Bac Ha, Traditional Music and Performing Arts Ensemble ~Feeling the Homeland, Vietnam~

Bac Ha is a group composed of experts in a variety of Vietnamese traditional music and performing arts. Through discussion and live performance, we will introduce the work of this ensemble, whose music reflects the history of Vietnam, from colonization by the Chinese and French to the Vietnam War. Further there will be slides from the Kodo members’ trip to Vietnam in February and the account of their travels and encounter with Bac Ha.

Bac Ha, Traditional Music and Performing Arts Ensemble (Vietnam)
Bac Ha is an eight-person ensemble led by Minh Chi, a percussionist who was born into a family with a long lineage in traditional music. The ensemble name “Bac Ha” is taken from Vietnam’s northwestern region, which, since the 16th Century, was so called by artists and scholars deeply influenced by the ideologies of Confucius. The ensemble’s music reflects everything from the colonization by the French, the Vietnam War, huge social change, respect for traditional Vietnamese culture and values, and the group members’ deep commitment to traditional music arts, and its preservation and evolution. The group will also be participating in a lecture & demonstration and a special Fringe performance.