Those 15 years were filled with so much love.
Officially established on February 15, 1961, the Liberation Arts Troupe R had actually been operating even earlier. According to many recollections, "while building living quarters and preparing for combat... they also practiced performing arts, so that on December 20, 1960, the troupe's artists participated in a performance to celebrate the inauguration of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam." Thus, until the country was completely reunified, the Liberation Arts Troupe R had gone through nearly 15 years filled with joys and sorrows, hardships, and the affection that its members shared with each other.
With nearly 550 pages, the book "Liberation R Performing Arts Troupe - A Historical Milestone" is divided into three parts: Shoulder to Shoulder Under One Banner; Portraits of Talents Against the Current; and This Fate, This Shared Legacy. From recreating the context and history of the troupe's formation to the memoirs of those involved, accompanied by 50 revolutionary songs created during this period and letters from the front lines, the book is not only a valuable documentary but also conveys profound values about patriotism, the spirit of sacrifice, and the passion for art of those who transformed songs, dances, and music into sharp weapons on the ideological front. It is particularly noteworthy that, even after more than 50 years, many songs created during that period are still loved and performed today, such as: "The Unforgettable Song" (Pham Minh Tuan), "Liberating the South" (Huynh Minh Sieng), "Saigon Girl Carrying Ammunition" (Lu Nhat Vu)...
In addition, the history of the troupe is also marked by the significant contributions of musicians and artists such as: Pham Minh Tuan, Vinh Bao, The Hai, Tran Mui, Phan Thao, Lu Nhat Vu, Ho Bong, Thanh Truc, Hoang Viet; composers: Thanh Nha, Muoi Don, Thanh Hien, Pham Ngoc Truyen, Ngoc Cung; directors: Bich Lam, Ngo Y Linh; choreographer: Thai Ly; singer: To Lan Phuong; dancers: Minh Nguyet, Phi Yen; actors: Huynh Anh, Pham Minh Thu, Quoc Hoa, My Long, Vu Viet Cuong, Nguyen Huynh Sanh, Hoang Dung, Ho Thanh Quang, Huynh Thu, Hong Cuc, Trinh Hung, My Le, Huong Sen, Huynh Minh Tuan, Nguyen An Long…
A unified flow
As the author of the publication "Liberation Performing Arts Troupe R - A Historical Milestone," poet Le Minh Quoc said: "This was an extremely difficult process, because there was almost no documentation about the Liberation Performing Arts Troupe R, as none of the older members wrote anything down at the time. To obtain information, we had to meet and exchange information with witnesses; however, these people are now elderly and don't remember much, or they remember details mixed up. Therefore, it took a lot of time to cross-reference and verify the information..."
Following the success of the Liberation Performing Arts Troupe R - a historical milestone, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports will organize and compile publications on other specialized fields such as painting, literature, and film in the near future. This activity serves as a tribute to the contributions of previous generations of artists and writers, and also aims to summarize 50 years of Ho Chi Minh City's literature and arts after the reunification of the country (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025).
According to poet Le Minh Quoc, the unique characteristic of the Liberation Performing Arts Troupe R was that its members came from all over: the Southwest, the Southeast, and even from the North… After 1975, they returned to their hometowns, so he had to go all the way there to meet and talk with them. “I was fortunate to be treated like a child by them, so they readily shared and supported me without hesitation. And I also thought this was an opportunity to re-examine the revolutionary music and dance of the South, which has long been lacking in documentation,” poet Le Minh Quoc shared.
The active work of the artists and cultural forces in the Liberation Arts Troupe R brought immense significance, as playwright Nguyen Ho rightly observed: “The main force of liberation arts and culture, flowing from the war zones and mountains to the countryside, was one and the same. It was the cultural element of this liberation arts and culture that forged patriotic feelings and spirit into a unified whole. This explains why the American invaders and Saigon soldiers, despite conducting numerous military operations and sweeps with the most advanced and modern weapons, including psychological warfare tactics, were still unable to pacify the South.”
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/co-mot-thoi-tieng-hat-at-tieng-bom-post798814.html
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