HÀ NỘI — A new and exciting cultural event called Hà Nội Jazztival is expected to boost Hà Nội's reputation as a global music destination and bring international friends closer to the capital city.

The festival's first edition, themed Hà Nội Jazz – Borderless Melody, will be held in several of the capital's cultural spaces from September 17 to 19.

Part of an initiative to help develop Vietnamese culture under the Politburo's Resolution 80-NQ/TW, the event aims to carry out key objectives, tasks and solutions aimed at building the cultural industry.

It will also concretise Hà Nội’s commitments as a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, while placing the capital on the map of international music festivals.

Speaking at a press conference last week, Deputy Director of the city's Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Lê Thị Ánh Mai said Hà Nội is known as a thousand-year-old city with a rich cultural tradition, and as a globally integrated metropolis that is rapidly transforming into a creative hub.

To realise this vision, Hà Nội needs to host world-class cultural events that reflect its unique identity. The inaugural Hà Nội Jazztival is one such initiative.

“We hope to make Hà Nội Jazztival an annual event and a distinctive cultural brand of Hà Nội, which can make a big bang in the regional and reach international level," Mai said.

"It will be a strong demonstration of the city's commitment to carrying out the guidelines of the Party and the State on developing the cultural industry and enhancing the prestige of the UNESCO Creative City.

"Hà Nội Jazztival also marks the starting point for a series of international arts events, such as the Thăng Long-Hà Nội Festival, the World Cultural Festival, the Hà Nội Theatre Festival and the Hà Nội International Film Festival."

According to the organising board, Hà Nội Jazztival activities will include concerts, exhibitions, seminars, workshops, artists' talks and street music at a variety of venues across the city.

At its opening on September 17, the Jazz & Street exhibition will be held at the Thăng Long Theatre; an exhibit called Women in Jazz will take place at the Women's Museum; and the opening ceremony, themed Sounds of Hà Nội Jazz, will officially kick off the event in the garden of the Hà Nội Opera House.

On September 18, participants can attend an international seminar titled Hà Nội and Jazz; a workshop on Jazz Language in Traditional Music; a Jazz Jam Session event in the Thăng Long Opera Hotel; and concerts including Borderless Jazz at the Hà Nội Opera House and Night Jam Jazz at several of the city's jazz clubs.

Jazz events will continue with Street Jazz in the pedestrian area around Hoàn Kiếm Lake on September 19, along with Jazz and Heritage at the Culture and Arts Centre at 22 Hàng Buồm Street.

The festival will conclude with a gala night at the Octagon House, featuring a vibrant and authentic jazz atmosphere.

Many renowned local and international artists and bands have confirmed their participation in the event. 

Among them are French jazz guitarist Nguyên Lê and friends; electro-jazz fusion band Sauteed Grabba and David Carlos Valdez and Friends from the US; South Korea's JSFA Band; and Senri from Japan, along with notable Vietnamese artists Quyền Văn Minh, Trần Mạnh Tuấn and Quyền Thiện Đắc.

Musician Dương Cầm, general director and music director of the festival, said the professionally curated event is expected to transcend the scope of mere performance.

"We aim to create a contemporary jazz programme that engages in a dialogue with traditional cultural and artistic spaces. It is not just a music series; it is about fostering a vibrant surrounding atmosphere and delivering cultural and spiritual value to the community," Cầm said, adding that organisers are expecting an audience of between 1,000 and 4,000 people every day. — VNS