“Why do we start?” - we all go through the challenging “start” phase and then strive to turn our dreams into reality. The new video series “7A.M Start” produced by Travellive Media Group and its companion Ford Territory, is a bridge to bring the audience to the stories behind the portrait of each Vietnamese brand. Appearing first on the journey, the talented band Dan Do brings a series of inspirational stories to the public.

In 2012, returning from a tour in Europe within the framework of the famous contemporary circus program “My Village”, artist Nguyen Duc Minh connected with members Dinh Anh Tuan, Nguyen Quang Su and Tran Kim Ngoc to continue practicing art from creative inspirations based on the foundation of indigenous materials, originating the way to raise the issue of exploiting the features and expressiveness of Vietnamese bamboo in music.

During this time, visual artist Nguyen Duc Phuong became the fifth “piece” of Dan Do. He played the role of recording the creative life of the journey in search of pure sounds through paintings using earthy materials. Painter Nguyen Duc Phuong also contributed to the aesthetic shape of each musical instrument created by the group.

The connection is that they find the “reason for living” in the journey they are pursuing, which is sometimes jokingly called “life debt”. Although the journey is full of challenges and hardships, the group always believes in their passion and efforts. For them, music is the way the group connects with the world and conveys meaningful messages.

Choosing bamboo - a familiar material closely associated with Vietnamese culture, life and soul as the "core", the group began researching and developing new musical instruments at the first workshop in Ngoc Thuy, Gia Lam (Hanoi).

“Bamboo is a native plant closely associated with the lives of Vietnamese people. We chose bamboo as the main material because through bamboo we can learn about folk culture. That is the basic core for us to start the creative story, building musical instruments that speak the voice of natural sounds,” artist Nguyen Duc Minh shared.

On that journey, new melodies began to “sprout” from the members’ hard work and endless contemplation: “Can the sound of bamboo resonate like metal?”, “What will we do tomorrow that is different from what we create today?”. The passion for music urges the group to constantly refine and perfect each musical instrument, bearing the mark of Vietnamese aesthetics and spirit.

After 12 years of dedicated pursuit, Dan Do has painstakingly built a space that is not only a "nursery" for delicate artistic creations but also a close, cozy and emotional destination. At the band's familiar space on the edge of the old factory area at Lane 109 Truong Chinh (Hanoi), Dan Do Lab is rustic with poetic windows and warm earth tones. Dan Do's activities are a bridge connecting indigenous culture with domestic and foreign audiences, contributing to spreading traditional artistic values.

Up to now, the members of Dan Do are continuing their journey with the hope of creating a memorable turning point when practicing their own art under a new appearance and mission: bringing the sound of Dan Do further beyond the borders with the spirit of contemporary music.

TRAVELLIVE readers are invited to watch Episode 1 of the video series “7A.M Start” to discover the story of the Dan Do group - artists who are tirelessly searching for unique art with Vietnamese imprints. They represent a small piece in the colorful picture of Vietnamese brand portraits that are increasingly asserting their position in the market.

Stay tuned for the next episodes of “7A.M Start” to support and be inspired by the passionate and courageous stories of Vietnamese brands!