Guilt, Mortality, and Hope in 'Khát Vọng Cho Con' by Poet Du Tử Lê
“We are like fruits forcefully ripened, a generation of premature adults, a generation of misery.”— Du Tử Lê.
Vietnam's Central Highlands Imagined in ‘Angin Cloud’ at National Gallery Singapore
Amidst shifting social currents, industrialized landscapes, and a fast-paced world, how does a community preserve its heritage, rewrite histories, and confront colonial legacies? In this long-term collaboration with the Jrai community, ‘Angin Cloud’ by Art Labor explores these questions through a multi-floor installation at National Gallery Singapore that poetically intertwines Gia Rai (Jrai) beliefs, traditions, and environmental change.
Music Is My Release: Behind the Anger That Fuels the Fiercely Indie Group COCC
“I don’t make happy songs,” says Phúc, the lead singer and guitarist of Saigonese rock group COCC. He and I are sitting in the middle of the band’s “cave” — a homemade recording studio they began putting together ten years ago. “I dreamed about it for a long time,” Phúc says of the studio. “In 2015, when I finished this house, the vision came true. We invest in it all the time, buy a little bit here, buy a little bit there. We’re still adding and improving the system and the equipment.”
Paul Christiansen in Culture
The Harrowing History of Vietnam's Rubber Plantations
"Oh it’s easy to go to the rubber and hard to return, / Men leave their corpses, women depart as ghosts."
How Thoughtful Design Boosts Educational Outcomes: Australian International School Undergoes Multi-Million-Dollar Renovations
According to a 2018 study by the University of Salford in Manchester, carefully considered classroom environments can impr...
Paul Christiansen in Literature
Korean Culture Has Stolen Vietnam's Hearts. What About Korean Literature?
If you were a book publisher and saw a sudden spike in sales for a book published years ago, how would you explain it?
'I Wander Alone' and 'Your Shirt Button,' Two Poems by Nguyễn Quang Thân
“You told me not to look at you, it’s silly / Yet I want to gnaw you the way I gnaw bread ... the pack of ravenous dogs looked at me with night sea eyes / I wish they could gnaw me piece by piece.”
Đờn Ca Tài Tử Captures the Soul of Southern Vietnam in Every Melody, Every Word
“It’s not something unfamiliar, but it’s been a few years since I last heard it. Stumbling upon this beautiful bucolic scene now has made me fall in love with the Mekong Delta’s đờn ca tài tử melodies again.”
Brian Letwin in Culture
Casinos in Vietnam: Boom or Bust?
As Vietnam continues to hand out investment licenses for massive casino projects, some wonder whether they will help boost tax revenues as the government hopes or become development albatrosses, sitti...
The Saigonese
When it comes to the city’s moniker, the people here prefer ‘Saigon’ to ‘Ho Chi Minh City’ since ‘Saigon’ evokes greater emotion and connection to the city’s history. As an introduction, may I take th...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Insane Timelapse of Saigon Traffic
This insane time lapse video, created by Rob Whitworth, is a culmination of 10,000 RAW images and multiple shoots and perfectly captures the energy and spirit of our fair city. The film won Best Expe...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Video: A Little Vietnamese Hip Hop For Your Thursday Morning
Check out this dope cut, Resurrection Cypher Pt.1, from DC, YunoSk, V-Soul, BlackMurder and Pain. The flow is definitely there but our Vietnamese isn't quite good enough to catch the lyrics. If anyon...
Event: Pow Annual Graffiti Competion this Sunday
Sunday, 4th August 2013 8:00 - 21:00 Saigon Outcast | 188/1 Nguyễn Văn Hưởng, Thảo Điền, Quận 2 It has been 6 years since party Reborn, the last Graffiti battle at Saigon. Since then, Graf...
Why You Should go to Future Shorts Tonight
Don's miss out on Future Shorts, tonight at Decibel. Our Arts & Culture contributer, Zelda Rudzitsky, caught the first showing last weekend at Snap Cafe. Here's what she though of this month'...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Old Songs and Album Covers from Vietnam's Musical 'Golden Era'
Vietnamese pop music in the 60s and 70s was awesome. Inspired by folk, country and rock & roll, scores of local singers created their own, Vietnamese take on these genres with fantastic results. ...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Silk Painting Exhibition at Phương My
From the organizer: ‘PAEONIA DREAM: LE HOANG BICH PHUONG’ is the inaugural exhibition launching ‘San Art Productions x Phuong My’ in Ho Chi Minh City – connecting the local cultural community through...
Brian Letwin in Culture
Event: Thrift Shop @ Saigon Outcast
Saigon Outcast is preparing for another great event, this time with the theme ‘Thrift Shop.’ So this Saturday from 10am – 10pm, be sure to stop by and update your wardrobe!
Brian Letwin in Culture
Is the Internet Changing Vietnam’s Perception of Sexuality?
Over at Vietmeme, one of our favorite local blogs, Mai Huyen Chi takes a closer look at the recent scandal surrounding the bra-less Facebook sensation, Bà Tưng and how the web is shaping sexual discou...
Brian Letwin in Culture
Video: Foreigners Race Mini Bikes Around Saigon Traffic Circle
Ever wonder what it would look like if two foreigners undertook a 250 lap race around a Saigon traffic circle on 49hp mini bikes and full racing regalia? Do you have 14 minutes to spare? That's rheto...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Future Shorts Returns with 2 Screenings
90 Countries, 325 Cities, 6 Continents, 1,700 screenings – Future Shorts is the world’s largest short film festival. This season’s short films explore the grief; the joy, and the memory of living and ...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Beautiful Japanese Rice Paddy Art
The slideshow below features examples of tanbo, a ingenious Japanese style of rice paddy art, popularized by the village of Inakadate. The tradition began in 1993 when the villagers were looking for ...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Interview with HCMC MEGA City Organizer - Part 1
Dr. Michael Waibel, along with Hilbert Henning, have launched the TP. Ho Chi Minh - MEGA City project to visually document Saigon’s rapid urban development. The project is currently being assembl...
Brian Letwin in Culture
Beware: The Face-Kini May Come to Vietnam
While the Western World spends huge sums of money on tanning, in the East, things are reversed. Seemingly every cosmetic cream promises to whiten ones skin while many hibernate during the day to avoid...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Famous Japanese Rockers to Play Saigon
Looking to an alternative to the typical Saigon music scene? On Sunday, July 28th, the Onion Cellar will host a night of Japanese-dominated indie, progressive rock and electronic music ranging from si...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Video: What Traditional Vietnamese Music Would Sound Like in English
For many foreigners, Vietnamese is a tough language to master due to its many tones. As hard as it may be for them in daily conversation, understanding music lyrics is a herculean task. So what would...
Dutch Lady Versus Vinamilk - A Foreigner and a Local Battle it Out (But Not Really)
Humor doesn't require much knowledge of each other’s language, especially in Vietnam. On a recent sweltering day, I went to a minimart to buy a Coca-Cola just as the store was being supplied. They di...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Dekotora: Japan's Truckin' Subculture
The Japanese really know how to take shit to the next level. Next level brothel? Check! Next level hamburger? Check! Blinged-out transformer trucks? Double check! The pictures in the gallery below sho...
Latin Music With Soul
With many options available, it seems that a large number of Vietnamese youth are getting more and more into Latin music - Salsa, Merengue, Cumbia and Reggaeton. From Salsa clubs like La Salsa and Xsa...
