6. "Ca Trù" and Upsidedownism

Dai Giang Nguyen, Ca trù , Oil on Canvas, 35.43” x 37.40”. 2006

Dai Giang Nguyen (1944), was born in Hanoi, Vietnam, but he lives and works in Seattle, United States. Mr. Dai Nguyen is successful artist who has distinguished himself by creating and developing a new school of art, known as the “Upside-Down-Art” . In connection with this innovative accomplishment, he has been responsible for writing the “Manifesto of Upsidedownism”. His first Solo Exhibition was presented in Belgium from 3/8 until 25/9/2013, at VPalace, 33 Wolstraat, 2000 Antwerp city.

About painting: Ca trù, an ancient genre of chamber music featuring female vocalists, with origins in northern Vietnam. There are 3 figures in the painting: On the front right, the female singer provides the vocals whilst playing her "phách" (small wooden sticks beaten on a small bamboo platform to serve as percussion). She is accompanied by a man (in the middle) who plays the "đàn đáy", a long-necked, 3-string lute used almost exclusively for the ca trù genre. Last, on the left side, the spectator (often a scholar or connoisseur of the art) who strikes a "trống chầu" (praise drum) in praise or disapproval of the singer’s performance, usually with every passage of the song. The way in which he strikes the drum shows whether he likes or dislikes the performance, but he always does it according to the beat provided by the vocalists’ phách percussion.

 “Ca trù” is one of the most ancient vocal art form that is still practiced today.