
Studying a work of puppetry as a work of art, like “Tree with Man-Shrimp” (1950) from Java, is an experience - the puppets are not just vehicles to comment on the world (often through theatrical and religious texts), but are visually attractive and powerful objects in themselves. Therefore, this art form demands a special kind of attention and partisanship.
#Thai shadow puppetry full#
There is a dual nature to Asian shadow theater, as the emotional content of the performance is very deliberately split between the puppets and the narrator (who stands beside the stage but in full view of the audience). Others seem ready to perform crude language and uninhibited sex acts, such as “Erotic Clowns” (1950) from Thailand.

Some of the puppets at the Museu do Oriente in Lisbon depict sharply comical stories that mock authority. Puppets have been used to voice dissent, as they have the latitude to say things humans cannot and are a bit withdrawn from reality. Shadow plays are thought to be one of the most ancient forms of puppetry and it’s unclear where shadow puppetry originated. Epics of spiritual battlefields, such as the Ramayana, are told through this art form where the light source behind a white screen acts as a space for the imagination to wonder and wander.

In India and Thailand, shadow theater must be considered within the context of temple festivities and as ceremonial fascination. The visible rods complicate and demystify the ghostliness of the puppets and bridge, as in “Giant of Battles” (1974) from Java, the gap between the subconscious/imaginary and the real/tangible. In the exhibition, these visible sticks create a distancing effect that can feel a bit awkward. Still, the gentle white light creates something of an invisible stage where the frozen figures, so full of potential, are imagined to talk, hover, swoop, and vibrate.Īsian shadow puppets are traditionally flat, cut-out figures that are attached to and controlled by sticks (or thin rods). Here, resting immobile before translucent screens illuminated from behind, the puppets’ forms only suggest the shady limbos they inhabit when performed. When held and moved in front of a light source behind a white screen, the intricately cut puppets create shadows and various motion effects. Not to mention our own inner world made up of fleeting, half-real mental projections staged in the theater of our minds. As such, shadow theater might remind us of other (virtual) phantom presences in our culture. Its spellbinding, graceful interplay between light and shadow is riveting in its devoutly anti-realist and phantasmagoric aesthetic. If Mr.Asian shadow theater is catnip for those with energetic imaginations. Overall, the quality of recording and the style of music videos in Vietnam has improved a lot compared to the past years due to many private productions and also overseas Vietnamese coming back to produce a combination of Western and Vietnamese music. These singers tend to view singing as a hobby.

There are also amateur singers whose songs have been hits in Vietnam such as Thuy Chi. In addition, there are a lots of singers that very popular such as M4U, Ho Ngoc Ha, Bao Thy, Wanbi Tuan, Tu Quynh, Dong Nhi, Noo Phuoc Thinh, Radio Band, etc. There are many famous underground artists such as Andree Right Hand, Big Daddy, Shadow P (all featured in a popular song called De Anh Duoc Yeu) and countless others who have got fame through the Internet. Such performances include international stages like the Asia Music Festival in South Korea where popular Vietnamese singers such as My Tam, Ho Ngoc Ha, Lam Truong, and others have performed along with other singers from different Asian countries.ĭuring the recent years such as 2006 and beyond, Vietnamese pop music has a lots of improvement. Musical production has improved and expanded over the years as visiting performers and organizers from other countries have helped to pushed the Vietnamese entertainment in to another level. Modern Pop music has increased as each new generation of people in Vietnam become more popular by westernized music. The most popular modern music in vietnam is Pop. "Vietnamese Modern music " can also known as "teen music".
