Saigon Soul Revival is bringing renewed attention to Nhạc Vàng, a Vietnamese popular music tradition that combines elements of South Vietnamese folk music with Western styles including bolero, rumba, cha-cha-cha, rock and soul. The band, formed in 2016, draws on the genre’s pre-1975 roots while adding its own psychedelic and soul influences.
Nhạc Vàng grew in popularity as American soul music travelled around the world, reaching young audiences through entertainment broadcasts for US troops. After the Vietnam War ended in 1975 and North and South Vietnam were reunified the following year, the music fell out of favour and was at times prohibited. Interest in the tradition has since returned, with musicians performing older songs as well as writing new material in the same cross-genre spirit.
Across three albums, Saigon Soul Revival has paired Nhạc Vàng’s sentimental melodies with soul and psychedelic rock. Its arrangements combine fuzzy guitar, bass and organ with Vietnamese instruments such as the 16-string Đàn Tranh zither and the single-string Đàn Bầu.
At a well-attended concert at Frankfurt’s Brotfabrik, singer Minh Anh Nguyễn performed songs including “Ai Thật Lòng Yêu Ai.” Guitarist Indy Jeremy Vinh Laville’s distortion added a psychedelic edge, while Đăng Nguyễn Khoa’s organ and Gabriel Kaouros’s bass brought to mind familiar soul influences. The group’s performance demonstrated how it draws on those references while shaping a sound of its own.
Sources: FAZ.