VĂN HỌC NGHỆ THUẬT Liên Mạng

vhnt, số 7

23 July 1995

Tình Ðẹp

Nầy tình hỡi, nắng về trong ngày mới,

Má thêm hồng, tình rạng rỡ rong chơi,

Ngàn cỏ xanh, còn đợi dấu chân mời,

Giọt sương ngày, hôn nhẹ thắm làn môi.

Nầy tình hỡi, gió về trong chiều tới,

Tóc bềnh bồng, tình theo gió lả lơi,

Nghìn cánh hoa, ghẹo gió nhả hương đời,

Mây có về, xin nhớ đừng mưa rơi.

Nầy tình hỡi, trăng về trong đêm tối,

Ánh trăng đầy, tình quyến rũ muôn nơi,

Hương Dạ Lý, thoảng qua tình vời vợi,

Dưới trăng ngà, tình đẹp lắm tình ơi.

Quách Cường

Calif. 07/22/95

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF TRADITIONAL VIETNAMESE MUSIC IN AMERICA

Vietnamese traditional arts have flourished in the United States through 20 years of acculturation, but have remained true to their roots. Although relocated, Vietnamese music thrives at home in America. Sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, the International Association for Research in Vietnamese Music is presenting nationally known instrumentalists and vocalists who perform with local musicians in a series of concerts and lectures across the United States, featuring folk songs, sung poetry, traditional instrumental music, and dance. The first concert in this series took place at Nunemaker Auditorium, Loyola University, New Orleans, Louisiana on Saturday, May 13, 1995 at 3:00 p.m. and was co-sponsored by the Vietnamese Physician, Dentist, and Pharmacist Association of Louisiana. This special event featured Phong Nguyen and Tuyen Tonnu (Ohio), Hoang Oanh, Kim Tuyen, and Le Thanh Tri (California), Kim Oanh (Washington, D.C.), and Miranda Arana (Connecticut). Following it was a workshop conducted by Dr. Phong Nguyen on Vietnamese folk songs and dance.

In Seattle the participating artists gave a concert-lecture at North Seattle Community College's Concert Hall at 3:00 p.m. on May 25, 1995. Faculty members, students and parents were actively involved in a discussion with Dr. Nguyen on the fundamentals of traditional Vietnamese music and other cultural issues such as how to sustain this tradition in the Vietnamese community and how this music has changed in the twenty years of acculturation in the United States. Also included in these Seattle events were Vietnamese concerts at the Northwest Asian-American Theatre and Northwest Folklife Festival. With an unexpectedly large attendance, the Northwest Asian-American Theatre, located in Chinatown, was completely filled and a number of concert goers had to be turned away from this concert on Friday, May 26, 1995, which was co-sponsored by the Seattle Public Library. The Northwest Folklife Festival which annually draws much participation from residents of the state of Washington and the Northwest United States hosted the Phong Nguyen Ensemble and guest artists on Sunday, May 28, 1995 at Intiman Theatre of Seattle Center.

Notes: THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR RESEARCH IN VIETNAMESE MUSIC, a nonprofit organization, was founded in 1990 to promote the fascinating musical and theatrical arts of Vietnam and related areas. You are welcome to join this growing group of scholars, performers, and supporters.

THE PERFUME RIVER ENSEMBLE

The Perfume River Traditional Ensemble is a group of eleven exceptional musicians and singers from Hue, Vietnam. Hue, the former royal capital of Vietnam, is located on the coast in the center of the country and has been a cultural and musical center for centuries. The ensemble takes its name from the river (Song Huong) that runs through the city. Their unique repertoire, which includes court and chamber music as well as folk and ritual songs, is traditionally performed while floating in a sampan down the river. Although many traditional artists perished during the war, a handful survived, tenaciously preserving their ancient traditions. These have been carefully and lovingly transmitted by this older generation to their children, who continue to perform the music in the traditional manner. THE PERFUME RIVER TRADITIONAL ENSEMBLE is led by Mr. Vo Que, noted poet, songwriter, and singer and will be presented by Dr. Phong Nguyen, the foremost expert on Vietnamese music in America. This two-week tour presents for the first time the music of Hue in the United States.

Locations and dates:

• July 29 and 30. Lowell Folk Festival, Lowell, MA.

• August 1. Carmichael Auditorium, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, at 7:00 pm.

• August 3. Educational Center for the Arts (Orange St & Audubon St.), New Haven, CT, at 8:00 pm.

• August 4. Lincoln Center Outdoors, New York City, NY, at 5:30 pm.

The concerts are sponsored by the National Council for the Traditional Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Parker Foundation, and the Smithsonian Associates.