OAKLAND, CA: This summer, CreatioNation, the arts wing of the Earthville Network, in partnership with the Vietnam Fund for Education, Music, and Infrastructure, will officially launch an exciting new project called "Lotus & Lightning" to support traditional arts and village life in Vietnam. As with all of CreatioNation's projects, Lotus & Lightning is a confluence of art and altruism, leveraging the powerfully evocative traditional music of Vietnam and short films to tell the story of tradition and change in this enigmatic country.
CreatioNation has released two music albums that highlight two very different aspects of traditional Vietnamese music (the yin and the yang). Fire in the Lake features award-winning musician Nguyen Ngoc Khanh, considered a "national treasure" in his country for his virtuosic and fiery performances on the ken, a reed instrument. In contrast Ancient Flower, features an all-female string ensemble, Hoa Trang An, peforming mesmerizing, hauntingly beautiful melodic pieces on traditional instruments.
Two short films are also in production. Proceeds from the CDs and films will benefit the arts and village development in Vietnam. The CDs are available for sale in the Earthville Market, and also in download form on the Apple iTunes store.
You can explore the world of Lotus & Lightning at the new website, www.lotusandlightning.com.
© 2008 The Earthville Network. Some rights reserved: This article may be reprinted and distributed freely without permission, provided it is unedited and attributed to the original source as provided in our Copyright Policy.