Monday, February 14, 2011

Love duets tune up

BAC NINH – A love duet singing festival kicks off today in the northern province of Bac Ninh.

The two-day festival will gather dozens of amateur and professional love duet (quan ho) singers at communes of Noi Due, Lien Bao and Lim Town.

The singing would be in a-cappella style (without musical instruments) which was the local style of love duets, People's Committee deputy chairman Nguyen Huu Manh said.

The entertainment would take place in six tents scattered throughout the area and on boats, temples and the homes of 10 local love duet artists.

Folk games such as traditional swinging, wrestling, hide and seek and card games also will be organised.

The festival activities and venues had been widely publicised in a leaflet campaign, Manh said.

The art of love duets was inscribed in the UNESCO's representative list of intangible cultural heritage in September, 2009.

The art is also performed in other festivals in the province such as the O Village festival (on the lunar 4th and 5th of the first month) in Xuan O Village; the Nhoi Village Festival (lunar 7th of the first month); the Diem Village Festival (lunar 5th to 7th of the first month) in Yen Phong District; the Dinh Bang Village Festival (lunar 12nd to 16th of the second month) in Tu Son District. – VNS

Related Articles

Vietnam girl wins World Press Photo Award

The 54th World Press Photo Contest's 2nd prize of Contemporary Issue for 2010 will be bestowed on America-based photojournalist Ed Kashi for his photo of a 9-year-old Vietnamese girl struck with Agent Orange.

The photo, announced winner at a press conference last week, captures a slice of life of Nguyen Thi Ly, a third generation suffering from Agent Orange in the central province of Da Nang which was heavily affected by the Vietnam War.

The picture earlier also won the first prize of Germany Unicef’s 2010 Photo of the Year last December.

Vietnam Agent Orange victims touch Briton’s heartr

Ly pictured in this photo that won 2nd prize

Through a project for the non-governmental organization “Children of Vietnam” which supported Agent Orange victims, photographer Ed Kashi had come to live with Ly’s family for 4 days to complete his photo series.

This year’s World Press Photo premium award went to South African photographer Jodi Bieber with her portrait of an 18-year-old Afghanistan woman whose nose and ear were cut off by her husband and his family under a Taliban verdict.

f

The photo of the year 2010

56 other photographers from 23 countries were crowned winners of this year’s contest. Sport, general and spot news, daily life, nature, contemporary issues, portrait, art and entertainments are among the 9 categories of the renowned world’s photography award.

The contest also saw a record number of 108,059 images submitted. The number of participating photographers was 5,847, representing 125 different nationalities.

An award ceremony will be held on May 7 in Amsterdam to honor winning photographers and their work.

t

 "Old Iron Market burns" taken in Haiti earned first prize of General News single for Italian photograper Riccardo Venturi

 g

"The Flying Cholitas" by Italian photographer Tamagni Daniele earned second prize of Art and Entertainment

Related Articles

Lady Gaga wins three Grammys, swears on stage

Rapper Jay-Z and flamboyant pop singer Lady Gaga overshadowed front-runner Eminem at the Grammy Awards on Sunday, winning three awards each by the midway mark.

Lady Gaga had the censors reaching for the mute button after she exclaimed, "Oh, s---!" when she accepted her third award, for best pop vocal album.

Urban pop singer Cee Lo, accompanied by singer/actress Gwyneth Paltrow and a band of Jim Henson puppets, censored himself when he performed "Forget You!," the family-friendly version of his nominated tune "F*** You!"

Bob Dylan, in a rare Grammys appearance, may have had viewers reaching for their mute buttons as the folk-rock icon croaked through a version of "Maggie's Farm" backed by acoustic bands Mumford & Sons and the Avett Brothers.

The star of the show, as far as millions of young girls are concerned, was likely best new artist nominee Justin Bieber. The 16-year-old Canadian performed acoustically, rolled out some African drummers, rapped with Will Smith's son Jaden, and danced with his mentor R&B singer Usher.

Jay-Z's trio of awards included a pair for his duet with Alicia Keys on "Empire State of Mind," a love letter to New York that will compete for record of the year later in the ceremony. The hip-hop star received six nominations in all.

Lady Gaga was honored for her album "The Fame Monster," and received two awards for her song "Bad Romance." She performed her new single "Born This Way" after hatching from an egg that was wheeled on stage.

 gaga 2

Lady Gaga performs her new song "Born This Way" at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California February 13, 2011

lady laga

She had time to change into a bondage-style outfit by the time she received her third award. After her outburst, she got serious by noting, "I had this dream when I was really young that I could be whoever I wanted to be."

Eminem, who leads the field with 10 nominations, received a single early Grammy. He will go head-to-head with Jay-Z for both record of the year and best rap album, and will also vie for song and album of the year.

But his losses to the likes of Jay-Z, Lady Gaga and even jazz icon Herbie Hancock indicated that the awards show would not be an early valentine to the rapper.

As cited by AFP, American jazz bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding won best new artist Grammy.

Miranda Lambert wins first Grammy

Country singer Miranda Lambert won the first Grammy of her career after making her Grammys performance debut with song of the year nominee "The House That Built Me."

British rock band Muse turned up the volume with their song "Uprising," and also won a Grammy for their efforts. The band bested the likes of Pearl Jam and Neil Young to win best rock album for "The Resistance."

However Young earlier won a Grammy for best rock song, the first time the veteran rocker had been recognized for a musical performance.

Other multiple winners included classical producer David Frost with four prizes, while British rock guitarist Jeff Beck and soul singer/songwriter John Legend had three each.

Country trio Lady Antebellum, also up for six awards, won two prizes for their song "Need You Now," which will vie for song and record of the year. Rock band the Black Keys and Usher also scored two awards each.

l

Country trio Lady Antebellum

Canadian band Arcade Fire won the best album Grammy on Sunday for their record "The Suburbs".

According to AFP, the Montreal-based indie group's latest record had been up against "The Fame Monster" by Lady Gaga, "Recovery" by Eminem, "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum and "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry on the best album shortlist.

a

Canadian band Arcade Fire

a

They perform at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards  

gaga 3 

Lady Gaga arrives being carried in an egg shaped vessel at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California February 13, 2011

Related Articles

Sixties rockers take up old Sai Gon Hotel residency

Nuts about their music: One of the most famous rock bands in the country in the late sixties and seventies, Peanut, return to the stage at the Palace Sai Gon Hotel's Calibre Charner restaurant, every night from 8.30- 11.30pm. — VNS Photo

Nuts about their music: One of the most famous rock bands in the country in the late sixties and seventies, Peanut, return to the stage at the Palace Sai Gon Hotel's Calibre Charner restaurant, every night from 8.30- 11.30pm. — VNS Photo

HCM CITY — The Peanut is back. The band of four brothers that began rocking Sai Gon audiences more than four decades years ago has reached an agreement to perform every evening at the Palace Sai Gon Hotel under their first name.

Forty-four years ago, the four brothers created a psychedelic pop/rock band called Peanut. The band featured Bernard Tam (guitar/vocals), Francois Thien (drums), Michel Chi (bass/vocals) and Patrick Trung (keyboard, vocals).

Along with CBC, Crazy Dogs and Hammers, they were among the most famous rock bands nationwide during the 1960s and 1970s.

In 1975, the band changed its name to Sao Sang (Bright Star) and began performing for international hotels and diplomatic representative offices in the country. They continued to perform over the years in local clubs and bars.

The band, with members in their sixties now, will reassume its first name now and remain faithful to the classic pop/rock genre in its performances, said Phan Ngoc Thanh Tam, marketing executive for the Bong Sen Corporation, which manages the hotel.

She said the band will perform popular classics including: Don't Let Me Down (Beatles); I Started a Joke (Bee Gees); We Gotta Get out of This Place (The Animals); I Can't Get o Satisfaction (The Rolling Stones); and Hotel California (Eagles).

Peanut will perform every evening from 8:30-11:30pm at the hotel's Calibre Charner Restaurant. — VNS

Related Articles

Tay Son dynasty antiques on display

Rebel shot: Visitors look at the 17th century bronze cannon found in Thi Nai lake. — VNS Photo Van Dat

Rebel shot: Visitors look at the 17th century bronze cannon found in Thi Nai lake. — VNS Photo Van Dat

HCM CITY — More than 400 rare antique items dating back to the Tay Son dynasty (1778-1802) are on display at an exhibition that in HCM City.

The exhibition at the Viet Nam History Museum features terracotta items like tiles, bricks, vases, plates and cups as well as several official documents including letters and royal decrees signed by Emperor Quang Trung.

The display also has ancient coins and weapons including swords, bayonets and a huge cannon found at Thi Nai Lagoon, considered very rare by collectors. Some spoons and bows found on the riverbed in the Rach Gam-Xoai Mut area in the Mekong Delta also on show.

Organisers said many of the objects are being exhibited for the first time.

Nine museums and historical sites nationwide have lent their antique collections for this exhibition as have six collectors in HCM City and Dong Nai Province.

Although the dynasty's reign was short-lived at 32 years, the Tay Son peasant rebellion that crowned it is a landmark event in Vietnamese history.

Even though the succeeding Nguyen dynasty forbade the use of materials and the intellectual heritage of the Tay Son dynasty, destroying many of its vestiges, the material remains of that period have not disappeared completely.

The exhibition, titled The Eternal Halo, celebrates the 240th anniversary of the Tay Son Uprising (1771- 2011) and 222nd anniversary of Quang Trung's victory over the Chinese Qing invaders in 1789.

The exhibition at Nguyen Binh Khiem Street in District 1 will remain open until October. — VNS

Related Articles

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Romantic Movies 2011

Will you find romance in 2011? Follows are 10 biggest and best romantic movies to be screend in 2011, featuring pure love or romantic-comedy.

1) No Strings Attached

Young people these days are quicker to jump into bed than they are to date. A guy (Kutcher) and girl (Portman) try to keep their relationship strictly physical, but it’s not long before they learn that they want something more. This sort of generic movie premise is a step down for Portman, but business as usual for Kutcher. The director is Ivan Reitman, whose last three movies were My Super Ex-Girlfriend, Evolution and Six Days Seven Nights. Pray the movie does well, as it will help his case for directing Ghostbusters III.

Starring: Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher, Cary Elwes, Kevin Kline, Olivia Thirlby
Director: Ivan Rietman
Release Date: 21 January 2011

ring attached

2) Just Go With It

A plastic surgeon (Sandler (really?)), romancing a much younger schoolteacher (Decker), enlists his loyal assistant (Aniston) to pretend to be his soon to be ex-wife, in order to cover up a careless lie. When more lies backfire, the assistant’s kids become involved, and everyone heads off for a weekend in Hawaii that will change all their lives. This is a remake of a Bollywood film. Nicole Kidman is fourth on the cast list and not even in the trailer – her career is on the skids. Expect the usual Sandler romantic-comedy shenanigans, and if he doesn’t end up with Aniston I’ll eat my hat.

Starring: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Brooklyn Decker, Nicole Kidman
Director: Denis Dugan
Release Date: 11 February 2011

3) The Adjustment Bureau

Sci-fi romance about a smooth-talking congressman (Damon) who seems destined for national political stardom. When he meets a beautiful ballet dancer (Blunt) he discovers there is a force determined to keep them from becoming involved. Fate says they were never supposed to have met and mysterious old men in hats act as cockblockers. The movie’s first time director wrote The Bourne Ultimatum and Ocean’s 12. Damon and Blunt are both sharp actors so they should be able to craft something thoughtful, let’s hope the chemistry is there – this is the second romantic lead of Damon’s career, after the poorly received All The Pretty Horses. Also, this doesn’t have the sexiest title in the world.

Starring: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Terence Stamp, John Slattery, Anthony Ruivivar, Anthony Mackie.
Director: George Nolfi
Release Date: 4 March 2011

4) Red Riding Hood

Romantic-gothic-horror take on the legend of Red Riding Hood. A young woman (Seyfried) is in love with a brooding outsider (Fernandez), but her parents have arranged for her to marry a wealthy suitor (Irons). She’s planning to run away with him when she learns her older sister has been killed by the werewolf that prowls the forest surrounding their village. As the death toll rises with each moon, she begins to suspect that the wolf could be someone close to her. From the director of Twilight, expect this to have a harder edge.

Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, Billy Burke, Shiloh Fernandez, Max Irons
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Release Date: 11 March 2011

5) Jane Eyre

After a bleak childhood, Jane Eyre (Wasikowska, Alice In Wonderland) goes out into the world to become a governess. In her new position at Thornfield Hall, she meets the cold master of the house, Mr. Rochester (Fassbender). Jane and her employer grow close, but could Mr. Rochester’s terrible secret be about to destroy their happiness forever? From the U.S. director of acclaimed South American poverty film Sin Nombre. The trailer tries to make this look like The Others or something, which is misleading.

Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Jamie Bell, Judi Dench, Sally Hawkins
Director: Cary Fukunaga
Release Date: 11 March 2011

6) Beastly

A retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in New York which focuses on a handsome man with an evil streak (Pettyfer), who disrespects a witch in his class (Mary-Kate Olson, naturally) and is transformed into a grotesque monster. Can he be a better person and find true love with a new girl (Hudgens)? It’s based on this book, which has a beast of the hairy variety. The movie make-up is pretty revolting – Not sure I’d want to look at open wounds for 90 minutes.

Starring: Vanessa Hudgens, Alex Pettyfer, Mary Kate Olsen, Neil Patrick Harris
Director: Daniel Barnz
Release Date: 18 March 2011

7) Water For Elephants

A veterinary student (Pattinson) is put in charge of the animals at a circus during the Great Depression. Among them is an un-trainable elephant, who’s the great hope for the third-rate travelling show. Soon he falls for a former circus performer turned horse trainer (Witherspoon), who’s married to the charismatic and twisted animal trainer (Waltz). This is based on the beloved novel and comes from the director of I Am Legend and Constantine. To put the age difference of the romantic leads in perspective, Pattinson was cast as Witherspoon’s son in 2004′s Vanity Fair.

water for elephants

Starring: Robert Pattinson, Christoph Waltz, Reese Witherspoon
Director: Francis Lawrence
Release Date: 15 April 2011

8) L.O.L.: Laughing Out Loud

In a world connected by YouTube, iTunes, Movie-Moron and Facebook, Lola (Miley Cyrus) is navigating the peer pressures of high school romance and friendship. When her mom (Demi Moore) “accidentally” reads her racy journal, she realizes just how wide their communication gap has grown. Cue ‘hilarious’ and ‘heartfelt’ coming of age moments between mom and daughter, as daughter tries to nail Adam Sevani from the Step Up movies. This is a remake of the Belgian teen comedy-romance (the trailer for which didn’t have a single laugh in it). Same director is doing the remake.

Starring: Miley Cyrus, Demi Moore, Adam Sevani, Ashley Greene, Thomas Jane
Director: Lisa Azuelos
Release Date: 22 April 2011

9) Prom

Intersecting stories unfold at one high school as the big dance approaches; For Nova (Teegarden), it’s a battle of wills as she finds herself drawn to the guy who gets in the way of her perfect prom (McDonell). Fellow seniors (Chang and Nixon) harbour secrets, while others face all the insecurity and anticipation that surrounds one of high school’s most seminal events. From the director of American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile and the Amanda Bynes-starrer Sydney White. The cast are all unknowns. Expect harmless teen fluff that’s a long way short of John Hughes, and a nagging feeling that this would have worked better as a documentary.

Starring: Aimee Teegarden, Thomas McDonell, Yin Chang, De’Vaughn Nixon
Director: Joe Nussbaum
Release Date: 29 April 2011

10) This Means War

Romantic-action-comedy about two lifelong best friends (Pine, Hardy) who fall in love with the same woman (Witherspoon) and wage an epic city-wrecking battle against each other to win her. The script has gone through various incarnations over the last 10 years and it’s not clear yet if the men are both still playing spies. The unfairly maligned McG (Charlie’s Angels, Terminator Salvation) is directing. Tom Hardy’s part was originally offered to Seth Rogen, which would have presented much less of a dilemma for a woman. Great cast, fun concept.

Starring: Tom Hardy, Chris Pine, Reese Witherspoon, Til Schweiger
Director: McG
Release Date: TBC June 2011

Related Articles

Yen Tu Buddhist spring festival kicks off

Deputy PM Nguyen Thien Nhan beat the drum, opening the Yen Tu Pagoda Spring Festival in northern Quang Ninh Province Saturday, the tenth day of the first lunar month.

Prominent at the ceremony were Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan and the Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s Executive Council, Most Venerable Thich Thanh Tu.

Buddhist dignitaries, monks, nuns, followers and visitors joined in offering incense to King Tran Nhan Tong, who reigned over the country from 1279 to 1293 and then left the throne to devote his life to Buddhism.

They also joined another ceremony to pray for peace to the country and people.

Yen Tu has so far welcomed over 20,000 visitors since the first day of the lunar year and the festival will last three months during spring. The site received over 2.1 million visitors in 2010.

Yen Tu mountain is located about 50km from Ha Long City. The route of the pilgrimage, which winds from the foot of the mountain to its highest peak, is almost 30km. Dong Pagoda, which sits atop the mountain’s highest peak, is more than a kilometre above sea level.

The area’s beautiful natural landscape and awe-inspiring scenery, along with surrounding ancient pagodas and hermitages, are said to have been the reason that King Tran Nhan Tong passed the throne to his son so that he could devote his life living as a Buddhist monk at Yen Tu mountain. Whilst there, he founded the Truc Lam meditation sect, which has led to Yen Tu being recognised as the country’s leading centre for Buddhism.

Related Articles