Khôi Phạm

in Music & Arts

Review: Thịnh Suy, Datmaniac Deliver Earnestness in 'Tự,' an Experiment in Spirituality

Following the musical works of Thịnh Suy means always being on alert for sudden song drops, sometimes without even a cryptic social media status update as a harbinger. Thịnh’s latest creation, ‘Tự,’ came to be in a similar fashion: the vocal version was unveiled in August, while a few days ago, another version with a rap verse by Datmaniac came out.

in Loạt Soạt

Nguyễn Bình Phương's Tale of Magical Realism Revels in Absurdity

“Clip-clop, clip-clop.” So goes the sound of the water buffalo hooves pulling a wagon through the highlands against the magenta sky of an unending sunset. The wagon is guided by a nameless driver, and onboard are three travelers: a veteran referred to as “the Man” and two other younger men.

in Culture

I Grew up Among Ducks in the Mekong Delta. They Always Remind Me of Home.

On a recent ritual walk around my suburb, I was held up by the sight of a middle-aged man with his “fur kid.” I introduced myself and when he heard the word “Vietnam,” his eyes lit up and with a smile as he tumbled out the words: “The Mekong Delta. Ducks.”

in Quãng 8

In Hien's Debut Album, a Self-Discovery Journey Through Vietnam, Hungary and the US

After a decade writing and gathering materials, Hien recently published her debut album, “Trăng Qua.”

in Music & Arts

‘Echoes of Tonkin’ Exhibition Challenges Clichéd Narratives of 20th-Century Vietnamese Art

“Echoes of Tonkin: Vietnamese Modern Art” opens in Hong Kong to challenge reductive narratives and clichés about 20th-century Vietnamese art.

Paul Christiansen

in Music & Arts

Art Project ‘The Lottery of Forgotten Dreams’ Is a Wild Alchemy of Vé Số and Photography

Vé số ticket number 984430 yields a magenta fish contorting atop a ghostly image of an apartment high-rise in Tân Phú in “The Lottery of Forgotten Dreams – Topographies of the Unseen,” an art project by photographer Christian Berg. The experimental project, available to view in full online, employs computer technology to combine photography, numerology, and mythology and playfully reimagine how one visualizes Saigon.

in Film & TV

In MARG1N, a Resolute Return to Print Media That Dissects Southeast Asian Cinema

The joy of reading, for most of my life, had been primarily grounded in the joy of learning, feeling, and thinking through words, independent of medium. That is, until college, when I found myself repeatedly longing for Thursday mornings, when the week’s freshly printed student newspaper would arrive neatly folded and stacked, ready to be spread over the dining-hall table like wrapping paper. I came to realize then that the joy of reading was not simply about words; it was also about the tactile touch of paper and of the inexplicable satisfaction of flipping through pages bigger than my hands could reasonably manage.

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in Music & Arts

Tastes Like Chicken Brings the Funk to Cargo

From the organizer: Tastes Like Chicken are the funkiest band in Saigon. This 8 piece line up of bad ass funksters will definitely get you dancing. Their Chicken stinks of funk and is served with l...

in Culture

Fashion Meets Communication Event @ Plan B

From the organizer: This time, we are going to bring a fresh air to our regular event with a Fashion Show. This is to support young and talented fashion designers - a brand new inspiration for Commun...

in Culture

Video: Motorbike Meditation? Vietnam Man Shows off his Impressively Dangerous Skill

We're kind of in awe by this video which shows a Da Nang man speeding down the highway while standing on his motorbike. This is not an endorsement to try it yourself (this position likely takes years ...

in Music & Arts

UK Man Releases Album in Vietnamese

For us many of us non-native Vietnamese speakers, learning the local, tonal language is a tall order. But while most of us are satisfied learning ‘get by’ vocabulary, there are those who take their st...

in Music & Arts

Exhibition Opening: Laurent Judge & Ayano Otani

From the organizer: Laurent Judge, a French artist painter and graffiti artist, has re-formatted his original paintings, and printed them on wood. Laurent will be pleased to present a limited series...

in Culture

Traffic Time Lapse from Kumho Asiana Plaza

It might not have the high production value of previous time lapse videos we've posted but this video, captured from the top of Kumho Asiana Plaza, still provides a nifty view of one of the city's bus...

in Music & Arts

Preview: Future Shorts Vietnam Returns

What are the connections that we consciously and unconsciously create among each other? How do the things we leave behind come back, without us knowing it, in our world? These are just few of the them...

in Music & Arts

Priceless Vietnamese Parody of 'Fox Say' ('Bài Ca Phở')

Hit track, 'The Fox' from Norwegian comedy duo Ylvis has become a viral sensation the world over. As the ripples of its influence ping off different cultural walls, we end up with hilarious parodies l...

in Culture

Video: Lightsaber Duel Brings Advanced Technology to Saigon's Streets

This classic video from a few years back gloriously reappeared in our lives this past weekend. With only 3,000 views, we thought it was being under-watched so here it is for those who haven't seen it ...

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...