Developing traditional music with "Gen Z"

The performance “Ve Kinh Bac”, taking place at Hong Ha Theater ( Hanoi ) on April 27, is the starting point of this new journey.

The Thien Thanh folk music group performs with cellist Bryan Charles Wilson (far right).

Trained in traditional music at the Vietnam National Academy of Music, then advanced studies at the Amsterdam Conservatory and the Royal Conservatory of Den Haag (Netherlands), for many years, artist Ngo Hong Quang has chosen for himself the path of independent composition and performance, traveling around the world to promote Vietnamese folk music and learn how to preserve and promote the traditional art of colleagues in other countries.

With his talent and excellent technique in singing and playing traditional musical instruments such as the two-stringed fiddle, monochord, K'ny, jaw harp, and tinh lute, artist Ngo Hong Quang has performed in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world , participating in music festivals and seminars to share Vietnamese musical culture with friends from all over the world. He has also collaborated with talented domestic and international artists to release valuable musical products such as "Hanoi Duo" - in collaboration with artist Nguyen Le, "Nam Nhi" - a music album combining quan ho and Western music, "Looking Back" and "Song Hanh" - combining electronic music with Vietnamese folk music, "Tinh Dan" - in collaboration with Senegalese and Iranian artists, "Rang Dong" - using ethnic mountain music materials with the participation of many international artists...

In 2023, artist Ngo Hong Quang decided to return to Vietnam to experience more deeply the contemporary music life of his homeland. "I feel that I have contributed to promoting the country's cultural image through music and wish to expand directions to the next generation, especially young people pursuing traditional music," artist Ngo Hong Quang expressed. Realizing that Vietnam lacks an environment for modern folk music artists to work, compose and perform, artist Ngo Hong Quang came up with the idea of establishing a folk music group consisting of young people who are students or have just graduated from performing traditional music to combine to create a "new breeze" for this valuable form.

Thien Thanh ethnic music group was founded and led by artist Ngo Hong Quang since the end of 2023, bringing together 9 "Gen Z" artists, including Nguyen Mai Ngoc (36-string zither), Dam Thai Ha (pipa), Nguyen Dinh Duc (erhu), Trinh Nhat Minh (mono), Le Thanh Xuan (bamboo flute, flute), Pham Van Anh (moon lute, singing), Chu Thuy Anh (zither), Nguyen Minh Hieu (percussion), Nguyen Quoc Bao Khang (xam singing). These young artists were all trained at the Vietnam National Academy of Music, the Military University of Culture and Arts, the Viet Bac College of Culture and Arts, etc., so they quickly "caught the wave" with "modern-day traditional artist" Ngo Hong Quang. The first program of this collaboration is "Ve Kinh Bac".

According to artist Ngo Hong Quang, “Ve Kinh Bac” is a program that spreads the tones of Quan Ho pentatonic scales and other folk music genres of the Northern Delta in a modern direction. There, folk materials will be transformed not only in terms of harmony, but also exploiting different types of rhythms, creating a new, youthful, and diverse musical space, suitable for contemporary aesthetics.

The 12 works in the program include “Trai hoi” (drum ensemble), “Cay truc xinh” (ensemble), “Con duyen” (ensemble and singing), “Lung lieng” (ensemble), “Quyet chi tu than” (xam singing), “Xe chi thong kim” (ensemble), “Tinh me” (van singing), “Ngoi reclining on the boat’s side” (ensemble and singing), “Muc ha vo nhan” (xam singing), “Beo dat may troi” (ensemble with cello), “Thuong xuan” (ensemble), “Trong com” (singing and ensemble), all newly arranged by artist Ngo Hong Quang. This program also features the participation of beatboxer Trung Bao and American cellist Bryan Charles Wilson, aiming to create a musical space that is both indigenous and youthful, with international exchange.

After this project, artist Ngo Hong Quang said he will continue to work with the Thien Thanh music group to carry out projects combining folk music from regions of the country with contemporary music.

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