Vietnam's culture and landscape are stunningly beautiful in "Bond Live in Vietnam"

Surprise with "The Lady" Bond

The music night opened with the image of 4 girls wearing Ao Dai and playing violins on stage, with the background being the To Nu Hang Trong paintings. The audience was overwhelmed when after To Nu came the Tu Binh, then the image of 4 towers of typical architectural works in Vietnam, 4 typical rivers, 4 typical scenic spots.

Images of Vietnam are presented in a space filled with the vibrant melodies of the most famous songs that Bond has ever performed around the world, opening with “Ellyssium” and “Duel”. This brings a special feeling of emotion and excitement to the audience.

Director Pham Hoang Nam said that at first, he was quite confused because he did not know which idea to choose to suit Bond's music, when the band was so famous and their music was so familiar in the daily lives of Vietnamese people, at many events, festivals...

“Our biggest idea was the image of four girls wearing Ao Dai appearing with a LED screen depicting the painting of To Nu. The idea was good but it was not easy to convince them, because for violinists, performance costumes always prioritize comfort for the arms,” said director Hoang Nam.

With the To Nu series, the crew not only had to convince, but also tell the band the long story associated with the painting. Fortunately, they understood and supported the idea immediately. “Right before the show, they tried on the ao dai and rehearsed to make sure it was as beautiful as the idea. In the end, they were very happy with the coordination with each image,” said director Pham Hoang Nam.

The ao dai for the opening night of the show was also a matter of much thought and consideration for the crew. Director Pham Hoang Nam said that there are many types of fabric on the market that are suitable for the band’s comfort during performance, and there are even many types of imported stretchy fabrics that are very suitable. However, the crew wanted to choose a fabric that is typical of Vietnam, carrying the depth of Vietnamese culture and Vietnamese images, and nothing is more suitable than silk.

However, silk is a very difficult fabric to handle, especially for those who need to do a lot of activities. Therefore, the designer's solution is to make the shirt loose and comfortable, but just enough to highlight the beauty of the girls, while creating comfort for the band members when performing.

Therefore, the image of four girls in Vietnamese silk ao dai on the background of the painting To Nu created an unforgettable impression right from the start for those who attended the performance at the National Convention Center.

Combining Eastern and Western cultures

What surprised the audience the most, and what the organizers wanted to hide until the end, were the elements that made the stage of the “Bond Live in Vietnam” show seem to be “enchanted”, with an unbelievable blend of Vietnamese cultural elements and Bond music. The unique idea of ​​people dedicated to bringing Vietnamese culture to the world made the audience go from one surprise to another. The stage was a vivid picture of the connection between two cultures, between European music and traditional Vietnamese art.

Director Pham Hoang Nam said that most of the crew's ideas were expressed beyond expectations on stage. If there were not such a time constraint, everything could have been done better.

“The working time between our crew and the Bond band was extremely limited. We ran the show for only 2 hours. The rehearsal only ended 1 hour before the show took place. The achievements on stage were due to their extreme professionalism. They had a small but skilled crew. I have worked with many foreign bands so I am familiar with their way of working.”

The stage of the show is also where director Pham Hoang Nam brings the most unique ideas for Bond's music. On both sides are stylized lights, with the curve of the violin body, resembling the curve of a charming girl. Inside that curve is the image of a female artist playing the violin, pouring her emotions into the music.

Director Pham Hoang Nam said that the crew brought images of four seasons, beautiful Vietnamese landscapes, four seasons of flowers with apricot, orchid, chrysanthemum, bamboo, four girls, then images of Vietnamese architecture, separated the screens and combined the screens.

“We had to think of ways to transform, sometimes it was a river, sometimes it was four galloping horses, sometimes it was bursts of fireworks… We looked for symbols that were suitable for the number 4 in Eastern culture to create a variety of colors for the show,” the director said. That is the reason why the interconnected images appeared one after another like modern tetragraphs leading the audience’s emotions throughout the first performances of Bond.

Evocative images connecting Eastern and Western cultures create a connection and harmony with the music Bond performs. In the performance of the song “Shine”, the ancient architecture of the Cham Towers appears.

“We had to read a lot, listen a lot about Bond and Bond music to find ideas. Listening and understanding the music carefully, the sound engineer of the Bond team said, 'You guys understand Vietnamese music very well.' We don't know how effective it will be yet, but we can see it partly through the feelings and expressions of the audience," said director Pham Hoang Nam.

The show's biggest collaboration was the first time Bond performed in a country while following the cultural story of that country, which was unprecedented for Bond.

Director Pham Hoang Nam

Director Pham Hoang Nam said that he “caught” this idea from the meaning of combining Asian and European culture, promoting Vietnamese culture and tourism through world-class music of the Good Morning Vietnam project organized by Nhan Dan Newspaper and IB Group. From there, he thought of creating a stage that combines Asia and the West, Vietnam and the world.

Director Pham Hoang Nam said that the show's biggest success was that for the first time Bond performed in a country and followed the cultural story of that country, which was unprecedented for Bond.

Meaningful music project

Good Morning Vietnam is a meaningful international music project of Nhan Dan Newspaper and IB Group, not only bringing top international music to Vietnam but also promoting Vietnamese culture and tourism, first of all combining with filming MVs to promote tourism, while at the same time devoting profits to charity activities and social service.

Ms. Thu Huong, an audience member from Dong Da district, Hanoi, shared after the show: “I was very surprised to see the band performing against the backdrop of typical images of Vietnamese culture such as Dong Ho paintings, Hang Trong paintings, as well as famous landscapes, temples, and pagodas of Vietnam. I also really liked the idea of ​​the girls in the band wearing ao dai. The concert was wonderful, satisfying both visually and aurally.”

Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong, a music lecturer at an international school, commented: “The most outstanding performance of the show was "Winter" from Vivaldi's "Four Seasons". This version brought a new breeze, completely different from what I usually see in classical music. Bond's music is not only technically skillful but also full of emotion, making the listener feel like he is lost in a space full of art and creativity".

Violinist Trinh Minh Hien, who also pursues the dream of bringing Vietnamese culture to the world through music, commented: "This is the third time Bond has come to Vietnam. For me, this Bond show is more of a warm reunion than a trip to listen to music or learn. As a professional, I see that Bond still maintains his class, even though he has been famous for a long time. The interesting highlights of the program are the ao dai and the To Nu painting...".

"Thank you Nhan Dan Newspaper and IB Group for having a great idea, which is to organize a music show to honor instrumental artists around the world. There are too many events for music, but events for instrumental artists are too rare, and instrumental artists like Bond are even rarer," artist Trinh Minh Hien expressed.

For professionals like director Pham Hoang Nam, the Good Morning Vietnam program not only brings good meanings to the community in promoting Vietnamese culture and tourism, bringing the world's top art to Vietnamese audiences, but also contributes to raising the level of organizing high-class music events, enhancing the professionalism and meticulousness of Vietnam.

“This is the first time I have participated in the Good Morning Vietnam program as a director, not as an audience member. I think we need more programs like this. Besides the great meaning it brings to the audience and to Vietnamese cultural tourism, this is also an opportunity to raise the level of organization and even raise the level of audience enjoyment,” the director affirmed.