VANG
Publication/Printed Media
VÀNG is my response to the ISTD Milestones brief (2025). Basically, it is a multi-format work that explores the relevance of bolero to overseas Vietnamese (Việt kiều), and the generations that come after them.
Vietnamese bolero is a genre of music that is close to our hearts, and in strange ways too considering how removed we are from its original context. This publication explores our relationship with bolero in all its intricacies, and celebrates how a few sad songs could permeate that barrier of age, language, and hardship that lies between old and new generation Việt kiều.
For a sneak peak inside, the title ‘VANG’ stems from the way that bolero is often referred to as ‘nhac vang’ or ‘yellow music’ in day-to-day language. Interestingly, the meaning of ‘vang’ shifts between yellow, gold, and blonde depending on context. As I lead you through the milestones of bolero discussion, we’ll see how some view it as gold, some yellow, and how the genre could still prosper after being censored during it’s golden age.