B: Sanil Deep of India said: “I am sure that your country will win against the pandemic. In my country patients are on the increase but we are taking strict measures to eradicate the virus.”
A: Ashik Eqbal Tokon of Bangladesh said: “We just learned the news of the first death in Vietnam due to COVID-19. We send sincere wishesfor your safety from Bangladesh.”
B: Zarif Khan postedon our website: “I was very upset when I heard this news yesterday. Having read your report, I am very satisfied that the Vietnamese government is taking steps to stop it.”
A: Thank you all for caring about the COVID-19 situation in Vietnam. The Government and local authorities have stepped up preventive measures since new COVID-19 cases appeared in Da Nang city.
B: According to the World Health Organization, one of the criteria for a country to declare a national epidemic is to have10 cases for every million population.
A: In Vietnam, the current ratio is 2.7 cases per million, and so, generally speaking, Vietnam is still safe. However, Da Nang city is another story, as it has gone far beyond that threshold.
B: The city, which has a population of 1.1 million, has recorded over 120 infections since July 25.
A: Social distancing has resumed in Da Nang city and adjacent localities. Cities and provinces which have COVID-19 cases linked to the Da Nang outbreak have done mass testing of returnees, shut down non-essential businesses like bars and karaoke clubs, and cancelled festivals and religious gatherings.
B: We hope preventive measures and public caution will stop the spread of the virus quickly.
 Singer, song writer Giang Son (3rd from L) performs with the Xam Ha Thanh band. |
A: Listening to shortwave and surfing the Internet for world news have become more popular during the pandemic. Henry Umadhay of the Philippines told us: “I’m a DX’er and radio hobbyist. I’m listening to your English broadcast via shortwave radio. Glad to discover your audio file of your current program this week. I’m happy to listen to your broadcast withjust a click.Great and very convenient for listeners who missed the broadcast.”
B: Thank you, Henry. We hope you’ll regularly visit our website for the latest news about Vietnam and the world. I’m reading a message from Tore, a retired construction worker, 71 years old, and living in a small village named Rydöbruk on the west coast of Sweden about 45 km northeast of the city of Halmstad.
 Xam singing and other folk singing genres are performed at a night market. |
A: Tore said: “I have been interested in Dx’ing since 1965. I'm a member of the Swedish DX Federation. I'm also interested in fishing, philately, music, and gardening. It was with pleasure I received your Voice of Vietnam on August 2nd on the frequency of 7220 khz. The signal strength was moderate with moderate atmospheric noise and fading. SINPO was 35333.”
B: Tore, yourreport showed that the transmission was not very good at your place but you stayed with us to the end of the program and sent us a detailed report. We surely will send you a verification card.
Mike Thompson of Canada caught VOV’s broadcast on August 2nd and rated the overall signal quality at 4. He said: “I heard a few news stories concerning the fight against COVID-19 from the Vietnamese perspective. It was very interesting to hear some reports of how Vietnam is dealing with the pandemic. After the news segment, a musical feature followed, a song in Vietnamese called 'Corona'. I really hope to catch your program again.”
 Vietnamese singers bring Xam singing to a music festival in Germany. |
A: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnamese song writers and singers have released songs to show gratitude to medical staff and others working on the frontline of the fight against the pandemic and to inspire the public to take precautions and abide by government regulations on pandemic prevention and control.
B: We got a message this week from Eve Telford Moore, a folk singer in Ireland who learned about Xam on our website: “I love Xam music. The information you give is insightful and beautiful. Could you give any album titles of authentic Xam songs?”
A: Xam – blindbuskers’ singing – was found mainly in the northern countryside and performed mostly by poor artists who sang for a living, expressing optimism and humour toward life. During the early 20th century and throughout the war years, crowded trams, markets, and street corners were turned into stages for buskers.
 Xam singing at the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day |
B: During a Xam performance, one artist plays a drum, one plays the castanets, one plays a đàn nhị (bowed instrument with two strings), one plays a đàn bầu (monochord instrument), and all four sing together. The audience leaves money for the performance in the artists’ conical hats.
A: We’d like to recommend a Xam album by musician Nguyễn Quang Long. He released his first album last year after 20 years devoted to preserving and promoting xẩm singing, a centuries-old art form long regarded as an important piece of Vietnam’s cultural heritage.
B: On his album “Asking the God of Marriage”, Long performs nine songs, including “Streets in Autumn” (Xẩm Phố Thu) and “Four Seasons of Flowers in Hanoi” (Bốn Mùa Hoa Hà Nội).
A: The album also features People’s Artist Thuy Ngan – who is famous for Chèo (Vietnamese traditional opera), Xam singer Mai Tuyet Hoa, pop singer Thu Phuong, and Xam Ha Thanh – a Hanoi-based group of Xam singers and instrumentalists.
B: The Xam Ha Thanh group was founded in 2005 to revive the Xam genre. Since then, their weekly show in Hanoi’s Old Quarter has become a popular place for tourists and local people to enjoy Xam singing.
A: You can find many of their performances on Youtube. They have refreshed Xam singing by updating traditional Xam melodies with modern lyrics. The song “Hanoi’s Best Delicacies” has been staged very carefully. The clip features Ha Noi specialties like Pho (beef noodles) and Bun Cha (grilled pork with vermicelli). Former US President Barack Obama is shown enjoying Bun Cha at a restaurant in downtown Hanoi.
B: We’re very happy to know that many of our listeners enjoy Vietnamese music. Maybe foreign singers like Eve Telford Moore will be inspired to create amazing music.
A: We thank you all for sending us detailed reception reports. We’ll confirm them with e-QSL cards.
B: We welcome your feedback at: English Service, VOVworld, the Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu street, Hanoi, Vietnam. Or you can email us at our new email address: englishsection@vov.vn. You’re invited to visit us online at vovworld.vn, where you can hear both live and recorded programs.
A : We look forward to your feedback on the mobile version of vovworld.vn. Once again, thank you all for listening.