HANOI: A new and exciting cultural event, Hanoi Jazztival, is expected to boost Hanoi's reputation as a global music destination and bring international friends closer to the capital city.
The festival's first edition, themed Hanoi Jazz – Borderless Melody, will be held in several of the capital's cultural spaces from September 17 to 19.
Part of an initiative to help develop Vietnamese culture under the Politburo's Resolution 80-NQ/TW, the event aims to carry out key objectives, tasks, and solutions to build the cultural industry.
It will also concretise Hanoi's commitments as a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, while placing the capital on the map of international music festivals.
Speaking at a press conference last week, Deputy Director of the city's Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Le Thi Anh Mai said Hanoi is known as a thousand-year-old city with a rich cultural tradition, and as a globally integrated metropolis that is rapidly transforming into a creative hub.
The inaugural Hanoi Jazztival is launched at a press conference on August 12.
To realise this vision, Hanoi needs to host world-class cultural events that reflect its unique identity. The inaugural Hanoi Jazztival is one such initiative.
“We hope to make Hanoi Jazztival an annual event and a distinctive cultural brand of Hanoi, which can make a big bang in the region and reach an international level," Mai said.
"It will be a strong demonstration of the city's commitment to carrying out the guidelines of the Party and the State on developing the cultural industry and enhancing the prestige of the UNESCO Creative City.
"Hanoi Jazztival also marks the starting point for a series of international arts events, such as the Thang Long-Hanoi Festival, the World Cultural Festival, the Hanoi Theatre Festival and the Hanoi International Film Festival."
According to the organising board, Hanoi Jazztival activities will include concerts, exhibitions, seminars, workshops, artists' talks and street music at a variety of venues across the city.
At its opening on September 17, the Jazz & Street exhibition will be held at the Thang Long Theatre; an exhibit called Women in Jazz will take place at the Women's Museum; and the opening ceremony, themed Sounds of Hanoi Jazz, will officially kick off the event in the garden of the Hanoi Opera House.
On September 18, participants can attend an international seminar titled Hanoi and Jazz; a workshop on Jazz Language in Traditional Music; a Jazz Jam Session event in the Thang Long Opera Hotel; and concerts including Borderless Jazz at the Hanoi Opera House and Night Jam Jazz at several of the city's jazz clubs.
Saxophonist Quyen Van Minh performs at the press conference.
Jazz events will continue with Street Jazz in the pedestrian area around Hoan Kiem Lake on September 19, along with Jazz and Heritage at the Culture and Arts Centre at 22 Hang Buom Street.
The festival will conclude with a gala night at the Octagon House, featuring a vibrant and authentic jazz atmosphere.
Many renowned local and international artists and bands have confirmed their participation in the event.
Among them are French jazz guitarist Nguyen Le and friends; electro-jazz fusion band Sauteed Grabba and David Carlos Valdez and Friends from the US; South Korea's JSFA Band; and Senri from Japan, along with notable Vietnamese artists Quyen Van Minh, Tran Manh Tuan and Quyen Thien Dac.
Musician Duong Cam, the festival's general director and music director, said the professionally curated event is expected to transcend mere performance.
"We aim to create a contemporary jazz programme that engages in a dialogue with traditional cultural and artistic spaces. It is not just a music series; it is about fostering a vibrant surrounding atmosphere and delivering cultural and spiritual value to the community," Cam said, adding that organisers are expecting an audience of between 1,000 and 4,000 people every day. — VNS/ANN
