A: This week, we continued to receive greetings for different special occasions: New Year and Valentine greetings from Rober Krolikowski of the USA, New Year greetings from Muneer Sharjah of the United Arab Emirates, Richard Nowak of the US, and Peter Ng of Malaysia, and Greetings for Women’s Day from Hemant Kumar of India.
B: Thank you very much for sending us warm greetings and tuning in to VOV. We’d like to welcome to VOV Simon Peter Liehr, a new listener from Germany. Reporting his reception of our program on February 2nd on the frequency of 9730 khz, Mr. Liehr wrote: “It is great to have this direct link via shortwave to your country. It’s always good to get direct information about Vietnam from you.”
A: Thank you, Mr. Liehr, for tuning in to our broadcasts. We’ll send you a QSL card to confirm your report as well as a frequency list and program schedule. Our program is also available on the internet at www.vovworld.vn and on mobile apps. We hope to receive more frequent feedback from you.
B: In a letter to VOV dated February 22nd, Hiroyuki Akiba of Japan reported reception of the program on February 22nd from 11:30 to 11:57 on the frequency of 9840 khz. He wrote: “45 years have passed since Vietnam and Japan established diplomatic relations. During this period, your country has developed drastically and big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have become modern cities. I haven’t been to your country for more than 20 years. I wish to visit Vietnam again to see the big changes.”
 Cherry blossom festival will open in Hanoi in late March |
A: Welcome back, Hiroyuki Akiba, to VOV. It has been such a long time since we last heard from you. We hope to see you in Vietnam soon. Vietnam and Japan are holding many activities to celebrate 45 years of diplomatic ties. A ceremony took place in Bac Ninh province this week to plant cherry trees presented as gifts by the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Association of Japan’s Chukyo region. The cherry tree planting project began in 2012 and since then the trees have been planted in many Vietnamese provinces and cities.
B: A Japanese cultural exchange will be held next week in Hanoi to mark the 45th anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties. The highlight of the event will be a display of 30 cherry trees, 10,000 cherry blossom branches, and bonsai plants. The event will feature an introduction to the Japanese tea ceremony, chess (Igo and Shogi), the traditional game Kendama, and performances of Vietnamese traditional arts. Vietnamese and Japanese cuisines and performances of Yosako dances will also be showcased.
 Singer Vu Cat Tuong |
A: Singer Vu Cat Tuong is set to perform in the Japanese city of Osaka next Saturday. The singer was invited to take part in cultural exchange activities in Osaka on March 25 to mark the 45th anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties. In addition, she will hold a fan meeting and mini-show titled “Hello Osaka I am Vu Cat Tuong” at 7pm on March 24 at TB-SQUARE. The show will be live streamed on the Vlive channel.
A: There will also be many other activities to mark the occasion. Tune in to VOV regularly for an update on the events.
B: In an email to VOV this week, Hubert Wilczynski of Poland reported on a VOV program on March 6 from 19:00 to 19:30 on the frequency of 7280. He wrote: “I am interested in folklore. If possible, I would like to learn more about your traditional musical instruments.”
A: Viet Nam is home to 54 ethnic groups, each with its own customs, traditions, and traditional musical instruments, os there are many types of musical instruments in Vietnam like the "monochord zither", the "moon-shaped two-string lute", and the “pear-shaped lute with four strings”. One of the best-known musical instruments is the Dan Bau or monochord.
 Dan Bau (Monochord) |
B: Vietnam’s dan bau produces seductive sounds which capture the Vietnamese soul and feelings. The Dan bau is considered a special witness to Vietnam’s history and culture.
A: The dan bau has a simple design and is made of materials widely available in Vietnam. The bamboo tube once used to make the body of the instrument has been replaced by a rectangular wooden box 1 meter in length. A string is stretched between two fixed bridges. A bigger bridge, a 50-70 cm bamboo or buffalo horn stick, is linked to a sound box made from a dried gourd. The steel string used to be made of rattan or silk.
B: The player plucks the string of the monochord with his or her fingers, or a plectrum while vibrating the bridge to produce sounds. The dan bau is played in almost all Vietnamese traditional music genres: Xam singing, Cheo popular opera, Cai luong renovated theatre, and Hue royal court music. The dan bau sings the sound of the Vietnamese soul. It is played in traditional setting and in contemporary performances of Pop or World music to entertain foreigners and introduce Vietnam’s culture to the world.
A: You’re listening to Letter Box, our weekly feature dedicated to listeners around the world. Here’s an email from Eric Zhou of China. Listening to our broadcast on March 7 from 01:15 to 01:30 on the frequency of 7315 khz, Mr. Zhou reported: “I am an international radio enthusiast living in China. I’m very interested in D’xing. Your signal was very strong. Despite slight noise and fading, the speech was very clear. I love your nice programs and beautiful country.”
B: Thank you, Mr. Zhou, for your report. We’ll send you a QSL card to confirm it. This week, John Rutledge, of the US but living in China, sent us a number of reports for VOV broadcasts on February 4th, 5th, and 7th. In his letter, Mr. Rutledge wrote that he didn’t receive our reply last year though he sent us reception reports three times. We’ll investigate the problem and re-send verification cards, John.
A: We’d like to acknowledge letters and emails from Peter Ng of Malaysia, Ratan Kumar Paul, Karobi Hazarika, Kanchan Kr. Chatterjee, Siddhartha Bhattacharjee, and Deekay Dimple of India, Richard Nowak of the US, Hayato Furukawa, Mikio Kohara, and Fumito Hokamura of Japan, Risto Happonen of Finland, Gerry Neumann of the UK, Abdur Razzak of Bangladesh, Andrew Kuznetsov of Latvia, and Daniele Giaccari of Italy. We greatly appreciate your feedback and comments on the technical aspects of our programming. We’ll confirm your reports with QSL cards soon.
A: We welcome your feedback at: English section, VOVworld, Radio the Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu Street, Hanoi, Vietnam. Or you can email us at: englishsection@vov.org.vn. You’re invited to visit us online at vovworld.vn, where you can hear both live and recorded programs. Check out our VOV Media App available on both IOS and Android platforms to hear our live broadcasts. We look forward to your feedback on the mobile version of vovworld.vn. Once again, thank you all. Good bye until next time.