Label: Folkways Records – FE 4352 Series: Ethnic Folkways Library Format: Vinyl, LP Country: US Released: 1965 Genre: Folk, World, & Country Style: Folk
One of our all-time favourite Folkways Library collections - Music Of Vietnam selected by the respected Vietnamese songwriter and musicologist Pham Duy.
Published in 1965, this ethnographic collection is mind-bogglingly diverse in both the styles, moods, instruments and function of the songs recorded.Split into two halves, the A-side focuses on ‘Pre-Vietnamese Music’, documenting the arcane traditional songs of the indigenous highland Degar and Cham ethnic minorities, whilst the B-side centres on the more classically inclined old Imperial Court music specifically composed for entertainment of the courtiers.
Naturally the a-side is the wilder of the two, working as a disorientating barrage of polyphonic xylophone song, otherworldly mouth organ pieces, innocent sung folk and these heart-breaking happy/sad love songs sung accapella in the Dodam Dara style.The ‘learned’ music on the B-side focuses heavily on use of zither and a type of Vietnamese chamber music, that to these ears feels somewhat related to traditional Chinese music or even Japanese gagaku.It’s sparser and somewhat more, erm.. serene.Big night in sorta record.(NM/NM - top copy with insert).
Tracklist A: Pre-Vietnamese Music Tribal Music Of The Highland People A1 Xylophone (To Rung) A2 Calebass-Zither (Ting Ning) A3 Concert Of Gongs A4 Calebass-Khene (Knboat) A5 Folk Dance Of Thai People (Dance Xoe) Survey Musical Of Cham People A6 Ritual Music A7 Love Song (Doh Dam Tara) A8 Historical Song (Chay Dalim) A9 Funeral Song (Doh Dam Mutai) B: Traditional Music Ancient Imperial Music A10 Ritual Music Big Orchestra (Dai Nhag) A11 Music Ballet (Ma Vu) A12 Music Of Classical Theatre (Nam Chien) Chamber Music B1-5 Classic Quintet (Ngu Tuyet) B6 Hoa Tau Bai Luu Thuy B7 Solo Flute: Phuong Vu C: Folksongs Ancient Folk Songs B8 Ho Ru Con (Lullaby) B9 Ho Nen (Work Song) B10 Ho Gia Gao (Rice Pudding Song) New Folk Songs By Pham Duy B11 Ho Mai Nhi (Boat-Women Song) B12 Ho Lo (Peasant Song) B13 Ganh Lua (Carrying Paddy Song)
