Art & Entertainment News 6/8 Joining hands for world heritage of Hoi An   The Tourism Association of Quang Nam Province, Hoi An People’s Committee and the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism have launched a contest themed “Traveling with the world heritage of Hoi An 2015”. The competition aims to encourage enterprises and individuals to submit ideas and initiatives connecting visitors with the heritage sites, improving tourists’ experience to Hoi An, providing them the meaning of their trip as well as raising public awareness of preserving and promoting Hoi An heritage. Hoi An is facing with climate change impacts, such as flood and extreme storms. The ancient city has been successful in making all efforts to manage, conserve and promote the heritage values. Goethe exhibit inspired by subsidised economy Nguyen The Son will present his latest installation artworks inspired by his memories of the State subsidised economy at an exhibition that will open on August 13 at the Goethe Institute. "I recall 8sq.m was the standard living space for one person during the subsidised economy. Nowadays, after half a century of struggling, many people still have to toss and turn in that same space, but with 8 people... " In his photo installation entitled 8m², Son addresses the consequences of the industrialisation process in Viet Nam. Labourers move to the cities to work and live in tiny spaces and difficult conditions. The artist documents their living environment and gives those workers a voice by incorporating their personal belongings into his works. The exhibition will run until August 30 at 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street. Tango Nuevo night "Tango or Not" at Manzi For the first time ever, audiences in Ha Noi will have chance to enjoy a marvelous collection of Tango Nuevo compositions by Argentine tango composer Astor Piazzolla. The concert will be led by world renowned conductor Philippe Lesburgueres, who is Piazzolla's friend, together with other talented musicians from the Viet Nam National Opera and Ballet Theatre. Tango Nuevo is a form of music in which new elements are incorporated into traditional Argentine tango. The special performance will start at 8pm, Sunday, August 9 at Manzi Art Space, 14 Phan Huy Ich Street. Tickets cost VND250,000 (including one free drink). Hanoi Social Club debuts weekly music Hanoi Social Club will host a series of live music events every Thursday in August. Entitled The Music Emporium, the night will feature different musicians performing different genres of music such as indie folk, fingerstyle, covers and originals. Performances will start at 8.30pm. Ticket costs VND50,000 at the door. Ha Noi Social Club is at 6 Hoi Vu Street. The Observatory presents French Kiwi Juice Paris-based DJ and music producer FKJ (French Kiwi Juice) will present a music show at The Observatory tomorrow. Armed with a keyboard, bass, guitar, micro and sampler, the 24-year-old will host a night of French house and electro music. His performance will be supported by resident DJ Nick Ford. FKJ, who was trained as a film sound engineer, is a self-taught musician. He released his first extended play titled The Twins on French label Roche Musique in 2012. He has toured across Europe and Asia. The show will begin at 8pm at 5 Nguyen Tat Thanh Street in District 4. Admission is free before midnight and VND150,000 afterwards. Painting contest launched for young local painters A contest entitled “The Republic of Korea in the eyes of Vietnamese young painters” will be launched on October 1 by the Korean Cultural Centre in Hanoi. The contest aims to bring a deeper insight into Korean culture to the Vietnamese public via the work of Vietnamese painters as well as promote cultural exchanges between the two countries. This is the first time the Korean Cultural Centre has organized an art contest for painters under 35. Park Nark Jong, director of the centre, said he hoped the contest would be a good opportunity for young painters to show their love and talent for art as well as their understanding of the RoK. Paintings will be judged by a jury of top painters from the RoK and Vietnam and the result will come out on December 1 and the winner will be awarded a trip to the RoK.- Binh Dinh: fading ethnic music requires practical measures Traditional musical instruments and skills of ethnic groups in central Binh Dinh province are likely to gradually disappear without preservation efforts, particularly those within each community. Binh Dinh’s ethnic population amounts to about 40,000 people, mostly belonging to Ba Na Kriem, Cham Hroi and Hre groups. According to 78-year-old Le Van Ru, a notable Cham Hroi musician in Hiep Hoi village, Van Canh district, his descendants now do not know how to sing or dance any piece of folk music. Willingly taught by village elders, folk singing and gong dancing are not difficult to learn but do require regular practice which the youth cannot afford as their time is often occupied by studying and working, shared Ru. Modern pressures often confuse young people between traditional culture and civilisation. With a fear of being seen as old-fashioned, more and more of them are refusing their native culture. With the youth unable to speak the local vernacular or choosing not to wear loincloths and traditional rites cut short to save time, beauties of the old days will fade away, said Nguyen Hieu, coordinator of a Bana gong club in To Lok village in Vinh Thanh district. Hieu is also among devotees who are striving to preserve long-standing customs passed down from their ancestors. The elderly man set up his club in 2003 and has knocked on doors to mobilise villager engagement. Currently, Hieu and his fifty members gather every month and organise concerts at home and in other provinces. Hoang Ngoc Thanh, Head of An Lao district’s information and communications office, acknowledged cultural education as a key solution to the issue. The more people understand the values, the more they want to learn and maintain them, Thanh noted, saying his agency has long facilitated the establishment of traditional music clubs. Recently, An Lao hosted a biennial cultural festival, gathering nearly 600 ethnic residents. VNS/SGGP/VNA