Review: 'New Wave' Documentary Is a Surprisingly Personal Dissection of 1980s Nostalgia
Melodic synth-lines and steady electronic drums. Today, the signature sounds of new wave music feel perhaps a bit old and outdated. During its high point during the 1980s, however, new wave was hailed as music of the future.
On the Cusp of a Modern New Year, Reflections on a Simpler Tết Past
Every year, as the pages from my block calendar peel off, bringing me towards another Vietnamese New Year, my mind once again fills with nostalgia about an old Tết. Tết in my memory begins with my childhood in a small house nestled under a coconut grove on the outskirts of Bạc Liêu in the Mekong Delta. Those were days of hardship, yet my parents worked hard so that Tết could bloom magnificently for all of us.
A Damaged Masterpiece Reveals How Much We Take Our Cultural Heritage for Granted
A once-damaged national treasure remains on view as if nothing had happened, while other works are displayed with little context — what does this tell us about how art museums preserve Vietnam's cultural heritage and shape our art history narratives today?
In 'Đêm Giao Thừa' EP, a Đàn Tranh Artist Offers Novel Twists on Nostalgic Tết Sounds
Indie đàn tranh artist Brian Bùi has just released Đêm Giao Thừa, an EP containing energetic covers of three classic Tết songs and an original track that pays homage to styles from the 1960s and 1970s.
Khôi Phạm in Culture
Unraveling the Mystery Behind the 'Mùi Việt Kiều' of My Childhood
My favorite candy used to be Hershey’s Kisses. Wrapped in colorful, sparkling foil, these little nubs of decadence made me feel special as a child, not just because of their sugary sweetness, but also because, for much of Vietnam’s contemporary history, you could only enjoy them if you have relatives abroad.
When Lịch Bloc Is Gone, What Will Vietnam Use to Keep Discarded Fish Bones?
I have never bought a lịch bloc, or tear-off calendar, for personal use, because every new year, I'm bound to be gifted a brand-new one. In Vietnam, a calendar is often something one purchases as a present for others.
The Year of the Horse Gallops into The Grand Ho Tram
Inspired by the spirit of the horse, The Grand Ho Tram encourages you to have a year of success, confidence, and new horizons. Traditional Tết performances and activities alongside special feasts and opportunities for revelry will usher in a year of remarkable achievements and memorable moments.
Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
The Vibrancy of Vietnam's Mundane Depicted by Illustrator Chan-Nhu Le
“I miss that. When I was young, on the motorbike with my friends, it was like ’hey, you have 15 minutes?’ and we just met up [...], had some street food and did literally nothing; just street watching. It was fun,” Chan-Nhu Le shared with Saigoneer about the inspiration for her illustrations.
Indie Documentary Project on the Music of Vietnam Releases First Trailer
It started as a personal project that has turned into much more.
Kit Humphrey in Culture
At Hanoi's Thousand-Year-Old Flute Kite Festival, Melodies and Prayers Cross the Sky
Passed down by village forefathers since the Dinh Dynasty, Ba Duong Noi Village’s kite festival has become a source of pride for the local community. With three bamboo flutes attached to each kite, it...
John Legend to Perform at Vingroup Ceremony in Hanoi Tomorrow
On January 20, the American singer behind hits such as 'All of Me' and 'Love Me Now' will perform at a Vingroup event at the Hanoi Opera House.
Uyên Đỗ in Music & Arts
A Vietnamese French Artist Reunites With His Own Roots Through Painting
On display at Thảo Điền’s Ngõ Art Gallery last year, the watercolor painting exhibition “Dream” is the conclusion of a decades-long artistic journey that has led a French national to learn more about ...
'In Art We Trust,' a Propaganda Art Exhibition for Gender Equality
Last weekend, Heritage Space and Ơ Kìa Hà Nội held the exhibition “In Art We Trust” — a collection of propaganda art on gender equality — at the Goethe Institute.
Paul Christiansen in In Plain Sight
Finding Fun and Revelation Aboard Saigon's Wayward Waterbus
Cement, clay, clapboard, spackle, rebar, piping, plaster smears, paint drips, pencil scrawlings: to witness the rise of a building, observe its innards, is to marvel at the pretense of an ego, for wha...
Saigoneer Podcast: We Rate 2021; Lunar New Year or Gregorian New Year?
A belated Happy (Gregorian) New Year from the Saigoneer Podcast team!
The Graceful Rhythms of Áo Dài Through the Lens of Chiron Duong
Dương Quang Đạt, better known as Chiron Duong, is a Vietnamese fine art photographer. One day, his foreign friends asked him about áo dài, and he realized that he hadn’t worked much with this national...
A Movie Adaptation of 'Đất Rừng Phương Nam' Will Hit Theaters in Late 2022
The adventures of the intrepid An will return to screens in a movie adaptation by director Nguyễn Quang Dũng.
Indie Meets Classical in a New Rendition of 'Tôi và Em' by Pink Frog
In the company of three violins, a cello, and a double bass, Pink Frog delivers a version of ‘Tôi và Em’ that is even sweeter than the original.
Khôi Phạm in Music & Arts
Year in Review: Saigoneer's 30 Picks for Best Vietnamese Music of 2021
Despite the drab outlook enveloping the entertainment industry for most of 2021, this year saw a boom in new faces across genres and the release of many pandemic albums.
Saigoneer's Favorite Original Photography of 2021
If Vietnam was able to skirt the worst of the pandemic in 2020, that was no longer the case this year, which saw major localities in the country battered by waves of COVID-19 deaths and extended bouts...
On Its 100th Birthday, a Brief History of Hanoi's Theater Scene
Hanoi is home to many kinds of art forms, but to me, theater is the most special — an art that blends charisma, brilliance, and elegance. When I was growing up in Hanoi, my father used to take me to t...
'How I Met Your Father,' Featuring Tien Tran, Hilary Duff, Drops First Official Trailer
Have... you met Sophie?
Saigoneer Podcast: Hannah Hà, Mark Gergis, Jan Hagenkoetter & the Making of 'Magical Nights'
We're hear to deliver a Christmas present from the Saigoneer Podcast!
A Series of Live Sessions That Add a Classical Flair to Pop Favorites
Continuing with their goal to bring to the table a different musical experience, 8 the Theatre returns this month with a new project to combine classical music with a contemporary stage.
Heartfelt, Queer and Wickedly Witty: How Poetry Collection 'Come Clean' Sparks Joy
Joshua Nguyen lists himself as many things on his Instagram bio — a writer, a PhD student, a boba snob. He received his MFA from the University of Mississippi, where he is currently studying for ...
Exhibition 'Hà Nội Là' Showcases How Local Youths Define the Capital
Twenty-nine outstanding artworks from the illustration contest “Hà Nội Là” are on displayed at the French Institute in Hanoi-L’Espace from December 18, 2021 to January 2, 2022.
Saigoneer Podcast: The (Brief) History of 'Day of Phở'; and Weddings or Rooftop Bars?
The last regular episode of the Saigoneer Podcast for 2021 is out now!
Uyên Đỗ in Music & Arts
Have an Interest in Creating? Saigon's Ươm Art Hub Welcomes All.
“There’s nothing much to say of Ươm except for the fact that it’s a collective of zany 20-somethings aspiring to do something that one might sort of categorize as ‘creative.’” — This is how Ươm Art Hu...
