Music of Vietnam

History#

Traditional Vietnamese music has been mainly used for religious activities, in daily life, and in traditional festivals. The music is considerably diverse due to Vietnam’s ethnic population. Moreover, each of Vietnam’s ethnic groups owns many unique types of musical instruments. The influence of Asian musical cultures on Vietnamese music can be seen in particular instruments such as the flutes, zithers, harps, and erhu. However, the recovery of an almost complete stringed instrument from a deer antler dated to 2,000 years old and shows clear similarities with traditional Vietnamese musical instruments indicate that these traditional instruments have ancient origins.

Influences on Vietnam music#

The traditional music of Vietnam has been heavily influenced by Chinese music, mainly in terms of musical instruments and performance styles. The introduction of American music, particularly rock and roll and pop music, has influenced the development of modern Vietnamese music. The Vietnam War had a profound impact on Vietnamese music, inspiring many protest songs and influencing the development of modern Vietnamese music, the introduction of rock came with use of electric guitars to create more aggressive sound on the songs. The main genres that were common in this period were the rock, folk and soul. This war influenced the lyrics and themes during that time, songs were mainly about these themes: peace, love and social justice. Before the Doi Moi Period, Vietnam music was mainly influenced by folk music and social realism. At this period there was the introduction of new genres like hiphop, pop, rock which were mainly influenced by Western culture. The economic reforms of the Doi Moi period in the 1980s led to a relaxation of state control over the arts, allowing for greater diversity and experimentation in Vietnamese music. This period led to increased popularity and acceptance of Western music styles and genres. After the fall of Saigon in 1975, there was strict control over cultural expressions, many musicians were forced to move to other countries, those who remained had to adhere to the government rules. The music themes shifted to reflecting the government propaganda and the styles became more uniform and diverse. A popular Vietnamese musician “Trinh Cong Son” after the fall of Saigon his music was banned and he was out under house arrest because his songs were about anti- war and anti- government songs. The rise of the internet has greatly expanded the availability and diversity of music in Vietnam, allowing for greater cross-cultural influences and the development of new musical styles. This contemporary period made Vietnamese music more diverse and experimental. Buddhism has had a significant influence on Vietnamese music, particularly in terms of its spiritual and meditative aspects. This occurred during the medieval period.

Royal court music#

Royal Vietnamese court music first appeared explicitly in the historical record after a successful seaborne raid against Champa led by emperor Lý Thái Tông in 1044. Cham women were taken as singers, dancers and entertainers for the court. The chronicles recorded that a special palace for Cham women was built in 1046, then in 1060 the emperor ordered a translation of Cham songs, and incorporated Cham drum known as trống cơm into the royal band. During the 13th century, a new trend of music came from China: songs set to Chinese tunes with Vietnamese lyrics. Nhã nhạc is the most popular form of royal court music, specifically referring to the court music played from the Trần dynasty to the last Nguyễn dynasty of Vietnam, being synthesized and developed by the Nguyễn emperors. Influenced from Ming Chinese music, it slowly emerged in the royal court in the 1430s. Along with nhã nhạc, the imperial court of Vietnam in the 19th century also had many royal dances which still exist in present times. The theme of most dances is to wish the emperor or empress longevity and the country prosperity. Classical music is also performed in honour of gods and scholars such as to Confucius in temples and shrines. These categories are defined as Nhã Nhạc (“elegant music” or “ritual and ceremonial” music), Đại nhạc (“great music”), and Tiểu nhạc (“small music”) are classified as chamber music, often for entertainment for the ruler. In Vietnamese traditional dance, court dances were encompassed văn vũ (civil servant dance) and võ vũ (military dance).

Dilettante music#

Dilettante music is a genre of chamber music in the traditional music of southern Vietnam. Its instrumentation resembles that of the ca Huế style. Sometimes, modified versions of European instruments like the guitar, violin, and the steel guitar are also included. Vọng cổ ( “Folk sound”) is one of the more popular tài tử melodies, and was composed in 1919 by songwriter Mr Sáu Lầu, of Bạc Liêu, in southern Vietnam.

Folk music#

Vietnamese folk music is extremely diverse and includes various regional dân ca, quan họ, ca trù, hát tuồng, hát chèo, hát chầu văn, hò, hát xẩm, hát xoan, bài chòi, đờn ca tài tử, ca Huế and trống quân, among other forms.

Chèo#

Chèo is a form of generally satirical musical theatre, often encompassing dance, traditionally performed by peasants in northern Vietnam. It is usually performed outdoors by semi-amateur touring groups, stereotypically in a village square or the courtyard of a public building, although today it is also increasingly performed indoors and by professional performers.

Xẩm#

Xẩm or Hát xẩm (Xẩm singing) is a type of Vietnamese folk music which was popular in the Northern region of Vietnam but is considered nowadays an endangered form of traditional music in Vietnam. In the dynastic time, xẩm was performed by blind artists who wandered from town to town and earned their living by singing in common places.

Quan họ#

Quan họ (alternate singing) is popular in Hà Bắc (divided into nowadays Bắc Ninh and Bắc Giang provinces) and across Vietnam; numerous variations exist, especially in the Northern provinces. Sung a cappella, quan họ is improvised and is used in courtship rituals.

Chầu văn#

Chầu văn or hát văn is a spiritual form of music used to invoke spirits during ceremonies. It is highly rhythmic and trance-oriented. Before 1986, the Vietnamese government repressed hát chầu văn and other forms of religious expression. It has since been revived by musicians like Phạm Văn Tỵ.

Nhạc dân tộc cải biên#

Nhạc dân tộc cải biên is a modern form of Vietnamese folk music which arose in the 1950s after the founding of the Hanoi Conservatory of Music in 1956. This development involved writing traditional music using Western musical notation, while Western elements of harmony and instrumentation were added. Nhạc dân tộc cải biên is often criticized by purists for its watered-down approach to traditional sounds.

Ca trù#

Ca trù (also hát ả đào) is a complex form of musical poetry. Most singers are women, and the genre has been revived since the communist government loosened its repression in the late 1980s, when it was associated with prostitution. Ca trù, which has many forms, is thought to have originated in the imperial palace, eventually moving predominantly into performances at communal houses for scholars and other members of the elite (this is the type of ca trù most widely known). It can be referred to as a Korean gisaeng-type of entertainment where women, trained in music and poetry, entertained rich and powerful men.

Cải lương#

Cải lương originated in Southern Vietnam in the early 20th century and blossomed in the 1930s as a theatre of the middle class during the country’s French colonial period. Cải lương is now promoted as a national theatrical form. Unlike the other folk forms, it continued to prove popular with the masses as late as the 1970s and the 1980s, although it is now in decline. Cải lương can be compared to a sort of play with the added aspect of Vọng cổ. This term literally means “nostalgia for the past”, it is a special type of singing with the background music often being the đàn tranh zither or the đàn ghi-ta (Vietnamized guitar). In a typical cải lương play, the actresses and actors would use a combination of regular spoken dialogue and vọng cổ to express their thoughts and emotions.

Tuồng#

Tuồng also known as hát tuồng or hát bội is a form of Vietnamese theatre. Hát tuồng is often referred to as classical Vietnamese opera influenced by Chinese opera.

Hò#

Hò can be thought of as the southern style of Quan họ. It is improvisational and is typically sung as dialogue between a man and woman. Common themes include love, courtship, the countryside, etc. “Hò” is popular in Cần Thơ - Vietnam.

Ritual music#

*Nhạc lễ - court music

Traditional musical instruments#

• Đàn bầu (monochord zither)
• Đàn gáo (two-stringed fiddle with coconut body, from Chinese yehu)
• Đàn nguyệt (two-stringed fretted moon lute, from Chinese yueqin)
• Đàn nhị (two-stringed fiddle with hardwood body, from Chinese erhu)
• Đàn sến (two-string fretted flower lute, from Chinese Chaozhou qinqin)
• Đàn tam (fretless lute with snakeskin-covered body and three strings from Chinese sanxian)
• Đàn tam thập lục (hammered dulcimer from Chinese yangqin)
• Đàn tranh (long zither from Chinese guzheng)
• Đàn tỳ bà (pear-shaped four-stringed lute from Chinese pipa)
• Kèn bầu (oboe from Chinese suona)
• T’rưng (bamboo xylophone)
• K’ni (also spelled k’ny or k’ný) - one-string vertical fiddle with a resonating disc that is held in the player’s mouth; played by the Jarai people of the Central Highlands

Classical music#

Vietnamese composers also followed Western classical music, such as Cô Sao by Đỗ Nhuận, considered as the first Vietnamese opera. Hoàng Vân signed Thành Đồng Tổ Quốc, in 1960, considered as the first Vietnamese symphonie, and Chị Sứ as the first Vietnamese ballet in 1968, as well as the dozen of Choir with symphonic orchestra among his hundred famous patriotic tunes. Nguyễn Văn Quỳ also wrote 9 sonatas for violin and piano, following his French music studies and Vietnamese traditions. Phạm Duy also wrote classical compositions mixed with Vietnamese folk music.