Several artists will perform traditional music in three French cities -Paris, Marseilles and Bordeaux - to celebrate the overseas Vietnamesecommunity and the French during the Lunar New Year festival.

TheVietnamese Cultural Centre in France and the Hanoi-based Centre forResearch, Preservation and Promotion of Vietnamese Traditional Culturewill cooperate to launch the event, which runs from February 24 to March5, according to Truong Hoang Chuong, Director of the centre in Vietnam.

Theevent is aimed at promoting quintessential traditional Vietnameseculture and entertaining the audience, especially Vietnamese peopleliving far from home, when springtime comes.

Musician NguyenQuang Long, one of the artists, said he will perform xam (blindwanderers' music) three times over the course of the festival.

"Xamwas so popular in the north of Vietnam in the early 20th century;however, like other traditional singing arts, it has been on thedecline," remarked Long," I feel proud to present this music abroad andexpect that the audience will understand its background."

Otherartists and director Chuong will also introduce quan ho (love duets),cheo (traditional operetta), tuong (classical drama) and bai choi (atraditional game combining folklore singing and lottery picks).-VNA