BackArts & Culture » Culture » [Video] A Dynamic Visual Ode to Hanoi, a City of Paradoxes

[Video] A Dynamic Visual Ode to Hanoi, a City of Paradoxes

Cái Gốc (The Origin) is the latest release from music producer and video director Robin Marty and his collaborator Jakub Zajac.

After last year’s clip, Ba Dinh Doi, this new release captures the scenes of craziness and calm that make up Hanoi’s nocturnal atmosphere.

“After having lived in Hanoi for more than a year, I am finally starting to understand its people, customs, and atmospheres. This work aims to highlight Hanoi and Vietnam’s paradoxes of old and new, struggle and leisure, calm and unrest, by showing the people and the scenes that one can witness at night on the streets of this mad city,” Robin tells Saigoneer in an email.

The track mixes 'Đối ca sông Cầu,' a love song from Bac Ninh Province, with drum and bass beats. Robin explains: “The beat and rhythm is fast and aggressive. And that is exactly how I perceive Hanoi. The old temples, the people’s customs are still ancient and tainted with old habits and traditions. The Hanoian lifestyle, however, is rapid and turbulent.” 

Interestingly integrated is a sample from Hữu Ngọc, author of Wandering Through Vietnamese Culture, as he explains his vision of the roots of Vietnamese culture and compares it to a banyan tree with five different roots: the Mekong Delta civilization, the Chinese, the French, the American, and the modern globalized culture.

Watch Cái Gốc below:

Related Articles

in Culture

Learning About Life and Death From the Stories of Funeral Directors in Vietnam

Sitting down with Hương Thủy and Đức Thịnh, I was able to listen to a plethora of fascinating anecdotes about Vietnam’s funerary practices.

in Culture

When Lịch Bloc Is Gone, What Will Vietnam Use to Keep Discarded Fish Bones?

I have never bought a lịch bloc, or tear-off calendar, for personal use, because every new year, I'm bound to be gifted a brand-new one. In Vietnam, a calendar is often something one purchases as a pr...

in Culture

Xông Đất and the Art of Not Letting Randos Into Your Home on Mùng Một

Tết permeates all areas of life this time of the year, from TV programs to online memes and highly detailed charts, tables, and infographics that guide people to participate in a popular new year acti...

in Culture

[Video] How Has Vietnamese Fashion Changed in a Millennium of History?

The most fascinating factoid about the video project is that black teeth had such enduring appeal across centuries and dynasties.

in Music & Arts

'Lòng Vòng Sài Gòn' Music Video Reminds Us of the Fantastical Magic of the City

There are certain things that we tend to take for granted in life. A standard routine, moments of simple contentment, and that one cơm tấm lady who’s always been at that street corner whenever you rea...

in Music & Arts

Adorable Stop-Motion Video Shows How to Prepare for Tết With Art and Craft

Rarely does preparing a traditional Tết meal put you at risk of papercuts.

Partner Content