music Festival in South Korea where popular Vietnamese singers such as Ho Quynh Huong, My Tam, Ho Ngoc Ha, Lam Truong, and others have performed along with other singers from different Asian countries. During the recent years such as 2006 and beyond, Vietnamese pop music has tremendously improved from years past. With the help of the Internet and sites such as Zing, Vietnamese music has been able to reach to audiences nationally and also overseas. There are many famous underground artists such as Andree Right Hand, Big Daddy, Shadow P (all featured in a popular song called De Anh Duoc Yeu) and countless others who have risen to fame through the Internet. In addition, there are also other singers that have gone mainstream such as M4U, Ho Ngoc Ha, Bao Thy, Wanbi Tuan, Tu Quynh, Radio Band, etc. There are also amateur singers whose songs have been hits in Vietnam such as Thuy Chi. These singers tend to view singing as a hobby, therefore not being labeled as a mainstream artist. Overall, the quality of recording and the style of music videos in Vietnam has improved a lot compared to the past years due to many private productions and also overseas Vietnamese coming back to produce a combination of Western and Vietnamese music.
Syncretism
Syncretism is the combining of different beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term means "combining", but see below for the origin of the word...
, combining native and foreign influences. Throughout its history, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
has been heavily impacted by the Chinese musical tradition
Music of China
Chinese Music has been made since the dawn of Chinese civilization with documents and artifacts providing evidence of a well-developed musical culture as early as the Zhou Dynasty...
, as an integral part, along with Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
The ancient Indochinese
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
kingdom of Champa
Champa
The kingdom of Champa was an Indianized kingdom that controlled what is now southern and central Vietnam from approximately the 7th century through to 1832.The Cham people are remnants...
also had an historical effect upon this music, because the Vietnamese court found it intriguing. However, even with these foreign influences, Vietnam has a unique musical tradition stemming from its native roots.
Imperial court music
Nhã nhạc is the most popular form of imperial court music, specifically referring to the court music played from the Trần Dynasty to the very last Nguyễn Dynasty of Vietnam, being synthesized and most highly developed by the Nguyễn emperors. It is based on earlier Vietnamese imperial court music, its primary influences coming from Ming DynastyMing Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
's imperial court and later the music of Champa. Along with nhã nhạc, the imperial court of Vietnam in the 19th century also had many royal dances
Traditional Vietnamese dance
Traditional Vietnamese dance includes several different forms. These include: dance as performed in Vietnamese theatre and opera, dances performed at festivals, and royal dances of the imperial court...
which still exist to this day. The theme of most of these dances is to wish the kings longevity and the country wealth.
Classical music is also performed in honour of gods and scholars such as Confucius in temples.
Folk music
Vietnamese folk music is extremely diverse and includes dân ca, quan họ, hát chầu vănHat chau van
Hát chầu văn, or hát văn, is a traditional Vietnamese folk art which combines trance singing and dancing. Its music and poetry are combined with a variety of instruments, rhythms, pauses, and tempos. Hat chau van originated in the 16th century and spread quickly. The main musical instrument used in...
, ca trù
Ca tru
Ca trù is an ancient genre of chamber music featuring female vocalists, with origins in northern Vietnam...
, hò
Ho
Ho, HO, or variations, may refer to:* Ho, Denmark, a town* Ho, Ghana, a town* Ho , Japanese kana* Ho language, spoken primarily in India* Ho people, primarily in the Indian state of Jharkhand...
, and hát xẩm, among other forms.
Chèo
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
, often encompassing dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, traditionally performed by peasant
Peasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
s in northern Vietnam. It is usually performed outdoors by semi-amateur touring groups, stereotypically in a village square or the courtyard of a public building, although it is today increasingly also performed indoors and by professional performers.
Xẩm
Xẩm or Hát xẩm (Xẩm singing) is a type of Vietnamese folk musicFolk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
which was popular in the Northern region of Vietnam but is considered nowadays an endangered form of traditional music in Vietnam. In the dynastic time, xẩm was generally performed by blind artists who wandered from town to town and earned their living by singing in common place.
Quan họ
Quan họ (alternate singing) is popular in Hà Bắc (divided into nowadays Bắc NinhBac Ninh
Bắc Ninh is a city in Vietnam and capital of the Bac Ninh province. The city is the cultural, administrative, and commercial center of the province. The city area is 80.82 square km, with a population of 150,331 . In January, 2006, the town of Bac Ninh was upgraded to city...
and Bắc Giang
Bac Giang
Bắc Giang is a city in Vietnam. It is the capital of the Bac Giang province. Its name, deriving from Sino-Vietnamese, means "north of the river." Bac Giang was formerly a sister city with Madison, Wisconsin, United States....
Provinces) and across Vietnam; numerous variations exist, especially in the Northern provinces. Sung acappella, quan họ is improvised and is used in courtship rituals.
Hát chầu văn
Hát chầu vănHat chau van
Hát chầu văn, or hát văn, is a traditional Vietnamese folk art which combines trance singing and dancing. Its music and poetry are combined with a variety of instruments, rhythms, pauses, and tempos. Hat chau van originated in the 16th century and spread quickly. The main musical instrument used in...
or hát văn is a spiritual form of music used to invoke spirits during ceremonies. It is highly rhythmic and trance-oriented. Before 1986, the Vietnamese government repressed hát chầu văn and other forms of religious expression. It has since been revived by musicians like Phạm Văn Tỵ
Pham Van Ty
Pham Van Ty is a Vietnamese musician, known for his virtuosity on the Đàn nguyệt and his knowledge of the art of chau van....
.
Nhạc dân tộc cải biên
Nhạc dân tộc cải biên is a modern form of Vietnamese folk musicFolk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
which arose in the 1950s after the founding of the Hanoi Conservatory of Music
Hanoi Conservatory of Music
Originally established in 1956 as the Vietnam School of Music and conferred university status in 1982, the Conservatory is Vietnam’s premier music training, research and performance institute. It offers eleven-year Secondary Certificate programmes and four-year Bachelor of Music programmes, plus...
in 1956. This development involved writing traditional music using Western musical notation
Musical notation
Music notation or musical notation is any system that represents aurally perceived music, through the use of written symbols.-History:...
, while Western elements of harmony
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
and instrument
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
ation were added. Nhạc dân tộc cải biên is often criticized by purists for its watered-down approach to traditional sounds.
Ca trù
Ca trùCa tru
Ca trù is an ancient genre of chamber music featuring female vocalists, with origins in northern Vietnam...
(also hát ả đào) is a popular folk music which is said to have begun with Ả Đào, a female singer who charmed the enemy with her voice. Most singers remain female, and the genre has been revived since the Communist government loosened its repression in
the 1980s, when it was associated with prostitution.
Ca trù, which itself has many forms, is thought to have originated in the imperial palace, eventually moving predominantly into performances at communal houses for scholars and other members of the elite (this is the type of Ca trù most widely known). It can be referred to as a geisha
Geisha
, Geiko or Geigi are traditional, female Japanese entertainers whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music and dance.-Terms:...
-type of entertainment where women, trained in music and poetry, entertained rich and powerful men.
Hò
"Hò" can be thought of as the southern style of Quan họ. It is improvisational and is typically sung as dialogue between a man and woman. Common themes include love, courtship, the countryside, etc. "Hò" is popular in Cần Thơ - Vietnam.1940s -1980s
The Vietnam War, the consequent Fall of SaigonFall of Saigon
The Fall of Saigon was the capture of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, by the People's Army of Vietnam and the National Liberation Front on April 30, 1975...
, and the plight of Vietnamese refugees gave rise to a collection of musical pieces that have become "classical" anthems for Vietnamese people both in Vietnam and abroad. Notable writers include Pham Duy
Pham Duy
Pham Duy is a prolific Vietnamese songwriter. He, along with Van Cao and Trinh Cong Son, is widely considered one of the three most salient figures of modern Vietnamese music. Pham Duy's musical career spans fifty years...
and Trinh Cong Son
Trinh Cong Son
Trịnh Công Sơn was a Vietnamese composer, musician, painter and songwriter. He, along with Pham Duy and Van Cao, is widely considered one of the three salient figures of modern Vietnamese music. Many of Trinh's songs are long songs...
. Singers include Khanh Ly
Khanh Ly
Khanh Ly is a Vietnamese singer and columnist. At age 11, Khanh Ly and her mother fled communist North Vietnam to South Vietnam in 1956. Khanh Ly rose to fame singing the songs of musician, songwriter and composer Trinh Cong Son...
and Le Thu.
Modern music
In Vietnam, there is no official music chart across the country or digital sale.Pop music
The embrace of Modern Pop music culture has increased, as each new generation of people in VietnamVietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
has become more exposed to and influenced by westernized music along with C
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
J
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
K
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
's fashion style. Musical production has improved and expanded over the years as visiting performers and organizers from other countries have helped to stimulate the Vietnamese entertainment industry. Such performances include international stages like the Asia Music Festival in South Korea where popular Vietnamese singers such as Ho Quynh Huong, My Tam, Ho Ngoc Ha, Lam Truong, and others have performed along with other singers from different Asian countries. During the recent years such as 2006 and beyond, Vietnamese pop music has tremendously improved from years past. With the help of the Internet and sites such as Zing, Vietnamese music has been able to reach to audiences nationally and also overseas. There are many famous underground artists such as Andree Right Hand, Big Daddy, Shadow P (all featured in a popular song called De Anh Duoc Yeu) and countless others who have risen to fame through the Internet. In addition, there are also other singers that have gone mainstream such as M4U, Ho Ngoc Ha, Bao Thy, Wanbi Tuan, Tu Quynh, Radio Band, etc. There are also amateur singers whose songs have been hits in Vietnam such as Thuy Chi. These singers tend to view singing as a hobby, therefore not being labeled as a mainstream artist. Overall, the quality of recording and the style of music videos in Vietnam has improved a lot compared to the past years due to many private productions and also overseas Vietnamese coming back to produce a combination of Western and Vietnamese music.
Traditional musical instruments
- Đàn bầu (monochord zither)
- Đàn gáo (two-stringed fiddle with coconut body)
- Đàn nguyệt (two-stringed fretted moon lute)
- Đàn nhị (two-stringed fiddle with hardwood body)
- Đàn sến (two-string fretted lute)
- Đàn tam (fretless lute with snakeskin-covered body and three strings)
- Đàn tam thập lục (hammered dulcimer)
- Đàn tranh (long zither)
- Đàn tỳ bà (pear-shaped four-stringed fretted lute)
- Kèn bầu (oboe)
- T'rưng (bamboo xylophoneXylophoneThe xylophone is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets...
) - K'niK'niThe K'ni is a Vietnamese Traditional Instrument. It is the only Violin of Jarai people. It is a bowed chordophone which uses the musician's mouth as a resonator which enables the instrument to imitate certain qualities found in vocal music.- Description :...
(also spelled k'ny or k'ný) - one-string vertical fiddle with a resonating disc that is held in the player’s mouth; played by the Jarai people of the Central HighlandsTây NguyênTây Nguyên, translated as Western Highlands and sometimes also called Central Highlands, is one of the regions of Vietnam. It contains the provinces of Đắk Lắk, Đắk Nông, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Lâm Đồng....
See also
- Culture of VietnamCulture of VietnamThe Culture of Vietnam, an agricultural civilization based on the cultivation of wet rice, is one of the oldest in East Asia; the ancient Bronze age Dong Son culture is considered to be one of its most important progenitors...
- History of VietnamHistory of VietnamThe history of Vietnam covers a period of more than 2,700 years. By far Vietnam's most important historical international relationship has been with China. Vietnam's prehistory includes a legend about a kingdom known as Van Lang that included what is now China's Guangxi Autonomous Region and...
- Nhạc tài tử
- Traditional Vietnamese danceTraditional Vietnamese danceTraditional Vietnamese dance includes several different forms. These include: dance as performed in Vietnamese theatre and opera, dances performed at festivals, and royal dances of the imperial court...
- Traditional Vietnamese musical instrumentsTraditional Vietnamese musical instrumentsTraditional Vietnamese musical instruments are the musical instruments used in the traditional and classical musics of Vietnam. They comprise a wide range of string, wind, and percussion instruments, used by both the Viet majority as well as the nation's ethnic minorities.-Plucked:*Đàn bầu -...
- Vietnamese theatreVietnamese theatreTheater of Vietnam comprises many traditional forms of drama which survive and retain their popularity to varying degrees.-Introduction:Vietnamese theater is strongly influenced by Chinese opera and other forms, and includes genres like Hát tuồng, Hát chèo and Cải lương.-Hát chèo:Widely believed to...
External links
- BBC Radio 3 Audio (60 minutes): Tran Quang Hai in Hanoi. Accessed November 25, 2010.
- BBC Radio 3 Audio (60 minutes): Tran Quang Hai in Saigon. Accessed November 25, 2010. Audio clips: Traditional music of Vietnam. Musée d'Ethnographie de Genève. Accessed November 25, 2010.
- Listen to traditional Vietnamese music
- The traditional music of Vietnam
- Traditional music of Vietnam from Vietnam-Culture.com
- International Institute For Vietnamese Performing Art (IIVPA)
- Encyclopedia of Vietnamese music
- Prosperity revives a tradition (Vietnam's live music for the dead) by Ho Binh Minh, Sunday April 18, 04:22 AM
- VietnamTourism.com: Traditional Theatre
- Vietnamese Institute of Musicology
- England based Vietnamese music community site
- Việt Nam Cultural Profile - detailed overview of different music genres plus directory of key contacts
- Young Vietnamese pop culture music Da Nhat Yen
- Music of the Montagnards of Vietnam, part 1 - a panorama of tribal music in Vietnam by Tran Quang Hai
- Music of the Montagnards of Vietnam, part 2 - a panorama of tribal music of Vietnam by Tran Quang Hai
- Music of the Montagnards of Vietnam, part 3 - a panorama of tribal music of Vietnam by Tran Quang Hai