More Vietnamese want in on higher education. But fewer university spots equals students in distress. The stakes are high.
And: a singing style that’s equal parts folk music, poetry, and…. rap duel? That's Quan Họ.
All in episode 51 of Loa.
Episode 49 - Saigon Rock n’ Soul; V-Pop
In the 1970s, a new sound began to emerge: raw and rebellious rock – music that reflected the gritty, dissonant reality of the war in Việt Nam.
And… from classic rock to V-Pop. We’ve got the latest beats in Việt Nam!
MUSIC CREDITS:
Opening: The Agrarians - The Natural Scenes
Closing: Velella Velella - Hard Egg Timer
Episode 20 - Việt Tân; A Resistance Love Letter
Việt Tân, the Việt Nam Reform Party, marks 33 years this week of a people power struggle for freedom and democracy. From its perilous beginnings to today’s multi-pronged approaches to empower the Vietnamese people, Chris Lê has the story of the activists on the ground, in our A Look Inside segment.
In the early years of the Party's establishment, far away in a jungle near the Thai-Laotian border, a song was written from a small resistance base, by the light of the moon. "Trăng Chiến Khu" speaks to the sacrifices made by those who have committed themselves to their country. Nam-An Đinh brings us the story in Loa's Solitary Envoi segment.
Episode 11 - Lê Quốc Quân Freed; A Song from Prison
In this week’s episode, Lê Quốc Quân, a prominent human rights lawyer recently freed after 30 months of arbitrary detention goes "On the Record" with Loa's Lilly Nguyễn.
In "Solitary Envoi," we return to works of art by the politically repressed. Mây Trần brings us the story behind a song written from within Việt Nam’s prison jail cells – Trả Lại Cho Dân (Return to the People).
Episode 8 - Pre-1975 Music, Numbered Children
Music censorship typically means bleeping out cuss words. But in Việt Nam, musicians can sometimes find their voices silenced completely. In this episode, we take "A Look Inside" at what the end of the war meant for Việt Nam’s musical landscape.
And in this week's "Vietnamism, " we explain why certain aunts, uncles or siblings are known by a number!