A compilation of art, literature, pictures, and culture related to the Vietnam War.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Culture: Music in Vietnam
Music in Vietnam
There were some prominent songwriters and composers in Vietnam during the Vietnam war. Some of the artists were so controversial their work was banned from the area and only allowed back in the 2000's when the government was making repairs. As music is is a large part of a culture, listening to the music that was widely listened to in Vietnam during the war is another way to further understand the people we went to war against. Here is a sample of some of the prominent songwriters during the time of the Vietnamese war.
Gia Tài Của Mẹ - Trịnh Công Sơn ca
This song was written by Trinh Cong Son, a Vietnamese composer. It is about the Vietnam war from the perspective of the Vietnamese people.
Nguyên Thảo - Tình Ca (Phạm Duy)
This song (performed by Nguyen Thao) is called Tình Ca and was written by Pham Duy, one of Vietnam's most prolific songwriters. Pham Duy's work incorporated both traditional and modern styles. This song is about patriotism. All of Pham Duy's work was banned from North Vietnam during the Vietnam War due to his political controversy.
It's refreshing to hear music from the Vietnamese people about the war, given that we were only exposed to the anti-war songs from America. A different perspective is always needed about serious situations, such as war, to get their story of how things happened.
Although now we are able to enjoy anti-war music of the Vietnamese people, it is saddening that until recently many talented artists' work was banned by the Vietnamese government.
It's refreshing to hear music from the Vietnamese people about the war, given that we were only exposed to the anti-war songs from America. A different perspective is always needed about serious situations, such as war, to get their story of how things happened.
ReplyDeleteAlthough now we are able to enjoy anti-war music of the Vietnamese people, it is saddening that until recently many talented artists' work was banned by the Vietnamese government.
ReplyDelete