According to information from music researcher Nguyen Quang Long, Meritorious Artist Hoang Trong Kha passed away in Hanoi on February 14 (the 2th day of Giap Thin Lunar New Year).
Meritorious Artist Hoang Trong Kha.
Mr. Nguyen Quang Long shared: “In the last days of 2023, Mr. Kha's health was weak, he could no longer play the piano, could not sing, and even had difficulty talking.
Yet, when talking about playing and singing, about his life associated with the wonderful sounds of singing and literature, he gradually became alert, his face brightened, he talked more, Minh (his student) sang 'mum'. ' After a few words, he immediately sang along, and then Minh let him sing on his own.
The researcher also said that artist Hoang Trong Kha is a practitioner of the art of singing and literature in the ancient style. He plays the piano very meticulously, strictly following the rules and styles of each region. He is also dedicated and strict with his students, teaching them how to sit and how to cross their legs.
Every time they visit Meritorious Artist Hoang Trong Kha, Nguyen Quang Long often asks about playing, singing, and teaching the craft. The last time he asked for more information, because the artist has many books on the art of singing and literature.
Image of Meritorious Artist Hoang Trong Kha performing an excerpt from "Van Cong Dong". (Photo: Vietnam Singing Literature Forum).
“Mr. Kha said he used to have a lot of books. He still has them now, but many have disappeared. Uncle Phuc, his son, took a collection of books from the cupboard, brought them out, then chose a few to give to him. All books are written in Chinese and Nom. He opened each book, probed each page, pointed to each word, read it, translated it, and explained it to us.
These are books that have been colored by time, some he collected, some he copied himself. The content of the books is ancient songs and worship texts. Researcher Nguyen Quang Long shared.
Meritorious Artist Hoang Trong Kha was born in 1923 into a family with a musical tradition in Hanoi. His father had a singing career, so from the age of 10, he started studying and in less than a year he followed his father in singing. The five brothers in his family then participated in a series of singing competitions, causing great fame, and were dubbed the "Five Tigers" group.
In 1946, when he and his family evacuated back to his hometown, Hoang Trong Kha asked to join a Cai Luong troupe. It was not until 1951 that he returned to Hanoi to join the Golden Bell Cai Luong troupe. He stuck with Cai Luong for a long time, and only after retiring did he return to performing adoration.
In March 3, Hoang Trong Kha Palace of Literature was awarded the title of Folk Artist by the Folk Arts Association. In December 2012, during the awarding of the title of People's Artist, Meritorious Artist in the field of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Hanoi, Mr. Hoang Trong Kha became an Meritorious Artist.
Le Chi
