Music has become an integral part of the international fireworks contests in Da Nang. Viet Nam News talks with Nguyen Duc, leader of the Hoa Xuong Rong (Cactus Flowers) group, which has composed the final chapter in the piece of music for the Vietnamese team’s performance tonight.

What are the most important things composers have to interpret through the music?

The music must highlight what has been presented in the script which has five chapters describing the legend of the Han River from the early times when the very first people came lo settle here, through the wars of national salvation until the present day, where Da Nang is a city full of vitality.
In our part - Chapter 5 - we have to represent a young, modem, dynamic, green, clean and beautiful city. The music will bring a message of peace, friendship and hospitalily from Da Nang citizens, who are spreading their hands to welcome friends from every part of the world. It will also feature love and the aspirations of local people.

What material do you use to depict these themes?

Audiences will recognise the rhythm of Ho Ghut Chi, a folksong popularised by Quang Nam - Da Nang fishermen in their working life, hut we use a rock symphony as genre for the music, with a high tide made up of electric guitar and high violin sounds. An ocean-going vessel whistle can also be heard when the fireworks describe the Han River water pouring into the sea.
The electronic sounds accompanying traditional singing, together with continuous changes in melodies, arc necessary to demonstrate the energy of a young city.

What are the differences between writing music for firework performances and writing a normal piece?

I find it simpler when I compose a song for which audiences can close their eyes to enjoy. It’s difficult to write a symphony for audiences to listen to when they keep their eyes open to take in a fireworks display. We must work very seriously to assure the harmony between fireworks and musical effects. But it’s an interesting task, and I’m very enlhusiastie to see how our work is performed.

As a music composer for an international cultural event like this, how do you feel?

This is a good chance for us to rub shoulders with inlernational competitors who come from countries known for both their fireworks and musical achievements. Through occasions like this, we can see to what levels our music has reached.

VNS

HA NOI

The Ha Noi Stock Exchange has adjusted its method for computing the HNX-Index, effective yesterday, in an effort to minimise the influence of titanium miner Sai Gon-Quy Nhon on the movement of the index.
Sai Gon-Quy Nhon (SQC) first listed 100 million shares on the Ha Noi market on December 17 of last year and immediately became the market’s second most heavily-capitalised stock, following Asia Commercial Bank (ACB).
In accordance with the Passche method of calculating a stock market index, the HNX-Index reflected all 100 million SQC shares listed on the exchange, accounting for over 10 per cent of total market capitalisation on the Ha Noi Stock Exchange.
This meant that every change in SQC shares, however small, was reflected clearly in the HNX-Index and was giving the share inordinate influence on index movement, said the exchange’s deputy director, Nguyen Vu QuangTrung.
Based on the exchange’s observations, Trung said, the HNX-Index had failed to accurately reflect the market situation recently due to the share’s heavily-weighted impact.
The exchange found that SQC shares had impacted the HNX-Index in 25 of the 63 sessions since its first listing day, Trung said.
But only 11.25 per cent of the total SQC shares listed were actually subject to being traded on any given day on the market, he added. The remainder of the shares were restricied from being re-transferred by shareholders within the first two years they were issued.
Effective yesterday, the exchange decided to reduce the weight of SQC shares reflected in the calculation of the HNX-Index from 100 million to 11.25 million, reducing the company’s share of total market capitalisation to only about 1 percent.
"We decided to make this reduction basing on this reality, and the company agreed," Trung said. "This adjustment, starting yesterday, should help ensure a correct reflection of actual market changes, reducing losses to investors. "
The number of SQC shares-used in calculating the HNX-Index would be increased upon the expiry of the trading restriction on the shares, he added.
The HNX-Index gained 0.05 per cent in yesterday’s trading, closing at 163.76, while SQC shares rose 6.11 per cent to VND134,900 per share.

VNS

THAI NGUYEN

The People’s Court of Thai Nguyen Province yesterday sentenced five people to death and 11 to life in prison, after being found guilty of involvement in a massive heroin smuggling and corruption case that has so far implicated 29 people.
Those convicted included 21 people charged wilh trafficking 50 packets of heroin between 2004 and 2006. The eight other defendants were former policemen, court officials and judges who accepted hribes and allowed the smugglers to escape sentencing in 2006 when the case first went to trial. All the accused had previously been acquitted by the court at the conclusion of the first case.
Nguyen Van Dua, Le Duc May, Nguyen Thi Hao, Nguyen Dang Lap and Nguyen Cong Vien received death sentences while eleven others, 10 of whom are female, were sentenced to life in prison.
Defendants who received the death penalty and life sentences were also fined between VND50-300 million (US$2,500-14,000) by the court.
Suspended sentences were given to defendants Dinh Thi Hoa, a former judge of the court, and Nguyen The Cuong. Hoa received a 22-monlh suspended sentence while Cuong, who was convicted of mediating bribery, received a 36-month suspended scniencc and a 50-month probationary period upon conclusion of the sentence.
Charges against the accused for which convictions were reached included drug trafficking, asset fraud, illegal possession of military weap-ons, corruption, faking official stamps and documents.
Others found to be involved in the operation were sentenced to between 3 -20 years in prison.
The court closed yesterday upon completion of the 14-day hearing.

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LONG AN

Olam International, a Singapore-based global supply chain player in agricultural products, opened an instant-coffee manufacturing facility in Long An Province on Thursday.
Located in the Nhut Chanh Industrial Park in Long An’s Ben Luc District, the new facility produces bulk spray-dried coffee powder, freeze -dried coffee granules, and coffee extracts to the unbranded and private label coffee segment.
Olam has invested US$50 million in this factory which is run by its subsidiary, Cafe Outspan Viet Nam Co Ltd.
Sunny Verghcse, CEO and group managing director of Olam, said the Cafe Outspan Viet Nam factory is Olam’s only soluble coffee facility in the world.
In the first phase it would consume 10,000 to 11.000 tonnes of coffee beans a year and produce 4,000 tonnes of coffee.
Its capacity will go up to 7,000 tonnes in the second stage within a year or two, and to 12,000 tonnes in the third phase. Verghese said products from the Cafe Outspan Viet Nam would be exported to Europe, Japan, Russia, the Mideast, and the US.
Olam has invested about $65 million in building five coffee processing plants in Viet Nam, all of the other four in the Central Highlands and specialising in green bean coffee, Verghese said.
The group is also involved in trading of pepper, cashew nuts, spices, and rice in Viet Nam, buying 150,000 tonnes of rice a year in the country.
Olam, which has been in Viet Nam since 1999 has annual revenues of $300 million and 800 employees in the country.
Luong Van Tu a former deputy trade minister, appreciated Olam’s effort to export instant coffee from Viet Nam saying it would add value to the country’s coffee beans, make drinkers around the world know about the true value of Vietnamese coffee, and create more employment opportunities.

VNS

HA NOI

Despite a good watermelon harvest, farmers from several provinces nationwide have made huge losses which has been blamed on irresponsible cultivation decisions.
According to a report issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the price of watermelon in prime growing areas, including cenlrai Quang Tri, Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh provinces, has dropped to VND500 to VND800 per kilo in many areas. Last year the price of watermelon ranged from VND4,400 to VND5.000 (US$0.2) per kilo.
"An excessively low price has left us empty handed," said Tran Thi Tam, a farmer in Quang Ngai Province and owner of a 7,200sq.m watermelon plantation.
Farmers could only make a profit if the price was at least VND 1,500 to VND2.000 per kilo, she said.
Ho Si Hoang, owner of a 21,000sq.m watermelon plantation in Dien Ban District, central Quang Nam Province, said he was forced to sell his crop despite the low price.
"One rain could cause the whole plantation to rot. My crops were good but the harvest was a huge loss this year. It is such a bitter disappointment," he said.
According to the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Quang Nam Province, farmers lost VND25 million ($1,300) per hectare of watermelon crop this year on average, which equals a loss of VND37 billion ($1.9 million) on 1,500 hectares in total.
Tran Van Nghia, vice head of the Customs Office Unit at the Tan Thanh Border Gate in northern Lang Son Province, said many lorries transporting watermelons had to wait at the gate for several days before ihey were able to cross.
Many returned with half of their watermelons unsold, he said.
The fact that the price is going down even with a good harvest should be blamed on the spontaneity of farmers in their choices about which crops to cultivate, said Director of MARD’s Cultivation Department Nguyen Tri Ngoc.
"Farmers own their land, so they can decide which crops to grow. They ignored warnings from the authorities." he said.
It is necessary to make careful calculations about liming and market demand in order to sell agricultural products. Irresponsible cultivation leads lo an excessive amount of products in the market without sufficient consumer demand.
Ngoc said the connection between the Government, farmers, scientists and distributors was important. The Government needs to develop policies to help farmers sell their products.
He said the Government would soon organise a workshop for Vietnamese ministers and Chinese officials to sign agricultural import and export agreements.

VNS

HCM CITY

Industrial parks require social infrastructure like housing, schools, and medical facilities to attract investors, an industry insider told in a pre-paratory meeting for an exhibition to be held in HCM City next May.
Vo Son Dien, advisory and marketing director of southern Binh Duong Province-based IP developer Becamex IDC Corp, told in the meeting held on Wednesday to prepare for the Viet Nam Industrial Parks - Investment World 2010 exhibition that tills would help attract and retain human resources.
"The facilities will ensure employees have stable lives," Dien added.
He cited the example of Binh Duong, which has 28 industrial parks that have been attracting human resources from elsewhere.
But he admitted thai many IPs in Viet Nam are developed by private or joint stock companies who usually do not have the financial capacity or are underpressure from shareholders to achieve quick profits and do not plan for such infrastructure.
IPs that provide decent land lots to resettle people and provide job training would have access to quality human resources, he pointed out,
Lee Chang Keun, honorary chairman of the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry in HCM City, said besides land costs and incentives, man-power availability is also an important factor that investors consider while leasing land in an IP.
Though many Korean investors see potential in Viet Nam, they lack information about its IPs, he said to emphasise the important of marketing them.
Participants at the discussion agreed that a stable political environment, improved investment climate, and high GDP growlh rale are among the country’s attraction.
Viet Nam has 228 IPs covering more than 58,000ha, with 145 already in operation with an average occupancy rate of 64 per cent.
The Viet Nam-Singapore IP in Binh Duong and Amata IP in Dong Nai Province are considered the most successful.
The Viet Nam Real Estate Association and Sao Kim Communications JSC will organise the two-day Viet Nam Industrial Parks - Investment World 2010 on May 7-8 at the HCM City International Exhibition and Convention Center in Tan Binh District.
So far 39 stalls have been taken up by IPs from several provinces including Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Ca Mau, and Binh Thuan.
More than 1,000 investors have agreed to visit the exhibition, according to the organisers.

VNS