A free new music programme at theatres, parks, universities, industrialparks and export processing zones in Ho Chi Minh City will be heldregularly as part of the city's cultural activities to celebrate thecountry's Reunification Day on April 30.

The programme, organisedby the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in cooperation withlocal authorities, will offer 53 shows beginning next week and ending inlate September.

It features several hundred performers from 11 State-owned art troupes in Hanoi, HCM City and other provinces.

Someof the featured shows include artists from the Vietnam Circus Union,the Viet Bac Theatre of Traditional Music and Dance, the Vietnam Operaand Dance Theatre and the Vietnam Cai Luong (reformed theatre) Theatre.

TheViet Bac Theatre of Traditional Music and Dance, in cooperation withits partner, the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre, will stage the event calledViet Bac Hoa Chung Khuc Khai Hoan (Singing the Song of Triumph).

The show will feature well-known Kim Dung and Xuan Ai, Quoc Hung, Thuy Dung and Anh Tho.

Songsand dances in praise of love, friendship, family and country, composedby veteran musicians such as Hoang Viet and Tran Hoan, will be featured.

Theprogramme will be held on April 30 at the Sen Hong Stage located inSeptember 23 Park in District 1. It will tour universities and parksevery weekend.

The Hanoi-based Vietnam Tuong (classical drama)Theatre will also conduct a special tour in the city to feature tuong, asymbolic form of traditional art in central Vietnam.

During their tour, the artists will perform dozens of extracts from famous traditional plays.

To attract city audiences, actors will combine cai luong, a southern art form, and tuong, by using modern materials on stage.

Songs composed by veteran musicians such as Phan Huynh Dieu and Hoang Viet will be featured.

TranThi Anh, a migrant worker of Linh Trung Export Processing Zone, said:"We hope this free programme will entertain us on the holiday, afterdays of hard work."-VNA