Hue is the name of an ancient city during the last dynasty of Vietnam. Ca Hue, a vocal music featured on this album is one of the three traditional music developed in this area. The diva Chau Dinh superbly demonstrates the essence of Ca Hue.

Wonderful recording of hat van, the traditional theatre that combines trance singing, music and dancing. The music is punctuated with a range of rhythms and pauses. The main instrument is the moon shaped lute, the dan nguyet, with occasional dan tranh (zither) with a constantly shuffling beat and percussion accompaniment of phach (bamboo or wood) xeng (clappers) and chieng (gong). There is glorious male and female singing throughout the five tracks in what is some of the most evocative music in Vietnam.


Price:   £12.99

The city of Hue in Central Vietnam is the ancient capital and has a long history for dance and ceremonial music. Songs from Hue (Ca Hue) are some Vietnam's most beautiful, refined music. This fantastic CD features female singing in the characteristic local style which is often tense, yet sometimes relaxed with little vibrato. The accompanying instrumentation is equally appealing with none of the gloss of many releases, but in the genuine old style with tranh (zither) ti (lute) nhi (fiddle) nguyet (guitar). A fantastic blend of emotion and harmony.

Superb 2 CD set of hat tho, a traditional form of worship singing and a form of hat van, traditional folk that combines a kind of trance singing with dancing. Hat van originated in the Red River delta in the 16th century. It later spread to the entire country and combines the beauty of folk songs from all regions, north to south. There is real beauty here in the female singing of Hong Van, Tuyet Trinh and others, to mostly, slow, exquisite, dignified music with a range of rhythms and pauses. The instrumental backing is sparse yet creates the atmosphere. The main instruments are the dan nguyet or moon-shaped lute, dan-nhi, (2 stringed fiddle) dan-tranh (zither) and various Vietnamese guitars. These are interspersed with the striking of the phach (a piece of wood or bamboo) marking the rhythm, xeng (clappers), trong chau (drum) and chieng (gong). Nice packaging, 17 tracks.


Price:   £15.99

Narrated story (in Vietnamese) that includes plenty of exquisite traditional music. The music is both instrumental (zither, monochord) and vocal. However, there is narration on most tracks as well as the music.