Hanoi street festival highlights best of east and west

Hanoi Street Art 2009 enraptured crowds in Hanoi on Nov. 3 with its multicultural mix of hip-hopping, b-bopping and traditional Vietnamese arts.

Hanoi’s first street art festival was attended by Danish Queen Margrethe II as part of a cultural exchange program.

For nearly seven hours at Ly Thai To flower garden, the main stage was cordoned off into four sections: one for hip-hop and modern dance, one for experiential art, one for traditional music, and one for circus acts and dramatic performances.

Members of the audience were asked on stage to sing hat xam, a traditional Vietnamese style of singing originally performed by the poor and the blind. Audiences also learned to sing ca tru, which was first performed in sacred ceremonies and rituals in the 11th century.

Andrew Talle, a music teacher and tourist from the US, said he was “impressed” by the performances. He said he knew many kinds of traditional music from around the world but this was the first time he sat down and sang age-old ca tru songs with authentic artists.

Visitors also enjoyed graffiti on the main stage and break-dancing led by artists from Denmark, who also performed jazz dancing, and art troupes that rode unicycles and performed slight-of-hand magic tricks.

Renowned contemporary Vietnamese singer Tung Duong said the show was “magical” and performed for free.

Some 150 Danish and Vietnamese artists partook in the event, organized by parties from both Denmark and Vietnam.

Queen Margrethe II arrived in Hanoi on Nov. 1, marking the first state visit by Denmark’s Royal family to Vietnam. The Queen also met with Communist Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh as well as President Nguyen Minh Triet and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

The Queen missed a rock music show featuring the Danish band Blue Van Nov. 4 as her flight to Thua Thien-Hue Province landed in Da Nang instead due to strong winds from Typhoon Mirinae.

On Nov. 5 she visited the tomb of King Minh Mang and Hue’s Imperial Palace, and met with the authorities of Hue City before departing for Ho Chi Minh City the same day.

Reported by Dinh Huong