South African Heritage Week in Hanoi: Cultural Ambassadors from South Africa

"Organising the South African Heritage Week in Hanoi, we want to share with the Vietnamese friends, who always stood side by side with the South African people in the struggle against apartheid, the value of cultural heritages of South Africa," said South African ambassador to Vietnam, G L Pitso, at a recent press conference in Hanoi to launch the event.

 

In 1994, the South African Government decided to select its National Day, September 24, as Isintu sa Bantu, which means the Heritage Day in Zulu - one of the 12 official languages of South Africa, to honour cultural, linguistic, cuisine and music heritage of South Africa.

 

The South African Heritage Week was held by the South African embassy in Hanoi in co-operation with the Ministry of Culture and Information of Vietnam from September 16 - 23.

 

In 2004, when the South African Heritage Week was first held in Vietnam, the event produced a good impression among Vietnamese and international friends with special programmes, which promoted the image of a beautiful South Africa, with a South African cuisine festival, book exhibitions and fashion shows.        

This year, Hanoi's audience was entertained by DJs, dancers and drummers from South Africa. On September 16, professional DJs, dancers and drummers gave joyful Funky, Deep and Tribal House performances. The ‘House Music, Hip Hop and Breakdance' with DJ Ready D, who is the 'king' of scratch hip hop, Kwaito and R&B, who has won four DMC championships in South Africa. The performance night closed with hip hop performances by Big Toe and D2. Performances of South African artists continued at Bobby Chin restaurant on September 17, Mosaique Living Room on September 18, and at the Giang Vo Exhibition and Fair Centre on September 23. During their stay in Hanoi, South African artists had an exchange meeting with Vietnamese artists at the Hanoi Conservatory on September 19.

 

Also on this occasion, South African education was introduced to a Vietnamese audience through its famous universities.