Ensemble National De La République Démocratique Du Vietnam - Vietnam

Le Chant Du Monde - LP

France, 1970s

Traditional / Ethnomusicology / State Music

Recorded in France in the last years of the Vietnam war, these recordings of Vietnam's National Ensemble is more of a propaganda document, released by French Communist label Le Chant du Monde, rather than a proper ethnomusicological LP.  In fact, it showcases the absolute opposite of the orthodox ethnomusicological approach to recording. Recorded in France, under the direction of one single person, the National Ensemble played various pieces, supposedly offering a panorama of Vietnamese folk music. Needless to say, that it's not.

However, that does not mean that it doesn't contain some beautiful tunes, on the contrary. In case of the field recordings one might except from such a documentary-looking LP, one gets some well orchestrated, well-recorded Vietnamese songs and instrumental pieces. (VG+/VG+)