Saigon Soul Revival will be back aboard! During their last stay, which spanned over three days, they not only played a memorable concert but also had the time to rehearse. In doing so, they conceptualized the early stages of two songs for their upcoming album Chốn Ta Về on Stubnitz. We are more than happy to welcome them once again.
Saigon Soul Revival from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is on a mission to bring back the raw, live sound of 1960s and 70s Vietnamese rock and soul music. The aim is to please your ears with some sweet grooves while uncovering a beautiful part of the country's culture and history that has remained dormant for so long.
Saigon Soul Revival
Ho Chi Minh City based band Saigon Soul Revival has been bringing alternative pre 1975 music from Saigon back to the stage since 2016 with their live performances. Honouring the original composers, singers and the golden era from which this music (Nhạc Vàng) came while applying new arrangements and interpretations of old Vietnamese songs. The (core) band includes 5 members consisting of Nguyễn Anh Minh (vocals), Indy Jeremy Vinh Laville (guitar & Đàn Nguyệt ), Nguyễn Hương Bảo Hiếu (drums), Gabriel Kaouros (bass/perc.) and Đăng Nguyễn Khoa (keys). With tight grooves, psychedelic textures and a powerful unique sound, SSR has performed countless shows at a variety of venues across Vietnam, including major events like Quest Festival, Vibe Nation and Mui Ne Music & Art festivals. In 2017 they also took part in the nationally known „Ban Nhạc Việt“ (known in the west as „The Band“) TV format and and accompanied live the two release tours to the Saigon Supersound Compilation releases in Vietnam. In 2023 and 2024 they went on international tours with concerts in United Kingdom, Germany, France and Portugal.
With support from British Council’s FAMLAB Fund initiative they started to create own compositions in the same vein for their debut album “Họa Âm Xưa“ that was produce by Jan Hagenkötter and released in 2019 on the Saigon Supersound Imprint. The album was recorded in Vietnam with additional guests like the famous (pre 1975) Vietnamese singer Mai Lệ Huyền and the current popular Saigonese rapper “Blacka” (the 2022 finalist of Vietnam's most successful TV show “Rap Việt”), in order to combine the old sound with the new sound of Saigon.
Some compositions include traditional Vietnamese instruments like the Đàn Nguyệt played by Indy Laville or the đàn tranh & đàn bầu which is played by famous traditionally-trained musician Thị Hải Phượng on the album and also often at the live shows as special guest. This fusion distinguishes it from the original recordings of the 60s and 70s and has resulted in a unique and contemporary sound.
Their debut album “Hoa Am Xua” gained international success. Among many other media features It was nominated for the SONGLINES MUSIC AWARDS 2021 in the UK ! and received massive radio airplay and rotations on Radio FIP in France or Iggy Pop in his BBC radio show and Radio Cosmo (WDR) in Germany.
In 2024 the title ĐÁM CƯỚI NHÀ EM from their second studio album “Mối Lương Duyên” is featured in the HBO Mini-Serie „The Symphatizer“ (directed by Par Chan-Wook (Oldboy) / Robert Downey Junior producer and actor), which is based on the novel of the same name (Pulitzer Prize 2016) by Viet Thanh Nguyen. Mối Lương Duyên, roughly translated to “destiny”, is a journey through eight original compositions and three soul-stirring reinterpretations of Saigonese nhạc vàng or golden music.
All members of the band are of Vietnamese background or have a strong connection to its culture and heritage through loved ones and their time spent in the country. Their music focuses on compositions that fuse Vietnamese lyrics and sounds with influences of western rock, soul, bolero, tango and other popular genres of this time period, most of which was banned after the war. This project strives to revive this beautiful musical heritage of Vietnam which represents an important cultural bridge between east and west.
- Homepage
- Bandcamp
- Spotify
- YouTube
- Ai Thật Lòng Yêu Ai (Who Truely Loves Who? - video)
- full performance live on KEXP)
* Ermäßigter Eintritt an der Abendkasse für Menschen, die sich den vollen Preis nicht leisten können. Um das zu ermöglichen sind wir auf solidarische Spenden von Menschen angewiesen, die mehr geben können als den regulären Ticketpreis. Wir vertrauen darauf, dass ihr eure Situation richtig einschätzt. Dafür vielen Dank. Karten an der Abendkasse sind nur erhältlich, wenn sie nicht im Vorverkauf ausverkauft sind. Supportertickets ermöglichen 10 Euro Eintritt, EXIT ALLTAG. ENTER STUBNITZ. * Reduced admission at the box office for people who cannot afford the full price. To make this possible, we rely on donations from people who can give more than the regular ticket price. We trust that you will value your situation fairly. Thank you very much. Box office tickets are only available if not sold out in advance. Supporter tickets enable entry for €10, EXIT ROUTINE. ENTER STUBNITZ.