By Long Nguyen

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam – If a funeral could be described as sad and solemn, then the final send-offs in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, can be a different sort of affair altogether. Funerals in this city are often celebratory with loud music and entertainment – much to the neighbors’ dismay.

More families of the departed are inviting bands to play Western music, with trumpets, clarinets and other instruments loud enough to wake the dead, or so it would seem. Hired performers sometimes also dance, sing and perform circus and magic tricks.

Ho Chi Minh City is, however, probably the only place in Vietnam where funerals are so revelrous. Dang Quang Hung, 20, who moved there to pursue a university degree, said that the first time he saw a funeral with trumpets playing the Lambada, a Brazilian dance tune that became internationally popular in 1989, he was shocked. “That was outrageous!” Hung said. Funerals in his hometown, Quy Nhon, are somber and sorrowful, he said.

Ly Thanh Phong, 19, also a college student, said the carnival-like funerals in Ho Chi Minh City are “so noisy and ridiculous.” While she was studying for exams last December, a neighbor’s funeral began at dusk and lasted until dawn. The deceased’s family sang loudly the whole time. “That was a real torture,” Phong said.  But out of sympathy for the grieving family, no one ever complains about the noise, she said.

In Hue city, the ancient capital, and some other cities, families do invite musicians to funerals. But they typically perform ceremonial music using traditional instruments to say a mournful farewell to the deceased -- in stark contrast to the disco beat of the Lambada and the similarly exuberant sendoffs that are common in parts of Africa and the Caribbean.

So what is the real reason for the spread of festive funerals? Lam Vu, 21, a student in Hanoi, theorized that lively funerals reflect a belief in some religions that the dead are heading off to enjoy an eternal life. A jubilant “bon voyage!” would be appropriate for those believers, “despite the loss of a family member,” Vu said.

However, the loudest funerals observed in Ho Chi Minh City are organized by Buddhist families, judging by the typical decorations of flags and altars that are adorned with a Buddha statue or photo. Traditionally, Buddhist funerals are ritualized affairs where guests are cautioned against laughing or wearing brightly colored clothing.

 Que Huong, 42, organized such a funeral for her father in April 2007 in the hopes that the entertainment would draw a crowd. “I invited a band in fear of the funeral being poorly attended,” said Huong. For similar reasons, Vietnamese students are sometimes hired to pose as wedding guests when the bride and groom want their small families to appear larger.

According to Dinh Thuan, 45, Ho Chi Minh City has become “a boozing city.” By 5 p.m. most weekdays, the street and restaurants are packed with people who eat, drink, and chat. This fairly new custom means that, “when coming to funerals after working, they want to drink and sing too,” Thuan said. That is why, he said, funeral bands start playing at 5 p.m.

Khang Hung, a funeral musician, said that he used to perform only at weddings. Then he started finding work at funerals. “I earn twice as much at funerals than at weddings,” about $20 to $30 U.S., “since the distressed family members tend not to care about price,” he said.