Performance of traditional Vietnamese music and martial arts in France

On the afternoon of November 11, 2012, in Orsay, more than 20km from Paris, France, the Vietnamese Music, Traditional Culture and Education Association Orsay (OCTAVE-Orsay Association) organized the 5th performance of traditional music and traditional martial arts program called "Mother and the Sea".

Traditional music performance by members of the Octave Orsay Society.
Photo: Vietnam+

Hundreds of overseas Vietnamese in France and French friends who love Vietnam attended.

This program is held annually, performed by a group of non-professional Vietnamese artists and French friends who love Vietnam using the zither, monochord, two-stringed fiddle, bamboo flute, sixteen-stringed zither, thirty-six-stringed zither, etc. under the direction of Ms. Nguyet Anh, President of the OCTAVE-Orsay Association, who is considered the soul of the performance.

The performance left a deep impression on the audience, especially the play "Immense Motherly Love" which moved many Vietnamese people in France, as well as a large French and international audience.

“Mother’s Immense Love” is built from very ordinary observations telling the story of a widowed mother who left Vietnam to live in France. Like many other mothers, despite facing many difficulties in life, she sacrificed her whole life for her two daughters, emphasizing immense maternal love. The play also depicts the essence of Vietnamese theatrical art - simple yet profound.

The Vietnamese Music, Traditional Culture and Education Association OCTAVE-Orsay was established in 2007. To date, the Association has about 50 members, of which 30 are French. The OCTAVE-Orsay Association focuses on practicing and staging traditional Vietnamese cultural and artistic programs, helping both sides increase understanding and at the same time develop Vietnamese culture more widely in France.

Ms. Nguyet Anh, President of OCTAVE-Orsay Association, said that the majority of OCTAVE-Orsay members are people who have been away from their homeland since childhood, always wanting to speak Vietnamese and spread Vietnamese culture to their children to help them maintain the Vietnamese language and have a deeper understanding of Vietnamese culture.

In addition to the love for art and national pride, the greatest motivation for the members of the Association is the purpose of doing charity for poor children, providing partial scholarships for students and poor children in especially difficult circumstances. Every year, the Association has awarded scholarships to students and poor children who have overcome difficulties at Loc Ninh Secondary School, Quang Binh University (Central Vietnam), and at the same time provided additional funding for the Nhat Hong Center for the Blind and the Artists' Nursing Center in Ho Chi Minh City.

All revenues are collected for the Association to be distributed to many poor children, pupils and students in Vietnam. The amount may be modest but the important thing is that the members of the Association have been able to directly contribute a part of their strength to the country and show their hearts towards their homeland.

Also within the framework of the performance, the audience enjoyed performances of traditional Vietnamese martial arts with swords, sticks, clubs, knives, etc. performed by amateur French and Vietnamese martial artists. In addition, the public also enjoyed a photo exhibition about the country and people of Vietnam./.

According to (Vietnam+)- LH