Sounds of Vietnam
Heavily influenced by Chinese musical tradition, Vietnamese music is extremely diverse. There are many genres, including but not limited to; folk music, ritual music, pop, rock, and heavy metal. Vietnamese music follows modern rends but keeps it’s syncretistic sound as well.
“Once upon a time…” Vietnamese Folk Tales
“The Peasant, The Buffalo, and the Tiger”: This folk tale tells of how certain things in the world came to be. For example, this folk tale explains how the tiger got it’s stripes, why the water buffalo has no teeth, and the first journey of peasants to find the answer to a question about life.
“Chu Cuoi”: This folk tale is about a woodcutter who found a baby tiger in the forest one day. He drops the cub and the cub dies, but the mother tiger brings a branch from a special tree that brings the cub back to life. The man wanted the tree, and decided to climb it. The tree took the man to the moon, and the legend is that during mid-autumn the man and the tree’s outline can be seen on the moon.
“Under the Starfruit Tree”: This is a folk tale that explains how all other folk tales came to be. These folk tales shape the Vietnamese culture, and reflects their values, beliefs, and customs
Online Vietnamese lessons for kids: dinolingo.com
