Online Travel Vietnam: For half a year, people in My Tho City in Tien Giang Province have been offered a new form of entertainment: free live music on Friday nights on the Mekong River.
Located on Yersin Street, Live to River café is a small place with most of the space being set aside for a band and a mini stage, leaving only 20 seats for customers.
But for those who love to listen to Vietnamese love song classics on a Friday along the Mekong, sitting outdoors on the sidewalk or in Gieng the Nuoc Park opposite the café isn't a problem, if not to say a plus.
The café's audiences are numerous, ranging from peanut and lottery vendors to foreign tourists and business managers and they don't have to buy a drink in order to have an outdoor seat.
"Not everyone has enough money to spend on coffee so we organize the sidewalk space to attract more audiences," said musician Do Hai, who organizes the Friday live show.
The artists participating in the show also come from different backgrounds, including Ngoc Suong, who was popular in the 1950s and now lives a secluded life in the countryside and only performs in evening shows.
Then there are local singers like Quoc Dinh, Kieu My and several artists from the Tien Giang Art Troupe.
"But anyone with a good voice can come to the stage to sing," Do Hai said.
Duy Thien, an amateur singer, once captivated audiences with his rendition of Trinh Cong Son's classic Phoi Pha.
"How can you sing so well? Who are you?" an audience had to exclaim.
In fact, Thien is an average working-man who helps his wife run a noodle shop. He loves singing and only asks the café for a hot cup of coffee as his salary.
Another guest singer, Duy Lam, doesn't just sing for local people but also his wife, who often sits behind the stage listening in happiness.
Not many people can guess Lam is a busy manager of a construction company.
"When I am free on Friday night, I come here with my wife and perform," he said. "I want to make everyone and ourselves happy."
As a music lover, the owner of Live to River café Dang Thanh Cuong uses his own money to pay for the lighting and sound system as well as the modest salaries for the artists. Although sometimes losing money, Cuong said he is happy to offer live music for everyone to enjoy.
"I hold this live show for fun, not for business," Cuong said, as another Trinh Cong Son song was being performed in the background. "The prices for drinks in my café at night remain the same."
Source: Tuoi Tre
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