Boney M remembers Hanoi, Joy enjoy Vietnamese cuisine

By Nguyen Minh    March 8, 2019 | 10:59 pm PT
Boney M remembers Hanoi, Joy enjoy Vietnamese cuisine
Joy band and Boney M's main vocalist Liz Mitchell (R) at a press conference in Hanoi Friday. Photo acquired by VnExpress
While Boney M lead singer remarked on the changes in Hanoi, Joy members tucked into Vietnamese cuisine.

Ahead of their highly successful concert in Hanoi, members of the Joy band, Andreas, Manfred và Michael, sampled some local cuisine and were impressed with Vietnamese coffee.

"I have never seen a type of coffee with such a strong flavor. It is quite interesting that in Europe, people rarely drink coffee with ice, so when the seller here asks us whether we want to drink hot or iced coffee, we were quite puzzled. In the end, we decided to drink hot coffee," said Michael Scheickl, a member.

The first Vietnamese dish they had was noodles with duck. Andreas quacked about it: "Duck meat in Vietnam is really delicious. Fresh chilies are also delicious," Andreas said. "We will go down to downtown Hanoi to explore street food. When Joy goes on tour, we like to experience local dishes. Tonight we want to try spring rolls."

The band said they’d prepared a song for Vietnamese women to celebrate Women’s Day.

Liz Mitchell, the main vocalist for Boney M, said she was impressed with the changes in Hanoi. She had first visited Hanoi in the 1990s and could clearly see the change in the city. "There are now more tall buildings, cars and motorbikes."

Boney M has been around so long that their music is stored on vinyl, cassettes, CDs and smart phones.

"For young people, I think they can freely listen to music the way they want. But I encourage everyone to listen to Boney M with vinyl. For me, it's the best sound and gives the most relaxing feeling. You'll almost live more slowly and focus on enjoying the music," said Mitchell.

Boney M and Joy performed at the National Convention Center in Hanoi Friday.

Boney M is a German disco band with four members that enjoyed peak popularity in the mid-1970s, with dozens of their songs ranking high on European charts.

In Vietnam, their songs are loved by millions, especially those born in the 1960s and 1970s. Particular favorites include Rivers of BabylonDaddy CoolMa Baker, and Christmas songs like Jingle BellsMary’s Boy Child, Petit Papa Noel.

Joy is an Austrian disco band established in 1984 with three members: Freddy Jaklisch, Manfred Temmel and Andy Schweitzer. Their songs like Touch by Touch, Hello, Valerie, and Japanese Girl are still popular in Vietnam.

 
 
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