Prof. Tran Van Khe’s activities after his return to France on Jan. 29^th 2003

Prof. Tran Van Khe:

Feb. 7^th 2003 15:00 (the local time)

        At Khuong Viet Pagoda, (Orsay), in the Southern suburbs of Paris, talked to the world’s concerned buddists on the internet about “Some characteristics of Vietnamese traditional music”.

Feb. 8^th 2003 from 15:00 to 17:00 (the local time)

        At Room 1, Unesco, watched the Cai luong program “Tay Thi Gai Nuoc Viet” ( Tay Thi a girl from Viet country)

Feb. 9^th 2003

        At Tich Ky-Ngan Ha’s residence, joined the warm meeting with Vietnam’s modernized theatre artists that came to France for their “ Tet Celebration” performance.

Feb. 16th 2003 from 15:00 to 17:30 (the local time)

        At Abbaye-aux-Bois, belonging to the Sisters of Mercy of the Order of the Notre Dame 11, rue La Chaise, District 7, Paris), in compliance with the requests from the Former Schoolgirls of Couvent des Oiseaux , Dalat, talked about “The diversity in Vietnamese music tradition”

Feb. 19th 2003

        Met, discussed and took decision with some concerned friends about urgent whats-to-do for “The experimental and training camp for Vietnamese teachers” with the purpose of bringing the Vietnamese traditional music into the musical education programme in primary schools.

Feb. 20^th 2003

At the residence, answered the interview by RFI Station( for Vietnamese audience) concerning “ What assistance did Paris give you in your study and research on  Vietnamese traditional music ,and your programme of teaching and popularizing it, as well as Asian traditional music throughout the world?”. This interview was broadcast at 4.30 p.m.on the next day,   on MW frequency 738, RFI.

        From 20:30 to 22:30 on the same day at "Theatre de la Ville Les Abbesses," one of Paris’s biggest theatres, attended Miss Maria Kiran’s ptrmiere recital on South Indian Bharatanatyam dance. Maria Kiran, an orphan, born in India, received in her house by Sister Theresa, adopted by Milena Salvini and her husband, trained in France first , then in India, is allowed by her Masters to present a programme of Bharatanatyam for the first time as an artist, in France.

Feb. 21st 2003 from 15:30 to 18:30

        Received a visit from Miss Alíenor Anisensel, a French girl, Bachelor of Music Education of the Sorbonne University,actually preparing a thesis for the “Ethnomusicology” Master’s degree,at the Nanterre University. She expects to receive some advices for her  intended study:  “Vietnamese Ca tru”

Feb. 22nd 2003

        At Dr. Minh Thanh’s house in  Suresnes, attended the “Tet celebration” night party where “Poetry and music” were presented by  Ngan Ha on the dan tranh; Kim Chinh, a vocalist, and  Prof. Tran Van Khe who chanted a few poems with an accomanoment on the dan tranh by himself.

Feb. 25^th 2003

        At The House of World Cultures attended a recital of “ Tembang Sunda" by Ida Widawati and Nina Sukwamati from Sunda (Indonesia )

Feb.26^th 2003

        At Prof. Khe’s house, together with Mr. Nguyen Tu Nghia - Chairman of the Association of The Vietnamese people living in , Mr. Dung - Executive Board Member of that Association , Head of the “Letters and Arts” Section, Mr. Tich Ky - Chairman of the Association France-Asia for mutual assistance, and interchanging “Letters and Arts” between the Asian and French people, and Mr Tuoi – video recorder, discussed on the poddibility to invite the Troupe of Traditional Classical Theatre (Hat boi ) from Binh Dinh (Central Viet Nam )  to come to France in next Fall, to present the play “Dong Lo Dich” , an adaptation by the late poet Ung Binh Thuc Gia Thi, of   Pierre Corneille 's Le Cid , a classical French drama play from XVIIth century.

Feb. 28^th 2003

        At Pharmacist Tuong Van’s, attended the host’s New Year Celebration party with some friends and watched the videotape on the“The festival of folk songs, dances and games held in Saigon”.

        At the professor’s residence, was interviewed by Mr Phan Ngoc, a reporter  for The Voice of America, Little Saigon Radio (California, USA) and SBS Radio '(Melbourne, Australia) about Vietnam’s traditional music and performing Arts:

     ·       The general features of Vietnam’s music and theatre.

·       The golden age of Vienamese traditional music

·       The current situation of the Vietnamese traditional music and theatre in Vietnam.

·       How to protect Vietnamese traditional music against the invasion of  foreign pop musics into Vietnam.?

        At Japan’s Cultural House on the same day, with Miss Ngan Ha and Mr. Huynh Van Tuoi, enjoyed the  Nihon Buyo,  Traditional Dance performance by a troupe directed by the National Living Treasue , Nishikawa Senzo, and composed of 12 dancers 12 musicians and 16 lighting-sound technicians, make-up specialists, wardrobe-masters, stage supervisers

March 2^nd 2003 07:00 (17:00 Australian time)     Was interviewed by Mrs. Phuong Hoang, Australian SBS about his intention to live permanently in Vietnam for the rest of his life and to transmit his knowleges in music to the young generations.

March 3^rd 2003 10:30

        At Unesco Headquarters, met Mrs. Janet Tchiliguirian, a Canadian, Head of Non- material  Heritage Section , Cutural Heritage Deparment, Mr. David Stehl, assistant expert working within her group and Mrs. Aikawa Noriko 's assistant who has accompanied Mrs Aikawa in her trip to Hue in August last year.

  He introduced his“ training programme for primary school teachers with the purpose of using traditional music in teaching music education to the pupils of primary classes.”. They all were interested, Mrs. Tchiliguirian promised to raise  extra funds for the recording, and the editing of a film about that experiment programme and which could be tested in Vietnam and may be in other Asian countries.

March 4^th 2003 from 10:30 to 12:30

Had an  interview thro_gh telephone, by Mrs. Phuong Hoang, Australian SBS Radio about Prof. Khe 's way of setting Vietnamese poems set to music. Although he was not a professional composer, he gave  details about the poem: Gian Nhau (Getting angry with each other) by Nguyen Xuan Huy which he recited in a new style in 1946; children’s songs with his dan tranh accompaniment: Chi Chi Chanh Chanh, Nu Na Nu Nong, Danh Gioi (Game with bamboo sticks and a ball), Rong Ran (Game of Dragon and Snake), Con Cong Hay MuaeïThe Peacock often dances), Trang Khoe Trang To Hon Den (The Moon boasts to be more luminous than  The Lamp), etc… , some of Tran Dang Khoa”s poems: O O O, Tieng Ga ( Cock- a doodle do ), Hai Trau (Betel Picking), Khi Me Vang Nha (When Mother Was Out), Vang Oi (O my dog Vang!!), Hoi Duong (Asking the way); a few poems by Late Poetess Mong Trung as Doi Cho (Expecting), Mai Rung (Wild Prunus ), Chi Co Mot Lan Thoi (Only Once), Ngu Di Em (Sleep, My darling !); the poems in a  new way of chanting such as The Lu’s Nho Rung (Nostalgy of the Jungle), Nguyen Van Con’s Nang Nhac (Muse Of Music), Tran Van Khe’s    Tu Thuat      (Autobiography) 

chanted  in the style of Honolulu music, in 1988; and especially Late Poet Hai Phuong’s Chieu Tien Dua (An Seeing-Off Evening) chanted in the musical structure of the Hat Noi  ( Ca Tru repertoire) and also of the Hat Sap  ( Hat Cheo) in the Jazz style accompanied by  Nguyen Le, a Jazz guitarist star in France.

March 7^th 2003

        Attended the reception party for Mr. Kutin, Austrian, International Director of SOS Villages for orphan children all over the world (432 villages altogether). In Vietnam, there are 11  SOS villages spreading from  North to  South most of which were formed and managed by Prof. Tran Thanh Van and Prof. Kim Ngoc, his wife. Mr. Kutin, who used to live in Go Vap-Vietnam for 10 years under the former regim, has come back a few times to Viet nam, and is planning with the 2 to build a parentless children village for orphan children in Dong Hoi, Tran Thanh Van’s native province within the next 2 years.

 

 

 

 News written by Pham Thuy Hoan   Translated by Tan Tai