Ra Ra Rasputin: ’80s German disco lives on in Vietnam, with Boney M and Modern Talking still wildly popular
- These West German disco outfits have retained an unusually prominent following in Vietnam, selling out shows in recent years
- Boney M was one of the few bands Vietnamese people could listen to during the ’80s, a fan says. ‘Now it’s a tradition to play it at every wedding,’ says another
“You’re going to make me cry, that’s awesome,” exclaims Boney M singer Liz Mitchell, blown away by a packed theatre of nearly 4,000 Vietnamese fans bellowing the lyrics of Rivers of Babylon back to her – like a choir lost in time.
As Mitchell belts out the song’s opening lyrics, you can almost feel Hanoi’s National Convention Centre shaking. The middle-aged crowd is on their feet, stamping and clapping to this hit single of historic popularity in Vietnam.
By Mitchell’s side, a backup singer bows towards the audience, as if to say: “We are not worthy.”
Although a charming spectacle, such scenes are not unique. The Euro-Caribbean vocal group’s follow-up gig at the same venue in March 2019 ended with a small stage invasion, while a 2019 performance by ’80s German disco act Modern Talking, also at the National Convention Centre, sold out with ease, despite tickets costing US$50.