US embassy cable - 05HANOI924

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 000924 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/PD ANNE SESHADRI, ECA/IIP FOR ALEX FELDMAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, VM, SCUL 
SUBJECT: Youth Extravaganza Kicks Off 10th Anniversary of 
U.S.-Vietnam Normalization of Relations 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary: Post's Public Affairs Section (PAS) 
organized its biggest-ever cultural performances in both 
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) to kick off the tenth 
anniversary commemoration of the U.S.-Vietnam normalization 
of diplomatic relations.  A youth hip-hop break dance group 
from Houston joined Vietnamese performers in friendship 
concerts for over 4000 concertgoers in each city, both of 
which were covered widely on television and print media. The 
cultural exchange extravaganza and public relations triumph 
came after overcoming challenges to obtaining permission 
from the Communist authorities during a politically 
sensitive time as Vietnam celebrates the "liberation of 
Saigon." In the end, the event helped build trust with local 
authorities and deepen appreciation of the freedom and 
individuality characterized by American culture. End 
summary. 
 
2.  (U) The largest public performances ever planned by the 
Public Affairs Section succeeded in bringing the award- 
winning youth hip hop break dance group from Houston, 
Havikoro, to Vietnam as part of our year-long commemoration 
of the tenth anniversary of normalization of diplomatic 
relations.  This performing arts event is the culmination of 
Post's three-year efforts to bring outstanding performing 
arts groups and is a vivid example of how we can reach 
younger and broader audiences by looking to unconventional 
sources within America's diverse music culture.  Although a 
striking departure from the usual classical or jazz programs 
of our repertoire, this program injected new enthusiasm 
about the United States into the general public and young 
audiences in a country where 60 percent of the population is 
under twenty-five years old. 
 
3.  (U) In the past, Post enlisted support from Government- 
affiliated performance arts organizations and established 
music conservatories when arranging cultural performances in 
Vietnam.  Utilizing the sponsorship of large Vietnamese 
companies for the first time, PAS joined forces with the 
nation's leading snack food makers and bakeries, Kinh Do 
Foods, a film company and several American firms including 
Johnson and Johnson and Sheraton Hotel, to orchestrate an 
unprecedented cultural program with cost savings to Post. 
American Voices, a non-profit organization devoted to the 
better understanding of American culture and music, was the 
U.S.-side sponsor, having worked closely with us on previous 
projects to promote jazz and blues music. 
 
4.  (U) Beginning a week before Havikoro's arrival, PAS 
created a buzz about the concert, making use of press 
conferences, interviews and intensive publicity efforts to 
generate interest. Often neglected by famous singers who opt 
to perform in wealthier neighboring countries, Vietnam 
rarely has the opportunity to roll out the red carpet for 
foreign performers appealing to young audiences. The biggest 
draw this year so far has been a small concert by Peter 
Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary at the Hanoi Opera House, 
which hit more of a chord with aging expatriates rather than 
Vietnamese audiences. 
 
------------------- 
The Elusive Permit 
------------------- 
 
5.  (SBU) Both PAS Hanoi and PAS HCMC received the official 
green light from the GVN at the last minute, not an unusual 
practice in Vietnam. In the past, officials have generally 
asserted stricter controls in the capital city rather than 
the more cosmopolitan south, where more of the entertainment 
industry is based. Hanoi received the official permit only 
one day before the performance and ConGen HCMC was forced to 
cancel a workshop and only obtained permission hours before 
the concert began.  This reflects the GVN's and the Party's 
continuing struggle with modern music and political 
sensitivities to Western culture.  Multiple letters and 
calls to the Ministries of Culture and Information (MCI), 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and local Party officials failed 
to secure an early confirmation. 
 
6.  (SBU) One day prior to the concert in HCMC, the GVN 
presented a variety of alleged reasons as to why the 
Department of Culture and Information (DCI) would not grant 
permission.  They cited as one reason a PAS-held press 
conference promoting the event that did not have a permit 
from the DCI, despite the fact that PAS does not need 
permission to hold press conferences.  DCI also pointed to 
"tax irregularities" in the business documents of one of our 
local sponsors.  Based on discussions with contacts, it 
appears that the real reasons behind this initial decision 
were GVN apprehension about the effects of hip hop music on 
the youth of Vietnam and concern that our events to 
commemorate the tenth anniversary of diplomatic 
normalization could present a challenge to the GVN's 
celebration of the 30th anniversary of the liberation of 
Saigon on April 30.  After intense last-minute lobbying 
efforts, HCMC was able to secure permission for the event, 
having encouraged local officials to look forward rather 
than backwards, and citing the success of the event in Hanoi 
two nights before, which had been devoid of any negative 
incidents. 
 
------------------------------------- 
Censorship: Before the Show Can Go On 
------------------------------------- 
 
7.  (SBU) In an arcane display of Party oversight during 
dress rehearsals in Hanoi, every Vietnamese performer was 
required to appear on stage in full costume to perform their 
act and face a stern panel of officials from MCI who were 
chain smoking and exchanging nervous glances.  At the end of 
each act, the performer was instructed to approach the front 
of the stage to face a series of questions from the Director 
of Hanoi City's Department of Culture and Information about 
the lyrics, the exact length of skirts or the loyalty of the 
performers to the nationhood of Vietnam. Following this line 
of questioning came an awkward lecture to the performers 
about avoiding drug use, maintaining Vietnam's traditional 
character and showcasing national pride.  Performers bowed 
and thanked the officials for the comments before returning 
backstage. 
 
------------------------- 
When Hip Hop Came to Town 
------------------------- 
 
8.  (U) Post's workshop the night before the gala concert 
aimed at exposing young music students at the Hanoi 
Conservatory of Music to American culture and dance.  In a 
standing-room only crowd of 300 students, the four young men 
of Havikoro, ages ranging from 18 to 29, talked about their 
love of dance and hip hop, channeling this passion as an 
alternative to drugs and crime, and described their journey 
from humble origins in poor neighborhoods to their current 
success. Their message, resonating with youth here, also 
received approving nods from the MCI officials in the 
audience. 
 
9.  (U) The next night, Havikoro lit up the stage for a 
crowd of more than 4000 concertgoers at a friendship 
concert, bringing together some of Vietnam's best and most 
popular pop singers and dancers, including an ethnic 
minority rapper and no less than four professional break 
dance groups. Havikoro awed the audience with complex spin 
moves, rapping, dj record-scratching and comic interludes. 
The national television station, Vietnam Television (VTV), 
Hanoi Television and a Reuters film crew were on hand to 
capture the energy of the masses, and many major newspapers 
carried stories about the concert the next day. In an 
unusual move, VTV aired clips from the concert on its 
evening news two nights in row, highlighting the bilateral 
efforts to celebrate the tenth anniversary. 
 
10.  (U) Over 4,000 people also attended the repeat 
performance in HCMC, while an overflow crowd watched from 
large video screens outside. The space-ship style stage 
featured huge projections of the Consulate General seal and 
the logo for the 10th anniversary of normalization of 
diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Vietnam. The 
carnival atmosphere at the stadium was accentuated by youth 
doing spontaneous break dancing and a finale act that 
finished off the evening in a friendly dance-off between 
American and Vietnamese breakdancers.  VTV's planned 
complete broadcast of the concert in the coming weeks is 
expected to reach 10 million viewers throughout the country. 
 
11.  (SBU) Comment: Cut-off from U.S. music influences for 
almost three decades, Vietnamese youth have only recently 
become aware of the hip-hop movement, inciting a gradual 
emergence of hip-hop clubs and break dance associations in 
Hanoi and HCMC.  This month's Vietnam Airlines in-flight 
magazine even includes an article touting the arrival of hip- 
hop in Vietnam, with a special section on hip-hop fashion, 
with baggy jeans replacing the red scarves of Communist 
youth.  Association with drugs and gangs by some forms of 
hip-hop triggers uneasiness among the Communist government 
about a genre of music they do not comprehend, but the 
government's strict controls over so-called "cultural evils" 
and "Western influences" appear to be waning as exposure to 
foreign music rises. 
 
12.  (SBU) Particularly noteworthy is that, despite 
difficulties with the permits, ultimately, local media 
reported positively on the event, highlighting the positive 
cultural exchange of American and Vietnamese youth.  During 
a month of endless propaganda news pieces about the Vietnam 
War and the trumpeting of military prowess, a taste of hip- 
hop and break dance provided a fresh reprieve to Vietnamese 
audiences and heightened the positive image of American 
culture and U.S.-Vietnam relations.  End Comment.