Explosive, uplifting, inspiring

For the first time, a unique art program combining fashion show, music and honoring indigenous culture was organized on a large scale right at a place associated with the history of the nation. Many people commented that the program went beyond a normal art performance night to become an inspiring and impressive journey, bringing the audience to the unique cultural and historical beauty of the Stieng ethnic group in Binh Phuoc. Each performance on stage tells a cultural and historical story associated with this sacred land. The program designers, in addition to being professional and understanding local culture and history, were also very humane when creating an open stage right on the rough ground with many ancient trees at the Stieng Ethnic Cultural Reserve in Bom Bo. This was also the first time I saw an art program where actors and models were so close to the audience.

Special performance at the fashion art program "New day on Bom Bo village" - Photo: PV

True to its name, “Brocade Fashion Art Program”. The entire large space from the stage to the stands and on all roads of Bu Dang district towards the Stieng Ethnic Cultural Reserve in Bom Bo commune was filled with the colors of brocade. It was not only the fashionable brocade dresses and shirts of professional models; the brocade costumes of all kinds of singers, dancers, and artisans, but also the traditional brocade ao dai of the delegates attending the ceremony; the dresses and head scarves of the Stieng mothers and sisters; the loincloths, brocade dresses and scarves of the Stieng men; and the pretty brocade dresses and shirts of 35 children from Bu Dang district’s primary school as non-professional child models... The friendly brocade colors warmed the space, drove away the cold and brought people closer together in the sound of gongs echoing in the mountains and forests. I also chose for myself a long dress and a brocade-patterned handbag to go to the show. In the front row, two young Stieng women in beautiful brocade dresses tried to stretch their bodies to cheer on the two child models who were walking awkwardly towards the main stage. I pulled one of the women's sleeves and asked, "Is that your daughter?" She smiled brightly and nodded: "Is that your youngest sister? Did you weave or buy this dress? Yes, I weaved it! How much does this dress cost? Yes, I weaved it to wear, so I didn't pay attention to how much it cost." Then she looked around for her pretty child model on stage. The two Stieng men on my left pointed to a non-professional male model with a strong body and bulging muscles carrying a bunch of bananas on stage and exclaimed together: "That's Baron!" One of them quickly took out his phone to take a picture of his acquaintance on stage.

The solemn and tragic music rose, and thousands of people were mesmerized. The wonderful combination and harmony of sound, lighting effects and smoke - real smoke, burned with firewood, with a distinct aroma, not chemical smoke, along with a light misting system, made the whole space tinged with an epic color. And when the passionate voice with a special resonance of People's Artist Thanh Lam rose, professional and amateur models in brocade costumes stepped out, I felt as if the whole old forest was shaking under the hurried footsteps of the whole nation going to war. Looking at the beautiful models walking barefoot on the cold ground and getting wet in the performance of the Bau Pha Festival; looking at artist Thanh Lam and singer Anh Khoa performing brilliantly on the open stage, I suddenly thought that perhaps in their artistic lives, they rarely performed on such a special stage, a special, sacred space, close to the audience and creating such excitement.

But the show not only recreated a Bom Bo rich in revolutionary tradition with the sound of rice pounding to feed the army of the Stieng people during the resistance war against the US to save the country; it also not only reflected the rich cultural life and the typical labor and production process of the people but also carried a more important message. That is to support the brocade of the Stieng people, helping the people to bring their faith and love for their homeland and country into brocade, so that brocade has a new life and goes further, thereby helping the Stieng people improve their livelihood.

The official performance program “New Day on Bom Bo Hamlet” has ended, but the stage lights are still on. People's Artist Thanh Lam still stays on stage to take souvenir photos and sing at the audience's request. And in front of the stage, the Stieng boys and girls still hold hands with each other, hold hands with distinguished guests from far away, dance and sing loudly around the high campfire. Tonight, the people of Bom Bo must be very happy, because the art program is not only to pay tribute to the past, to arouse national pride, to promote traditional crafts and cultural beauty of the people. This is also an open invitation to domestic and foreign tourists and businesses to explore Bom Bo Hamlet - a sacred land, where revolutionary spirit, cultural colors and aspirations for sustainable development converge.

Source: https://baobinhphuoc.com.vn/news/543/170663/bung-no-thang-hoa-truyen-cam-hung