Concert «Đêm Trịnh & Tình Khúc Xưa» (Trinh & Old Love Songs) at Phòng trà Trịnh Ca

   If you want to hear old Vietnamese love songs sung live, a few steps from your seat — songs like «Áo Lụa Hà Đông» and «Ngàn Thu Áo Tím», which gave their names to recent Thursdays — keep a Thursday evening for Phòng trà Trịnh Ca in Hanoi. Here the songs of Trinh Cong Son (Trịnh Công Sơn) and classic Vietnamese ballads are sung unplugged, to guitar and usually violin.

   The Thursday series is called «Đêm Trịnh & Tình Khúc Xưa», a night of Trinh Cong Son's songs and old love songs. Each evening has its own title, usually the name of a well-known song. The line-up changes, but singer Bich Ngoc (Bích Ngọc) has been on every Thursday poster since July, and the most frequent line-up is the trio of Bich Ngoc, Nhat Thao (Nhật Thảo) and Anh Phong with guitarist Dao Nguyen (Đạo Nguyễn) and violinist Ngoc Tung (Ngọc Tùng). A few recent Thursdays:
«Ngàn Thu Áo Tím» (A Thousand Autumns in Purple), 1 October — singers Bich Ngoc (Bích Ngọc), Nhat Thao (Nhật Thảo) and Anh Phong, guitarist Dao Nguyen (Đạo Nguyễn), violinist Ngoc Tung (Ngọc Tùng)
«Áo Lụa Hà Đông» (Silk Dress from Ha Dong), 24 September — singers Bich Ngoc (Bích Ngọc) and Le Tam (Lê Tâm), artist Thanh Huong (Thanh Hương), guitarists Dao Nguyen (Đạo Nguyễn) and Quang Trung
«Mắt Biếc» (Azure Eyes), 20 August — singers Bich Ngoc (Bích Ngọc), Le Tam (Lê Tâm) and Nhat Thao (Nhật Thảo), guitarists Dao Nguyen (Đạo Nguyễn) and Quang Trung

   It suits those who grew up with these songs and want to hear them sung up close, and newcomers wondering why they are still sung today.

   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 Trịnh & Tình Khúc Xưa» runs every Thursday. 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].

   Book a seat early and start your weekend on Thursday with an old love song.