About Vietnamese Music

Vietnamese music includes a mix of traditional, patriotic music, and ensembles used for theater and religious purposes. Traditional music in the early 20th century adopted Western techniques and became very popular. It evolved into poetry and theater, which was brought to the United States and other countries. Older styles of music are still used in water puppetry. Today, Vietnamese music is widely available through new pop music or traditional opera pieces.

Patriotic Songs

Much of Vietnamese traditional and folklore music is in a pentatonic scale, or five-note musical scale. But during the 1930s Vietnamese music adopted the Western seven-note diatonic scale. New music was produced in the early 1940s. First songs were about romance, nature and then more heroic and patriotic songs. Patriotic songs were very important to the morale of the Vietnamese against their French Occupation between 1946 and 1954. When the Viet Minh regime was in power, patriotic music became limited to Communist ideology.

Mua Roi Nuoc

Mua Roi Nuoc, or water puppet, is culturally identifiable with North Vietnam and began in the delta of the Red River in the 10th century. It was a form of entertainment by farmers used puppets in rice paddies and ponds as their stages. Modern water puppet shows are performed in a pool with water as its stage. Puppeteers use bamboo rods and strings hidden in the water. Traditional music plays in the background with singers of Cheo telling the story (Cheo is a form of opera).

Tai Tu Music

Tai tu music began in South Vietnam during the 1920s. This include short songs, long songs and the more known vong co songs. Vong co songs are Vietnamese opera pieces used in cai luong theater. During the 1950s, a new style emerged and the singers and actresses became a class of traditional performers for the cai luong theater.

Cai Luong Theater

In the United States, there are few cai luong performers who cannot easily travel from community to community the way cai luong theaters did in Vietnam. However, through immigration it has survived, and still recruits new songwriters, playwrights and performers. Instruments like the luc huyen cam, or ghi-ta, are modified guitars with raised frets and a scalloped fretboard. Violins are also used in the tai tu ensembles. During the 1980s cai luong performers flocked to the United States through open relations between Vietnam and the United States.

Buddhist Music

Traditional Vietnamese music is also a part of religious ceremonies. Mahayana Buddhism is the predominant religion in Vietnam. Buddhist chants are often heard from Buddhist temples, including the Vietnamese Buddhist temples in the United States. In California, large Buddhist rituals are held, lasting several days. Nhac le is the ceremonial ensemble played at the festivals.