Media Reports

Long Beach ... An Evening Of Music And Poetry "Traces Of The Previous Life And Love Songs" ...

Van Hoi Moi Jan 9, 1997

HOAI LINH

LONG BEACH Unlike previous appearances in the United States, this time Master Ching Hai won the heart of the audience in "An Evening of Music and Poetry -- Traces of the Previous Life.

Long Beach Convention Center, one of the most luxurious theaters in southern California with a capacity of over six thousand, seemed to be completely filled with a record high audience coming from all over the world and the USA, gathering together to join the festivities of "The Evening of Music and Poetry -- Traces of the Previous Life and Love Songs organized by Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association, Los Angeles Center on December 29th, 1996.

Aside from this crowd, we also learned that there were about three thousand other disciples of different nationalities who remained in the various 5-star hotels due to the limited seating, all looking forward to the video release of the performance.

Certainly, it was the first time in the past twenty years that so many thousands of people stood in line in the chilly weather of a cold winter's evening for hours, waiting for their turn to enter the theater. For many people in the audience, the main reason for coming was their curiosity to meet Master Ching Hai, a female spiritual practitioner who has received conflicting criticism from the general public as well as the Vietnamese media in the US, a person who teaches a universal spiritual philosophy with hundreds of thousands of followers of different races and nationalities. The other reason, of course, was the extraordinary assemblage of famous artists, well-known in the Vietnamese entertainment community in the last ten years -- Khanh Ly, Duy Khanh, Le Thu, Mai Huong, Duy Quang, My Huyen, Tuan Ngoc, Thai Hien, Thai Thao, Xuan Phat, Le Uyen and Phuong, Kieu Loan, Dan Hung, Van Son, Hoai Linh and the Nguyen Dinh Nghia family of musicians.

At eight o'clock, the whole auditorium was suddenly filled with rounds after rounds of thunderous applause, just like fireworks on New Year's Eve, to welcome Master Ching Hai, the female spiritual practitioner who has surprised the world and then earned its admiration and love through Her charitable benevolent work.

With Her spontaneous, humorous and carefree manner, the female spiritual practitioner blended into the greeting crowd, shook hands, and said hello to the audience as She passed by. The following fifteen minutes were set aside for interviews and picture taking from the local and international press and other media, who had not seen the Master in the US for quite a long time.

Even though this part was not scheduled to be included in the program and had caused a longer delay than expected at the start of the program, the audience was not at all concerned. They were patient and remained silent; a silence that was so respectful in an evening performance of music and poetry, something that has rarely been seen, if ever, before.

Two pioneers in the world of Vietnamese music, Pham Duy and Thu Ho, were also present among the audience along with musicians Trinh Lam Ngan and Tran Trinh...

One thing worth mentioning was that musician Nhat Ngan, for the first time, performed a song entitled "Coming To Someone's Home, a poem written by Supreme Master Ching Hai for which he had composed the music.

A lot of people sitting around me were commenting: "...She looks very nice, so elegant, so adorable another lady said: "...I don't care what people say, it is kind of unbelievable that this evening's performance is more crowded than the Thuy Nga's Paris Show Some people were even more bold and said: "...No wonder they didn't like Her. She's so talented, She has so many disciples, and She's so courageous in carrying out what She wants to do. Everyone has his own opinion, how can all be satisfied?

In "The Evening Of Music and Poetry," MC Tran Quang, even though he had been invited at the last minute, did a marvelous job of bringing an atmosphere of admiration to the program, artistically weaving a bridge of harmony between the audience and the performers.

Although the program went on until about 3 AM, the audience still remained until the last minute to applaud the success of the organizing staff of Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association, Los Angeles Center, and most of all, to congratulate a modern poet who has just begun Her stardom in the sky of the Vietnamese cultural community -- Supreme Master Ching Hai.¡¹

¡iMedia Reports¡j==========================

An Evening Of Music And Poetry "Traces Of The Previous Life And Love Songs Was Like A Cool Fresh Stream Watering The Dry Pastures Of The Arts

"It probably had been a long time since the audience had the occasion to enjoy an evening of music and poetry performed by a number of famous modern Vietnamese musical artists residing in the United States. Over 6,000 people were present, two-thirds of which were disciples of Master Ching Hai. In addition, over 2,000 were either independent enthusiasts, curious, protestors or mediators.... All remained enthralled until the end of the 9-hour show to enjoy the poetry of the spiritual practitioner who has rocked the whole world through Her compassion -- to listen to Her poems accompanied by famous composers such as Pham Duy, Nhat Ngan, Le Dinh, Phuong Vu, Le Vu...

...Dances performed by young and professional members of Supreme Master Ching Hai Association were well received by the audience....

...Lastly, our compliments to the organizing team in accomplishing a musical performance which is considered to be the most spectacular, especially the young initiates who had nicely carried out their duty of keeping order.

In conclusion, the overseas performing arts was lacking a precious performance like this one, an "Evening of Music and Poetry -- Traces of the Previous Life and Love Songs, truly a cool fresh stream watering the dry fields of the arts.¡¹

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