Music of Vietnam

Traditional Vietnamese music and theatre is extremely diverse, consisting of many different styles varying from region to region. Some of the most widely known genres include:

Imperial Court music: When referring specifically to the "Nhã nhạc" form it includes court music from the Tran Dynasty on to the Nguyen dynasty. It is an elaborate form of music which features an extensive array of musicians and dancers, dressed in extravagant costumes. It was an integral part of the rituals of the

Imperial court.

Ca trù: An ancient form of chamber music which originated in the imperial court. It gradually came to be associated with a geisha-type of entertainment where talented female musicians entertained rich and powerful men, often scholars and bureaucrats who most enjoyed the genre. It was condemned in the 20th century by the government, being tied falsely with prostitution, but recently it has seen a revival as appreciation for its cultural significance has grown. Vietnam has completed documents to have Ca tru recognized by UNESCO as a potential Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Nowadays you can listen to some modern or traditional songs in VIETNAM by connecting to websites

Theatre

Vietnamese theatre

Hát tuồng (also known as Hát bội): A theatre form strongly influenced by Chinese opera, it transitioned from being entertainment for the royal court to travelling troupes who performed for commoners and peasants, featuring many well-known stock characters.

Cải lương: A kind of modern folk opera originating in South Vietnam, which utilizes extensive vibrato techniques. It remains very popular in modern Vietnam when compared to other folk styles.

Hát chèo: The most mainstream of theatre/music forms in the past, enjoyed widely by the public rather than the more obscure Ca trù which was favored more by scholars and elites.

Dance

Traditional Vietnamese dance

Vietnam has 54 different ethnics, each with their own traditional dance. Among the ethnic Vietnamese majority, there are several traditional dances performed widely at festivals and other special occasions, such as the lion dance.

In the imperial court there also developed throughout the centuries a series of complex court dances which require great skill. Some of the more widely known are the imperial lantern dance, fan dance, and platter dance, among others.

Water puppetry

Water puppetry is a distinct Vietnamese art which had its origins in the 10th century. In water puppetry, a split-bamboo screen obscures puppets which stand in water and are manipulated

Epic storylines are played out with many different characters, often depicting traditional scenes of Vietnamese life. Water puppetry is virtually performed by professional performers coming from traditional villages , it is taught only to the children of the ancestry.

Despite nearly dying out in the 20th century, it has been saved by efforts of preservation and is now largely seen by tourists to Vietnam . It was performed in America in 2007 and received good comments.Now it can be observed in National museum in Ho Chi Minh city or in some special theater