A Vietnamese Evening

A dolled-up and vibrant troupe of singers and dancers left the Delhi audience in happy spirits with their performance at Azad Bhavan Auditorium on Wednesday evening. The celebration marked the 40th anniversary of Indo-Vietnamese diplomatic relations and also the fifth anniversary of strategic planning between the two countries. The troupe incorporated performances that reflected the cultural heritage of some of the 54 ethnic tribes of Vietnam. The first song of the evening, titled Vietnam, Our Homeland, instantly caught the attention of Vietnamese members in the audience, as some were even humming along. With large hand fans, conical jute hats and pearly white flowing costumes, the dancers displayed swift and graceful movements.

Interestingly, different instruments were used to give out a sense of the origin of different sounds. For instance, a traditional fisherman song used various kinds of flutes, while a more meditative chant song used a variety of percussion beats. On the other hand, the earthy and oriental tones of a valley song had a resonating after-effect. For non-Vietnamese members of the audience, slides were displayed on the stage, explaining the background of each song.

Towards the end of the evening, the troupe performed to some of the more popular songs, the folksy and peppy nature of which got everyone in a jubilant mood.

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