Rock Viet show spotlights capital's hottest; Documentary based on Vietnamese folk "frog";  Japan acoustic duo to play extraordinary show;  Acoustic Bar set for whole day of music

Rock Viet show spotlights capital's hottest

The hottest rock bands of Ha Noi, including gold and bronze medalists of the recent Tiger Translate rock competition, Oringchains and Nu Voltage, will gather for a liveshow on Saturday at Ha Noi Rock City.

Entitled 777, the show will present what is going on in Ha Noi's world of rock.

The show starts at 8.30pm and last until 1am at 27/52 To Ngoc Van Street, Tay Ho District. Ticket costs VND100,000 at the door and include a free beer/soft drink.

Documentary based on Vietnamese folk "frog"

ProjectBlack's eighth documentary will present Frogman, a revamped version of the old Vietnamese folk tale The Toad who Dared to Challenge Heaven God. The documentary features artist Pham Trung Kien, whose paintings began to be mysteriously invaded by a large frog-like creature. Eventually he realises that this is his alter ego to help him face the problems of modern urban Viet Nam.

The screening will take place at the Ha Noi Cinematheque, 22A Hai Ba Trung Street from 8-9pm, on Saturday.

Japan acoustic duo to play extraordinary show

Aki&Kuniko – a duo of acoustic guitar and koto [a traditional Japanese instrument] will have their debut performance in Ha Noi on July 9-10.

Founded in 2002, the duo's unique and sophisticated sounds were highly praised by Reiko Yukawa, one of the most revered music critics in Japan.

In 2003, the group toured Germany, the Caribbean and Central America to promote their album Ha-Aki&Kuniko with the sponsorship of the Japan Foundation. In 2006, they travelled to New York and Chicago and released their second album Over the Top. In the same year, they were invited to perform on the stage of Open Strings – the world's largest acoustic music festival held in Germany.

The music created by the duo is powerful with the two string instruments playing against each other furiously in one moment, then turn to delicate murmurs in the next.

Their shows in Ha Noi will start at 8pm at the Viet Nam National Academy of Music, 77 Hao Nam Street. Contact the Japan Foundation Centre for Cultural Exchange in Viet Nam, 27 Quang Trung Street, Tel: 04-3944-7419, for free ticket.

Acoustic Bar set for whole day of music

Acoustic Bar will celebrate its 5th anniversary with a day of music that lasts from 11 am till midnight on Saturday.

The event will feature more than 50 singers, rappers and bands like Siu Black, Doan Trang, Ha Anh Tuan, MTV and Microwave.

Entrance tickets costing VND100,000 can be bought at the bar at 6E1 Ngo Thoi Nhiem Street, District 1 in HCM City.

Art show promises audience interaction

The Open Stage, an experimental art project that combines contemporary dance, music, visual arts and audience participation, will present its first show Erasable at the Le Thanh Studio on Saturday and Sunday.

The 60-minute show will have five periods, each of which will get audiences to contribute to the show with their own mental or physical reactions, depending on their impovisation.

The show will begin at 6pm at 25 Phan Phu Tien Street, District 5 in HCM City. Admission is free. For participating the show, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Prizes to honour outstanding drama critics

Prizes would be awarded annually to Vietnamese drama critics who have published outstanding articles about the country's stage, announced Le Quy Hien, provisional president of the newly-created Stage Journalists Club. Those honoured will also be invited to join the Club, which is expected to equip them with up-to-date information about the stage.

Sa Huynh Culture Museum to be upgraded

The Hoi An People's Committee has approved a project to upgrade the Sa Huynh Culture Museum at a cost of VND2.2 billion (US$100,000). Over 1,000 objects on display in the museum illustrate the lives of people of the Sa Huynh culture which dates back 2,000 years. Located on Tran Phu Street, the museum was created out of a research project on Sa Huynh culture conducted in 1993-95 and sponsored by the Toyota Foundation. It first opened in 1994.

US, Viet Nam hold technology conference

A four-day conference, Technology Entrepreneurs Creative Arts Mix, opened yesterday, July 4, in HCM City, with the theme "Technology Transforms Our Lives".

The conference, organised by the US Consulate General in HCM City and the Strategic Alliance Vietnamese Ventures International (SAVVi), features American and local experts speaking about technology's influence on consumers in four industries: movies, media and mobile; health and personal care; biotechnology in agriculture; and technology in education.

"Our countries share a strong entrepreneurial spirit as well as an eagerness to adopt new technologies," said US Consul General Le Thanh An, who spoke on the opening day of the conference.

Viet Kieu pianist to perform at conservatory

Vietnamese-French pianist Gabriel Tran Phuong Nam will present a solo performance on Sunday at the HCM City Conservatory in District 1.

The 20-year-old will perform compositions by Maurice Ravel, Beethoven and Chopin.

All profits from the show will be used to support the Cao Thuong Medical Station in Tay Nguyen (Highlands) province of Kontum.

Source: VNN