Concert «Đêm Nhạc Tình Ca» (Love Song Night) at Phòng trà Trịnh Ca

   A piano, a guitar and romantic love songs: Friday at Phòng trà Trịnh Ca in Hanoi is a way to close the week with music about love. If after work you want to sit and listen to live singing in a cosy room, this is the night to pick.

   The Friday series is called «Đêm Nhạc Tình Ca», a night of love songs; its posters read «Đêm nhạc tình ca lãng mạn», romantic love songs. Each evening has its own title and singers, and on recent Fridays the pianist has always been Hoan Dark (Hoàn Dark). Three recent Fridays, all with Hoan Dark on piano and Dao Nguyen (Đạo Nguyễn) on guitar:
«Về Lại Phố Xưa» (Back to the Old Street), 2 October — singers Le Tam (Lê Tâm), Thanh Ha (Thanh Hà) and Moc Lien (Mộc Liên)
«Vài Lần Đón Đưa» (A Few Times Seeing You Home), 25 September — singers Dieu Thuy (Diệu Thúy), Cong Dai (Công Đại) and Nhat Thao (Nhật Thảo)
«Buồn Ơi Chào Mi» (Hello, Sadness), 18 September — singers Le Tam (Lê Tâm), Dieu Thuy (Diệu Thúy) and Minh Duc (Minh Đức)

   Introducing «Vài Lần Đón Đưa», the venue invited «souls who love romantic songs» and asked them to leave their tiredness behind its door. Friday is for anyone who loves Vietnamese ballads and wants to end the working week with live voices.

   Phòng trà Trịnh Ca calls itself «Không gian văn hóa Trịnh Công Sơn», a cultural space for the songs of Trinh Cong Son (Trịnh Công Sơn) and Vietnamese love songs. A phòng trà, literally a «tea room», is the Vietnamese name for an intimate music café with live singing; this one is decorated in an old-fashioned style, with many portraits of the late composer on the walls.

   «Đêm Nhạc Tình Ca» runs every Friday. The title and line-up of each evening are posted on the venue's Facebook page, usually on the day of the concert. The schedule is drawn from the venue's announcements over the past three months rather than a published timetable: some weeks had no announcement, and special programmes occasionally run outside the series. Announcements do not give a price; seats are reserved through the venue's hotline.

   The café is tucked away: from Tô Hiệu street, walk about 100 metres down lane 233, turn into the second alley on the left and, as the venue puts it, go another 30 steps.

   Venue email: [email protected].

   Reserve a seat ahead and let a love song close your week.