Van-Anh Vanessa Vo: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
Van-Anh Vanessa Vo is a veteran when it comes to taking risks, and it pays off in her compelling music. As a young girl in Vietnam, she knew she wanted to be a traditional musician, even though it was a world dominated by men. It was risky, then, when she pestered a master teacher for three years to give her lessons. He finally gave in, taking her on as an apprentice.
Vo also takes risks in blending East with West in her music. She lends a trippy sound to Frenchman Erik Satie's Gnossienne No. 3, performed on the dan Bau, the traditional Vietnamese monocord. The instrument ("invented by bad girls on the street") has a single string, but by bending it with a kind of whammy bar made from buffalo horn, Vo creates a haunting landscape of growls, hushed vibrato and graceful slides, all with the exquisite phrasing of an opera singer.
Vo's infectious enthusiasm erupts in her own compositions. "Three-Mountain Pass" (also the title of her recent album), for voice and Hang drum, is based on the sensuously evocative texts of Ho Xuan Huong, a groundbreaking female poet (and concubine) from the 18th century. And with "Go Hunting," Vo introduces another traditional instrument, the dan T'rung, a bamboo xylophone from Vietnam's south highlands. This instrument, which looks a bit like a skeleton, is struck with double-headed mallets. The theme starts peacefully at a relaxed pace, but heats up to a dizzying frenzy as Vo's mallets become indistinguishable blurs of speed.
Her adventurous spirit moved her from Vietnam to the U.S. - another risk, but one that paid off with more opportunities for composing; she even won an Emmy Award for her work on a documentary film. Vo is also fond of collaborating with new-music ensembles like the Kronos Quartet, and of playing in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center and, of course, Bob Boilen's Tiny Desk. --TOM HUIZENGA
Set List:
Three-Mountain Pass
Gnossienne No. 3 (Erik Satie, arr. Van-Anh Vanessa Vo)
Go Hunting
Credits
Producers: Denise DeBelius, Tom Huizenga; Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait; Videographers: Denise DeBelius, Becky Harlan, Abbey Oldham, Meredith Rizzo
Пікірлер: 63
She's adorable and oh so talented!! Another one of those days I say "Thank God for the internet" to be able to see her perform where otherwise I'd probably never stumble across such cool music.
the dan Bau, the traditional Vietnamese monocord. The instrument was invented by BEGGARS, (not bad girls) on the street
This is why Tiny Desk Concerts are so wonderful, so many different types of music. This is an excellent performance which, to me, sounds really good. I'm happy to have experienced it!
The Dan Bau sounds like an acoustic theremin. Or the other way around really. I loved her version.
Excellent music ! Very different from what I am used to hearing. The sounds from these wonderful instruments are very soothing. Van-Anh is talented indeed.
Very interesting performance - nice job NPR (and ms Vo)
Excellent! Thank you, NPR Music.
Amazing and the smile had me hooked lol thanks for something new
I am appreciating her innovative spirit. I am touched by what can be expressed from traditional instruments and her way of letting East and West mingle together.
And the piece on the Bamboo Xylophone was outstanding! Now I would play that...
J'aime beaucoup la musique de Vanessa. C'est Magnifique!
So beautiful!!
nice ad challenging music - thank you!
mesmerizing
AMAZING!
Wow, incredible. That Satie piece was spellbinding. I think Jim Jarmusch would have considered it for his Only Lovers left alive film. At least it made me think of it. :)
That was amaaaaaaaaazing. And I don't usually like versions of Satie's music, but that was incredible.
very pretty. I like the last song a lot! unique and interesting and fun
Still trippin on this beautiful stuff!
amazingly sublime beautiful