Nostalgic memories of the golden age of the Trong Dong stage, Lan Anh

Because those stages used to be musical "sanctuaries", places that preserve memories, contribute to bringing artists closer to the audience and witness the ups and downs, changes of Vietnamese music.

Dam Vinh Hung remembers the first time standing on the Lan Anh stage

Located on Cach Mang Thang 8 Street (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City), with an outdoor space of more than 3,000 seats, Trong Dong stage was once the cradle of the youth music movement in the 1980s and 1990s - a familiar weekend meeting place for young people in Saigon.

Dam Vinh Hung recalls his time as a barber, living in a small room, saving money to go to see music shows at Trong Dong stage. "I used to be an audience member sitting below watching Minh Tuyet and Cam Ly sing at Trong Dong every night. When the show was almost over, I would run out to the stage to wait in advance to see the singers' faces, just standing there watching. Which car the singers took, what time, I knew everything. At that time, I was still doing hair, not singing yet, just watching and being fascinated," Dam Vinh Hung recounted.

The nights watching performances at Trong Dong, Lan Anh at that time helped the barber Huynh Minh Hung (real name of Dam Vinh Hung) nurture his dream of pursuing the profession. In 1998, after 8 times participating in the competition, he won 4th prize in the Ho Chi Minh City Television Singing Contest - a prestigious and quality music competition, which was also the first time he stood on the Lan Anh stage to perform the song Saigon - City of 300 years with other artists.

Ho doi dap is one of the most classic performances of Lan Song Xanh, gathering the top 10 singers in 2003.

PHOTO: GREEN WAVE

Although she only appeared as a backup singer, singing with many other artists, Lan Anh's first steps on stage nearly 30 years ago were the first step that helped the singer of Xin loi tinh yeu persevere in pursuing her dream.

In 2003, Dam Vinh Hung had his first live show at this music cathedral. 2 nights of performances with a packed audience. The budget for the organization was nearly 700 million VND, almost all of which he borrowed (from producers and friends).

He said he did not do the live show for business, there was never a moment when he thought about selling tickets to make a profit. "Before, I sang in tea rooms with few people watching or listening, only about a hundred or a few hundred people, and I only sang a few songs, which was not enough. I wanted to sing more songs, let more people listen, and hear louder applause, so I had to do the live show. Mr. Huynh Phuc Dien (as well as many people in the profession) said: 'Everything is expensive to produce, but performing one night is such a waste, the director's fee is only calculated once! Everyone is looking forward to Hung's live show! Do it now!'. Luckily, all the tickets were sold out, I was able to pay off my debt, and have a little profit...", Dam Vinh Hung was moved.

Minh Tuyet drove a motorbike to take Cam Ly to sing.

Born after Trong Dong stage, Lan Anh stage (District 10, Ho Chi Minh City) is the first choice for big live shows. Large-scale music nights with modern sound and lighting systems are the place to mark the maturity of many Vietnamese artists. Many people have said that Lan Anh stage is the dream that every singer wants to reach at least once.

Cam Ly, Dan Truong, Lam Truong, Dam Vinh Hung… have all held concerts at this music sanctuary. The long lines of people waiting to buy tickets to see the concerts are a guarantee of the popularity of an artist. This is also the first place where Lan Song Xanh held grand opening nights and award ceremonies, leaving beautiful memories in the hearts of fans. For the next 19 consecutive years, this place remained Lan Song Xanh’s sanctuary, until the day it could no longer hold performances.

Audience attending the 1998 Green Wave Awards Ceremony

PHOTO: GREEN WAVE

Although she had heard the news before, when she heard that Trong Dong and Lan Anh theaters had officially closed, singer Cam Ly could not help but feel sad. She still clearly remembered the nights riding a motorbike with Minh Tuyet to perform all over the city.

"Ha Phuong's legs and arms were weaker, so her father drove her. Ly and Tuyet rode their mother's motorbike, from Trong Dong, Lan Anh, through Dam Sen, late at night the two girls drove like that. Not only around the city stages but also Thu Duc, Binh Duong, the two sisters drove all over. Now thinking back, I wonder what would have happened if the motorbike had broken down on the way. After a while, the two sisters saved up and bought a Dream motorbike to run shows. Every time they ran a show, Tuyet drove, Ly held the keys, because if Ly drove, she would have arrived tomorrow", Cam Ly recalled with emotion.

In 2008, to celebrate her 15th year of singing, Cam Ly held her own shows at two locations: Lan Anh Music Stage (HCMC) and Can Tho City Stadium. During that concert, more than 3,000 seats at Lan Anh Stadium were full, many audiences stood to cheer for their singer and kept shouting "Sister Tu" (the intimate name fans call Cam Ly).

Although she was pregnant with a baby, Cam Ly still performed very well without knowing it. That day, while performing at Lan Anh stage, she slipped and fell down the stairs while wearing high heels. Luckily, mother and child were safe... But every time she remembers it, the singer of Nguoi ve cuoi pho still trembles. Those are memories she can never forget.

Showbiz is shifting

Media expert Do Quang Chi, who has more than 20 years of experience in artist management in Vietnam, said that if he only looks at it from an emotional perspective, he understands why many people feel regretful.

Having done many shows on the Trong Dong stage ( Thanh Thao's Night of Thousands of Stars , or he was also the one who contributed to Hoang Thuy Linh's return in the show Going to School... ), Quang Chi recalls: "I didn't just stand and watch the stage, I used to run and sit on the ground in the dusty backstage to discuss the script, and help sell tickets. For me, Trong Dong is a place where ordinary audiences - workers, students - can live with music without needing million-dollar tickets, back then 150,000 VND was the best. And Lan Anh is a place where artists can 'burn' with a powerful enough sound system, full lighting and international-level performances."

For him, the story is not simply about nostalgia. Because "to be frank, the story of Lan Anh not being able to sell tickets is true, mostly only the branded program - free tickets are crowded. And Trong Dong, although full of memories, is also old, also had to give up land to make a... parking lot".

Media expert Do Quang Chi and "action girl" Ngo Thanh Van are reading the script backstage at the Trong Dong stage in 2009.

PHOTO: NVCC

Show organizers understand that today's era demands a much higher audience experience. People don't just want to hear music - they want emotions, beautiful spaces, comfort, and sometimes... a reason to check-in.

"Young people now go to see shows at shopping malls, new light theaters, rooftop bars, or even in the forest, on the hill, at sea. Showbiz is not dead - it is moving. I just hope that, no matter where we stand, who we sing for, we - the professionals - still retain the spirit of Trong Dong: close, sincere. And retain the light of Lan Anh: brilliant, professional. We are simply writing a new chapter, in a new space, with a new generation of audiences", Quang Chi confided.

Trong Dong and Lan Anh stages have officially closed, ending the vibrant shows that once made up a part of the musical soul of Ho Chi Minh City. The new stages may be more modern and "chill" but the memories of holding paper tickets, jostling to get into the stage, and being late is the end... will forever be unforgettable memories.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/boi-hoi-nho-vang-son-mot-thuo-cua-san-khau-trong-dong-lan-anh-185250512204459888.htm