Superb 2 CD set of hat tho, a traditional form of worship singing and a form of hat van, traditional folk that combines a kind of trance singing with dancing. Hat van originated in the Red River delta in the 16th century. It later spread to the entire country and combines the beauty of folk songs from all regions, north to south. There is real beauty here in the female singing of Hong Van, Tuyet Trinh and others, to mostly, slow, exquisite, dignified music with a range of rhythms and pauses. The instrumental backing is sparse yet creates the atmosphere. The main instruments are the dan nguyet or moon-shaped lute, dan-nhi, (2 stringed fiddle) dan-tranh (zither) and various Vietnamese guitars. These are interspersed with the striking of the phach (a piece of wood or bamboo) marking the rhythm, xeng (clappers), trong chau (drum) and chieng (gong). Nice packaging, 17 tracks.
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