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Best Events of 2010
Category: General Published on Monday, 20 December 2010 17:00 Written by John Thornton Hits: 602
This free gig really was the biggest surprise of the year. Organised by the German Goethe Institut, which promotes knowledge of German culture abroad, Mouse On Mars tore Saigon apart with some of the heaviest, dirtiest and most hedonistic dance beats ever heard en masse in the city.
The event, held in the open-air allotment of Thanh Nien Cultural House as part of Germany Year in Vietnam, was something of an unknown quantity. Little or no marketing was applied leading up to the night in mid-November, with word of mouth the only tangible sign of advertisement. Still, the apparent lack of marketing didn’t stop around 500 people turning up to rave festival-style to booming techno in the vein of Daft Punk or Justice.
And what a sight it was. For this writer, the experience was akin to watching the Chemical Brothers headline the Other Stage at Glastonbury back in 2004. It had the same feeling.
Even more incredible was that Saigonites made up the majority of the crowd, with only occasional foreigners interspersed throughout the heaving throng. Witnessing Vietnamese and foreigners not only dance next to each other but together in a pact of unbridled euphoria made for one of the most memorable moments of 2010.
DJ Rafik & Kid Fresh
Up until its unfortunate foreclosure, Cage was the live music hot spot in downtown Saigon, hosting some of the best shows ever seen in Vietnam. And if one gig best encapsulated this much-missed venue it was DJ Rafik & Kid Fresh in March.
With the venue packed to the rafters with sweaty clubbers, these two world-class DJs wowed Saigon with an unforgettable four-deck set of relentless scratching, mixing and beat juggling. This was live production of the highest quality, with the technical ability on display simply sensational as the highly talented duo manipulated the wheels of steel in jaw dropping fashion.
Spinning everything from electro, hip-hop, dance and rock to the occasional Brit-pop remix and mid-90s grunge anthem, there was something in this show for everybody as tunes by Lil’ Wayne and Dead Prez were mixed seamlessly into songs by The Prodigy, Blur and even Britney Spears all night long.
The performance of Rafik and Kid Fresh will live long in the memory of those that were lucky enough to have been there.
Alice Charity Cabaret
In an inspiring example of philanthropy, September’s charity cabaret at The Sheraton was an undoubted success. Choosing Alice in Wonderland as their theme, the organisers pulled out all the stops to create a thoroughly fun and enjoyable evening of theatrical entertainment.
Revellers gawped at the impressive array of fancy dress costumes in the ‘courtyard’ where a psychedelic collection of Mad Hatters, Queens of Hearts, Alices, caterpillars and cards laughed and drank while posing in a giant teacup.
The fun filled show was choreographed by DanCenter.
The funds were donated to the following charities:
- Te Phan Love Family in Ho Chi Minh City was awarded VND41 million to offer various arts and cultural activities for their children, the majority of whom are mentally or physically disabled.
- Thien Chi Centre for Support and Community Development in Binh Thuan Province was awarded VND178 million to build water sealed latrines for kindergartens and help promote good sanitation and hygiene among area children.
- Young Creative Group in Ben Tre Province was awarded VND175 million to engage community members and raise awareness about the need to protect rare birds such as those found in the Vam Ho Bird Grounds.