Jazz Heritage Festival aims to make Da Lat an Asian jazz hub

The inaugural festival, to be organised under the direction of the Lam Dong Provincial People’s Committee, will introduce performances at three venues in the heart of Da Lat, aiming to build a recurring cultural event that connects the city with the international jazz scene.

Musician Huy Tuan shared that the choice of Da Lat reflects a desire to create a regular music event for the city while providing a meeting point for international artists touring Asia.

“Rather than organising a one-off event, we are committed to building a cultural brand with lasting artistic value, accumulated over successive editions, and positioning Da Lat as a distinctive heritage destination on the global contemporary music map,” he said.

The festival’s first edition will feature Japanese singer Lisa Ono, renowned for her association with bossa nova and recipient of multiple Japan Gold Disc Awards in the jazz category.

American bassist Nik West will also take the stage. Known as a performer and producer, she is the founder of the Queen of Strings competition.

Another international highlight is Raul Midón, a visually impaired guitarist who has received two Grammy nominations in the jazz album category. His music draws on a broad range of influences, including jazz, pop, soul, R&B, flamenco and Latin styles.

Vietnamese artists will also bring their own musical projects to the festival. Musician Duc Tri will present Musique de Salon - Le Grand Orchestre et Jazz, a project combining orchestral arrangements with jazz elements.

Guitarist Nguyen Le and his band from France will perform alongside famous singer Hong Nhung. Following their live concert Bống là ai? (Who is Bống?), the two artists continue to explore composer Trinh Cong Son’s works through jazz-infused arrangements.

Musician Hoai Sa will rework a selection of Vietnamese songs with singer Tran Thu Ha, while the Tran Manh Tuan Fusion Band will present musical experiments blending Western harmonic structures with pentatonic scales, folk melodies and traditional Vietnamese instruments.

Beyond its international line-up, the festival will also seek to bring jazz into the everyday life of the city by staging performances in a variety of settings.

The three-night event will open at Lam Vien Square on November 6, with an outdoor stage accessible to the general public.

On November 7, performances will move to the square by Hoa Binh Theatre, near Da Lat Market. By bringing the music into a central urban space, organisers hope to make jazz more accessible to local residents and visitors, rather than confining it to specialised performance venues.

The final night, on November 8, will take place at HAUS Da Lat in a programme for invited guests.

Each venue will offer a distinct atmosphere, allowing the festival to introduce jazz across different urban settings, from public squares to more intimate, limited-capacity performance spaces.

The introduction of an international jazz festival adds a new musical dimension to the cultural life of Da Lat, while offering visitors a broader range of experiences beyond the city’s traditional tourism attractions typically centered on its landscapes, architecture, and distinctive climate.

Nearly 100 artists to gather for "Jazz & Friends X" in experiment for Vietnamese jazz

VOV.VN - The Jazz Department under he Vietnam National Academy of Music is set to launch a string of artistic, academic, and international exchange events under the theme "Jazz & Friends-Convergence and Spread " to mark the academy's 70th anniversary.