In 1990, Rock began to become famous in Vietnam; however, in 2000, it had much more popularity among young people. In this article, we will tell you about this musical genre's process in Vietnam, its growth, and its impact on the Vietnamese.
In the early 1960s, many bands in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) were not very popular. The first band was called "The Blue Notes." They played American songs such as "My Girl" by The Temptations or "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Marvin Gaye. American R&B and soul music influenced their style. However, their sound was too loud for most Vietnamese listeners.
Then another group from Saigon came up with a new kind of music: Psychedelic rock. This type of music was also known as psychedelic blues. It was created by combining folk music, jazz, blues, and classical music. These musicians used guitars, drums, bass guitar, saxophone, flute, harmonica, piano, and other instruments. Some of them even sang in English.
Psychedelic rock became very popular in Saigon in the late 1960s. People would gather at night on street corners to listen to music. But then the government started to crack down on these gatherings. So, the Psychedelic rock scene died out.
In the 1970s, a new wave of rock music emerged in Hanoi called "New Wave." New Wave was different from Psychedelic rock because it combined Western Rock with traditional Vietnamese music. For example, the song "Từ người đàn ông về nam" by Bảo hâm was composed by Hoang Van Vinh, who was famous for his work with the traditional Vietnamese instrument, the dan bau.
This new form of music was prevalent in Hanoi. Many artists like Thanh Lam, Huynh Thong Nhat, Tran Quoc Khanh, Truc Linh, Ngoc Lan Anh, etc., made this kind of music.
However, after 1975, when the communist party took power, all kinds of music were banned. Artists could no longer play music or sing about love, politics, religion, etc.
In the 1980s, a few underground bands formed in Hanoi. They continued to create music, although it was illegal. One of the best-known groups was "Sao Mai." Sao Mai means "the sky" in Vietnamese. The members of Sao Mai are: Phuong Thanh, Nguyen Manh Cuong, Duyen Hong Duc, Vu Dong Xuan, Le Cong Dinh, and others.
In 1989, the government decided to encourage the development of rock music. Therefore, a committee was set up to help form new rock bands. The committee comprised representatives from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Education and Training, and the Ministry of Information and Communication, among others.
At the same time, the government encouraged private enterprises to invest in the production of instruments for rock musicians.
* In 1991, the first official rock festival was held at the Olympic Stadium in Hanoi. Over 10,000 people attended the event.
* In 1992, the first rock concert was held at the Phuong Duong stadium in Ho Chi Minh. More than 30,000 people came to see the show.
* In 1993, the first rock festival was held in Da Nang. More than 50,000 people attended the festival.
* In 1994, the first rock festival took place in Can Tho. More than 100,000 people attended the show.
* In 1995, the first rock festival in Phan Rang was held. More than 200,000 people attended the shows.
* In 1996, the first rock festival was held in Quang Nam province. More than 300,000 people attended the events.
* In 1997, the first rock festival organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sport, and Tourism was held in Ha Noi. More than 500,000 people attended the concerts.
* In 1998, the first rock festival in Binh Dinh province was held. More than 1 million people attended the shows. This was the most significant rock festival ever held in Vietnam.
* In 1999, the first rock festival organized by the Ministry of Culture and Sports was held in Hai Phong.
* In 2000, the first rock festival hosted by the Ministry of Culture was held in Ho Chi Minh. More than 3 million people attended the shows, which made it the biggest rock festival in Asia.
Rock music is still alive among lovers of this genre in Vietnam. We hope you can understand a little about the process of transformation that faced this genre of music that has given us so many joys.
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