in Music & Arts

Heritage Encounters Contemporary Art in Exhibition ‘Thẩm / Thấu, Thưởng’

Just before the upcoming Lunar New Year, “Thẩm / Thấu, Thưởng” exhibition takes viewers on a journey to explore the beauty of traditional and folk materials re-imagined in contemporary forms. It enhances the essence of contemporary art through a fresh perspective on how heritage can be reinterpreted within modern creative practices.

in Trích or Triết

Vũ Bằng's Nostalgic Longings for Hanoi Teach Us How to Love a Place Deeply

From Thương Nhớ Mười Hai to Miếng Ngon Hà Nội, Vũ Bằng’s way of lacing Hanoian features with melancholic reminiscence always brings me straight back to the embrace of my hometown, even more so after I moved to Saigon at age 19. Since then, my writing and social media posts about Hanoi have often been accompanied by quotes “stolen” from his books: “My spring — the spring of northern Vietnam, Hanoi's spring — is a season of gentle misty rain, cool tender winds, the sound of swallows calling all jade-dark night, distant chèo drum beats from distant hamlets with maidens lovely as poems singing timeless love songs.” This was how Vũ Bằng’s oeuvre made its way to my heart.

in Quãng 8

The Phenomenal Phonk of Budding Rapper Ci Pi's Fever Dream

Everybody in my university program seems to know Bùi Ngọc Cẩm Phương, though in the music world, she's more popularly known as Ci Pi, a stage name that combines her name’s 2 initials. Be it because of her music or her noticeable Japanese fashion styles, even on campus, Ci Pi’s presence is “vivid” and easy to spot. However, it wasn’t until I knew her personally through a group project that I caught a glimpse of her true self. Despite the edgy appearance with quirky hairstyles and aesthetics, Ci Pi is quiet and calm, and always seems to be immersed in her own world.

Khôi Phạm

in Music & Arts

5 Classic Christmas Songs in Vietnamese for Those Craving Nô-en Wistfulness

Christmas celebration in Vietnam is something else altogether.

in Trích or Triết

Composer Hoàng Việt and a Radical Romance Across the North-South Border

In a country fractured by ideology, Hoàng Việt's love for his wife Ngọc Hạnh persisted like a secret melody carried across closed borders by weak radio signals, and letters that had to circle the globe before finding their way home.

in Music & Arts

The Cultural Depths in Contemporary Hip-Hop Dance ‘129BPM: Động Phách Tách Kén’

Have you ever witnessed a live performance so powerful that it still lives in your mind weeks later? “129BPM: Động Phách Tách Kén” is not your usual hip-hop breakdance battle, but a contemporary dance performance combining live music with Vietnamese folk elements. It is a journey that requires your full presence and attention to appreciate its fleeting and transformative moments.

in Film & TV

New 'Số Đỏ' Movie Announced, Directed by Phan Gia Nhật Linh, Starring MONO

Another classic of Vietnamese literature is heading to the big screen in the near future.

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in Arts & Culture

Based on Kyoto Sea Tour @ The Observatory

From the organisers: BASED ON KYOTO (BOK) is a Japanese dance music unit consisting of DAICHI, a DJ and producer really active in the Japanese rave scene in the 90's, and MARRON,  a pioneer of g...

in Culture

Video: Vietnamese News 'Presenters' Rap the News

In a bid to reach a younger audience, Vietnam Plus, a sister station of the Vietnam News Agency, has employed the services of local rappers to rap the news.

in Music & Arts

In the Spotlight: A O Show

A O show, currently being performed at the Saigon Opera House, might be the first accomplished Vietnamese “cirque” that proves that tradition and modernisation can coexist harmoniously. Or as director...

in Music & Arts

Canvas & Wine: Paint Like Van Gogh

From the organizers: D2 Get back to the 19th century and feel like Vincent Van Gogh! Van Gogh was a pioneer in the art of painting. His use of color, creative portraits and above all, his letters mad...

in Culture

Watch Your Step! Saigon’s Amazing Concrete Tiles.

Expressions like, "walk with your head held high" or "look forward" don’t always work, at least if you are in Saigon - to look to the floor can sometimes reveal hidden gems.

in Culture

A Day at Dam Sen Waterpark

I hit Dam Sen Waterpark on a scorcher, one of those days when the colour of the morning sky is as deep and synthetic as a blueberry Slurpee.

in Culture

Academics’ Qualifications not Worth the Paper They're Written on?

With yet another case of plagiarism amongst high ranking Vietnamese academics hitting the headlines, this time the tables are turned as the accused strikes back at his accusers.

in Music & Arts

Super Blop!! A Culture Cook-Off and Art Party

Programme and description as written by the organisers: * 2-4pm: cooking contest (Cuộc thi nấu ăn) Chef line-up: Xem, Bông, mì ăn liền, X★?, Space Panther, v.i.v.i.d, Green Youth Collective

in Music & Arts

From Saigon, Rap with Spanish Flavour

Half Spanish, half Scottish rapper, Pain comes back with what is now his 5th mixtape (free to download), created and released in Saigon, where he is based now.

in Culture

Vietnamese Man Creates Working Replica of Batman's Batpod

Meet Vu Tang Lam, an obsessive Batman fan. And what do you get when you mix Batman with Vietnam? A replica of the batpod, of course! Lam spent nearly 2 years creating his version of the famous batpod...

in Music & Arts

Art Video International Film Festival (AVIFF)

From the organiser: Calling all Video artists! AVIFF invites you to a presentation and video show case at Saigon Outcast on Wednesday 6th of November. A fun, easy going, networking event for vi...

in Music & Arts

Interview: A Talk with Conceptual Artist Emilie Moutsis Von

Poe, Hawthorne, Washington Irving and Sartre are among the authors that French conceptual artist Emilie Moutsis Von has been working on, using the process of blacking-out parts of the text and combini...

in Culture

Event Rewind: Zombie Walk Saigon

Last night hordes of zombies descended upon downtown as part of the annual Zombie Walk Saigon. Festivities begin at Red Bar where volunteer makeup artists added plenty of blood, open wounds and lacer...

Brian Letwin

in Culture

Hoi An: From Backwater to Tourist Hot Spot

Popular travel magazine, Condé Nast Traveler, just released their rankings for the most popular cities in Asia based on feedback from their readers. The ancient town on Hoi An came in second, just beh...

in Music & Arts

Ha-Ha Brings Beautiful Graffiti to Saigon

For someone like me that was raised in the land of Banksy – London – in which the east part of the city is nothing less than a playground for graffiti artists, where street art is considered something...

in Culture

In Vietnam, Cheating Will Cost You Dearly

In yet another effort to improve Vietnam’s education system, MOET, the government’s education and training ministry, has decided to impose a series of fines on those who engage in rule breaking behavi...

in Culture

Zombie Walk Saigon Returns on Nov. 2

Saigoneer is proud to be a media partner of the upcoming Zombie Walk Saigon. In case you haven’t experienced it yourself, here’s the lowdown – people put on terrifying makeup, dress up and roam the st...

in Culture

Video: Không Muốn Ăn Thịt Chó (Don't Want to Eat Dog)

"Studying another language is hard. Studying Vietnamese is ridiculous." Ăn Đu Đủ, aka Dave just launched his blog, Daily Davey where he plans to chronicle his life in Vietnam. For one of his first po...

in Music & Arts

'Other Knowledges' - 2nd 'Encounter'

‘Other Knowledges’ is the second lecture presented by San Art as part of their ‘Encounter’ programme, which aims at bringing thinkers from diverse backgrounds and disciplines to Saigon.

in Culture

Green Drinks: Can Ethics & Profitable Manufacturing Co-Exist?

From the organizer: Join Green Drinks for a new experience at Bizu Cafe in The House of Saigon with a fresh Speaker this November. Rachael Carson will talk about the nuances of building a social ente...