Southern Vietnamese folk music is more than a cultural treasure, it is the beating heart of Vietnam’s southern region. Recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage, the captivating Đờn ca tài tử music form is a mesmerizing experience of traditional instruments and sentimental tunes. Hop on and follow me on a thrilling ride through the excitingly colorful history of Southern Vietnamese folk music, and see how you can encounter it on a Mekong Tour.
Nhã nhạc was the elegant music that resonated throughout the Hue court. However, it was the inhabitants of Central Vietnam who, in the south in the late 19th century, created Southern Vietnamese folk music. In the Mekong Delta melting pot, they contributed to the shaping of Đờn ca tài tử—what we are so proud of today. The southern region of the beautiful country became home to a new fusion of music.
As the musical integrity of the southern countryside developed, its prominent figures, like Cao Văn Lầu, got their chance to shine. His “Dạ Cổ Hoài Lang” became an evergreen, as it pours sentiment and emotion into aural art. Picture the vibrato of gongs mixed with a shimmering symphony of string instruments and voices, echoing through the rice plains or supporting a canoe floating through gastro territory.
Đờn Ca Tài Tử Museum
The Đờn ca tài tử Museum alone is a memory palace of Vietnamese musical history. Located in Southern Vietnam, it is the best place to taste the cultural context of what we know as Đờn ca tài tử. Rummage in a bag of traditional instruments and scrolls in the darkest depths of the museum.
Musical Instruments. Now that we know how the music came to be let’s talk about the stars of the show—the instruments! Each of them makes its contribution to the symphony a Southern Vietnamese folk piece is:
It is recommended not to strictly stick to traditional instruments and use Western violins, guitars, and other widely familiar instruments to perform the music of South Vietnam. They may mix with a traditional ensemble or perform solo. The style is very specific and the music is deeply emotional, with distinct bending intervals.
It’s all in the scales and the modes: Bắc, Nam, Oán, and Lễ. Here’s how this emotional variety comes to the test:
It’s all about the improvisation. Each musician adds some zest of their own, subtly or not so subtly transforming the basic melody. The tremolo attacks punctuated with rests make the rhythm aspect of modern Western music seem childish and simplistic. Keeping the beat becomes a proper challenge, however, once you master it, you won’t find any other musical exercise that’s as fun.
Musical instrument
Southern Vietnamese folk music runs through the very veins of the regional cultural identity. It provides the backdrop to all of the most notable of life’s moments; the festivals, weddings, and funerals, as well as the more mundane of life’s goings-on. The lyrics of these songs are heavy in poetic imagery, telling tales of love, nature, and basic daily life. They are stories that connect the Southern Vietnamese people with their history and their heritage. It permeates more than just the ears who hear it; it is an active experience, participatory and so communitarian. It is an inheritance to be shared and held together.
Southern Vietnamese folk music is full of songs that are the most touching and meaningful for cultural and emotional reasons. Let’s take a look at some of the best and the most historically important pieces you might hear during your Mekong Tour.
Dạ Cổ Hoài Lang:
Bình Bán Vắn:
Kim Tiền Huế:
Lưu Thủy Đoản:
Don Ca Tai Tu in the garden
Generally, when you go on a Mekong Tour, you will be able to experience this music during the trip. They’re often held on boats or on-site at the river. The bands usually consist of local singers, whose performances are often magical in the serene countryside of the Mekong River.
If you go on a Mekong Tour, a great way to engage with the music is to get familiar with the instruments. As such, most tour groups have participants try their hands at a variety of folk instruments. In addition, some lodges host interactive performances where you can either sing along or learn a couple of melodious tunes. Their website highlights testimonials from satisfied customers who claim they had one of their most memorable travel experiences here.
Though one can enjoy Southern Vietnamese folk music on many Mekong Tours, to truly enjoy it, one has to go to Cần Thơ, Mỹ Tho, or Bạc Liêu. These areas have the most famous bands and instruments and many of the hotels here hold performances. In addition, performances are frequently hosted on the river, the front porches of the Delta’s thatched or traditional houses, or the rear stages of the many hotels lining the shore. In addition, all the abovementioned regions are famous for this genre and it’s a common part of the tours offered here. For the best experience, use local travel agents/ operators to explore these provinces.
What makes Impress Travel special is its focus on original, authentic cultural experiences. All its tours touch the key musical sites of the area of stay, which includes interactions with the best local artists with high-quality of performances. Their approach to offering the best of Southern Vietnamese folk music while experiencing it makes their programs one of the most unforgettable.
They have a team of experienced consultants ready to help you from your first inquiry to the end of your trip. There have already been many positive reviews of Impress Travel on various platforms such as TripAdvisor, where the company is praised for its dedication and quality service.
Vietsun Tourist Cần Thơ is famous for the excellent service and knowledge of its staff. The travel agency provides well-organized tours, through which visitors can see the best parts of the Mekong Delta, as well as listen to the performance of the folk music of Southern Vietnam. The organized and unique nature of the tourist company’s offerings makes it an excellent choice for tours within the region.
Vietsun Tourist has become known for its high attentiveness and organization of its tours, which are known for their memorability. The travel agency ensures that all destinations are well-organized and reasonably priced.
Hoai Lang Evening Festival
For those attracted to the wonders of the Mekong Delta, travel company and events planner Travel Events & Explore Mekong Can Tho has several different tours available for all interests and available time allowances. A tour company that prides itself on its passion and hands-on expertise, the site offers a selection of unique and interesting tours that can help prospective visitors witness some of the region’s unique cultural and scenic beauty.
Ranging from trips that last half a day to four-day trips, the Mekong Tour will allow individuals and groups to truly experience the Mekong Delta. They will even plan trips that take you out of the Mekong Delta, heading north to Ho Chi Minh City and even into Hanoi, and even building trips for businesses and team-building exercises. Their commitment to variety, interest, and customer satisfaction however makes them a very good choice to ensure you experience all the sights of the Mekong Delta you wish to see.
Southern Vietnamese folk music is a rich and deserving part of Southern Vietnamese culture, that is truly treasured by many of its citizens. Witnessing it on a Mekong Tour is a truly rewarding and intriguing way to fully immerse yourself in Mekong culture. For your participation in the Mekong culture, contact Impress Travel for your own Mekong Tour. With their helpful and experienced guides providing the perfect guidance and knowledge, you will have a truly amazing Mekong Tour involving Southern Vietnamese music. Book now!
The Mekong River, the ‘Mother of Waters’, is the heart and soul of mainland South-East Asia. Millions of people depend on its waters. It’s a way of life, a home for the spirits, the defining element in the everlasting battle for survival, and the foundation and boundaries of cultures and kingdoms across eons. The river speaks of the past and the future, of the eternally recurring cycles of nature, of the people living upstream and downstream, of survival, beauty and danger.
Foreigners can’t appreciate the role of the river in the lives of those who live in the Mekong basin. It influences every aspect of their daily existence, shaping not only the land, but also the people themselves.
The Mekong Basin extends over 795,000km2. More than 70 million people, 55 million of which inhabit the watershed area lying within Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Viet Nam, depend on the river and its tributaries for food, water and transport. At 4,350km, the Mekong is the longest river in Southeast Asia and the 12th longest in the world.
The river runs from its source deep in China’s Tsinghai Province through the eastern part of Tibet. From Yunnan province, it becomes the border between Myanmar and Laos, and between Laos and Thailand. From there it surges across Cambodia to Phnom Penh, where the Bassac River branches off. The two rivers continue to divide into nine outlets, the Cuu Long (Nine Dragons) of Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, and finally discharge into the East Sea. The river is navigable from the delta to Southern Laos, where massive waterfalls near the Cambodian border prevent boats from travelling further.
About nine-tenths of the people in the Lower Mekong Basin are engaged in agriculture, mostly rice production on a massive scale, for which irrigation from the Mekong River is essential. A substantial proportion is exported, thus providing the staple diet of a far greater number than just those living in the area.
The Mekong River is also very rich in fish, the single most important source of animal protein in the diet of people living in the Lower Mekong Basin.
What is included: Transfer, tour guide, hotel in Can Tho, lunch, entrance fee(s), boat trip in Cai Be
What is included: Transfer, tour guide, hotel breakfast, lunch, entrance fee(s), boat trip in Can Tho
| Hotels in Can Tho | ||
| Star | Hotel | Room Type |
| 3-Star hotel in Can Tho | Hau Giang Hotel | Superior |
| 4-Star hotel in Can Tho | Muong Thanh Hotel | Superior |
| 5-Star hotel in Can Tho | Victoria Hotel | Superior |
We went on a private trip to Vietnam and Cambodia, the whole trip plan was organized for us by the Impress Travel Company from Vietnam, the company did an amazing job, the whole trip was organized in a wonderful way with an amazing match between the various parties, their choices were correct and the quality of the hotels chosen were very high quality and it is important to note that the price was low in comparison To other agencies, thanks to Impress Travel and especially to Daniel who was tolerant and open to changes and organized the route for us.
Impress travel were amazing. Did my bookings with Daniel for our tour of Vietnam and I must say Daniel was very professional and prompt with his services. All the arrangement, plans, pick-up & drop-off services, hotels, vehicles, sightseeing tours and guides were spot on and excellent. Did 4 nights Hanoi, 1 night Hà Long Bay cruise, 3 nights Hoian, 4 nights Saigon and 1 night in Can Tho. It was totally awesome. Every part of the journey was superbly arranged and planned. I will highly recommend Impress Travel for anyone interested in visiting Vietnam. Very organized and reliable!
I booked with Impress Travel in July. My contact person was Tommy Thang. He is an amazing person. He was very helpful. He changed my program twice for me. Very accommodating!
We started our holiday in the north (Sapa)of Vietnam and travelled down to HCMC.
The tour was fantastic, Tommy's arrangements were to the"T".
I will always use them if I have to visit the area again and recommend them to one and all.
Thank you once again Mr.Tommy and the Impress Team.
Sulaiman Pochee
Great value for money with 4 stars hotel accommodation for 4 couples. The tour guide has been very helpful and brought us to amazing places in Sapa. We want to thanks Thuy the tour guide and especially Mark from Impress Travel for his great service and assurance throughout our trip. We’ll definitely use his service for other tour packages in other parts of Vietnam.
This is the second time we travel to Vietnam with IMPRESS Travel. First time, we booked our holiday to Hanoi, Halong Bay & Sapa during Dec 2018 with Impress.
Second time, we travel to Hoi An, Hue & Danang (Central Vietnam) during Jan 2019.
My friends & I are very glad & happy with all the hotels stay in Central Vietnam, the meals provided are delicious. We are greatly appreciated with all the tour arrangement by Tommy & his team (tour guide).
Especially, Mr. NHAT C.V. He is helpful, cheerful, knowledgeable and very professional. He always volunteer to take a nice pictures for six of us (group) .
We enjoyed our holiday with Impress travel. We will definitely come back to Vietnam again with Impress
