I recently had a couple of weeks in Vietnam. Amazing time but also intrigued in finding out more about local music - both interesting pop and more traditional strands given that i heard plenty of interesting fragments. I spent some time in a Saigon music store listening trying to track down said fragments but all i found was best described as bland schmaltz. Recommendations gratefully received
Vietnamese Music Recommendations
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in traditional music, i would seriously recommend these to all music lovers, and not just people who are interested in vietnamese music specifically:
and both of those and a 3rd volume are in this box set:
beautiful melodies, sonorous tones, lush arrangements... at times entirely breath-taking.
and there are loads of Vietnamese 60s and 70s psychedelic rock, but i can't think of any albums right now except the series from the neighboring country - Cambodia Rocks:
what I'm not familiar with is current music... i imagine there must be amazing sounds being produced alongside the uniquitous bland schmaltzy stuff.
I think Sublime Frequencies has some interesting thing or other out covering some Vietnamese pop...
and both of those and a 3rd volume are in this box set:
beautiful melodies, sonorous tones, lush arrangements... at times entirely breath-taking.
and there are loads of Vietnamese 60s and 70s psychedelic rock, but i can't think of any albums right now except the series from the neighboring country - Cambodia Rocks:
what I'm not familiar with is current music... i imagine there must be amazing sounds being produced alongside the uniquitous bland schmaltzy stuff.
I think Sublime Frequencies has some interesting thing or other out covering some Vietnamese pop...
For traditional music I strongly recommend the 5-disc Caprice series 'Music from Vietnam' - particuarly the fifth disc 'Minorities from the Central Highland and Coast'. This is some of my favourite music from anywhere in the world. The eery sounds of these tribal peoples cannot be beaten!
Also check out 'Ho! Roady Music from Vietnam 2000' - a most wicked compilation of post-American War pop songs and melodies shabbilly recorded off street buskers and other such characters in Vietnam's cities. Hilarious!
There is a extraordinary amount of recorded music from around the region (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia etc) - my favourite is probably 'Nouthong Phimvilaphone - Visions of the Orient (Music from Laos)'. Absolutely astounding!
Also check out 'Ho! Roady Music from Vietnam 2000' - a most wicked compilation of post-American War pop songs and melodies shabbilly recorded off street buskers and other such characters in Vietnam's cities. Hilarious!
There is a extraordinary amount of recorded music from around the region (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia etc) - my favourite is probably 'Nouthong Phimvilaphone - Visions of the Orient (Music from Laos)'. Absolutely astounding!
The frantic version of "Rider In The Sky" performed on a wailing, one-stringed cigar-box(?) D.I.Y. guitar (while random traffic noises and energetic atonal keyboards sputter and clank in the background) is a true piece of genious, which Link Wray would've applauded any day... Absolutely fucking brilliant.
