Actors/actresses’ playing music instruments and singing festival

In order to affirm the form of the South actors/actresses’ playing music instruments and singing and aim at proposing acknowledgement of art form of actors/actresses’ playing music instruments and singing to be Vietnamese cultural heritage, simultaneously to honour artist Vo Huu Vinh or also called Nam Vinh, a famous musical instrument playing and Reformed theatre singing artist of Hau Giang province, who has composed a piece of traditional tune music of overture No. 5 that has been handed down to now.

The festival is an occasion for artists who live in all the provinces in the South to meet, exchange experiences of playing music instruments and singing, which contributes to maintaining and developing the specific art form of the South.

- Name: Vietnam rice actors/actresses’ playing music instrument and singing festival in 2009
- Time: from November 27 to November 30, 2009
- The number of participatory teams includes the clubs of actors/actresses’ playing music instrument and singing of 15 provinces and cities such as Dong Nai, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Binh Duong, HCMC, Long An, Tieng Giang, Can Tho, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, Kien Giang and Hau Giang etc. (Each team has 12 members).

All teams have to do their contest performances which are served to people at outdoor stages in the festival area. Teams cast lots for performing 3 nights with 4 teams each night at the Cultural centre of Hau Giang province. It is scheduled for each team to perform their contest a night and do their performance to serve people 2 nights (the organization board will arrange the schedule and inform concretely on the opening day). Through the performance nights, the organization board will select some perfect teams to perform for people in the closing contest night at the Festival stage in Vi Thanh town of Hau Giang province.

The items for participating in the festival contest focus on praising the Party, beloved Ho Chi Minh, traditions of fighting, founding and defending the country, tradition of Vietnamese nation’s good culture and especially praising the country innovation achievement, the development of agricultural economy, every rural area and construction of sound cultural environment.

* The contest program which occurs at the provincial cultural centre includes two parts: music and singing
- Singing consists of singing methodically, ca ra bo, singing a traditional-tune music

• Singing methodically, ca ra bo: Selecting one of 20 pieces of the South music including North, South, Summer, Resentment. It is not compulsory to perform a whole piece.
• Singing a traditional-tune music: In order to preserve and bring into play this special artistic kind, the organization board requests all teams to build the items of this singing in accordance with measure 8 or 16 and sing 6 verses from 1 to 6 (without using measure 32).

Music:

- The orchestra of each team must have as least 3 traditional musical instruments (guitar can be used without using sound breaking set). Orchestras are encouraged to use 4 items of “ two-cord guitar, two-chord fiddle, 16-chord zither, monochord”. It is free to select one of 20 pieces of music and is not compulsory to perform a whole piece.