The renowned singer of "humorous Vọng Cổ" (traditional Vietnamese folk singing) Văn Hường has passed away.

According to his family, artist Van Huong (real name Nguyen Van Huong), born in 1934 in My Thanh, Long Thanh My, Thu Duc (now Long Thanh My ward, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City), passed away at 7 PM on December 7th, at the age of 90.

He was hospitalized for a brain hemorrhage more than 10 days ago and passed away at Gia Dinh People's Hospital.

He was ill due to old age and had been cared for by his children at his private residence for some time.

At the age of 15, artist Van Huong sold watermelon seeds at the Nguyen Van Hao Cai Luong theater (now the Cong Nhan theater on Tran Hung Dao Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City).

Like many artists of that era, he started as a talented singer among the audience and ventured into the world of cải lương (Vietnamese traditional opera) with the dream of becoming the leading male actor.

That was the period when Le Lieu restaurant, located near Thi Nghe bridge (1960s-1970s), was established, becoming a meeting place for lovers of traditional Vietnamese folk music in Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City at that time.

Artist Van Huong frequented this restaurant hoping to get a chance to perform traditional Vietnamese folk songs on stage. Artist Le Lieu discovered that the young man selling watermelon seeds sang exceptionally well and boasted about it to many of her friends at the restaurant.

By chance, Mr. Bay Cao - the manager of the Hoa Sen theater troupe - came to watch and listen to Van Huong sing. He liked it so much that he called many other professional artists to listen and give their opinions, including playwright Vien Chau.

According to the late composer Viễn Châu, it was his perspective on "why can a Vọng Cổ song make the audience cry but not laugh?" that led him to create the humorous Vọng Cổ style, with lyrics and lyrics satirizing vices and bad habits.

From that opportunity, playwright Viễn Châu composed humorous Vọng Cổ songs, initiating this trend in the early 1960s. The first person to perform the song "Tư Ếch đi Sài Gòn" was artist Văn Hường.

He rose to fame like a kite in the wind. In 1972, he collaborated with the "king" of Tao Dan poetry recitation - the late artist Thanh Hai - to form his own theater troupe called "Thanh Hai - Van Huong".

After the reunification of the country, he collaborated with the Thong Nhat Collective Cai Luong Troupe ( Tay Ninh ), and then with the Song Chung Cai Luong Troupe (Phuoc Chung).

In 1987, due to his advanced age, he retired from the stage and opened the Van Huong traditional music restaurant in Long Thanh My ward, Thu Duc district.

Mrs. Sau Lien's Vietnamese record company stores many humorous Vong Co (traditional Vietnamese folk songs) recordings performed by artist Van Huong.

Following the success of recording 230 humorous Vọng Cổ songs from the 1960s and 1970s, and seeing the market's preference for this style, several other composers began creating their own. Artist Văn Hường himself recorded approximately 200 more songs by various other songwriters.

That was the period when audiences enjoyed listening to humorous vọng cổ songs because they followed the trend of conveying optimism and condemning evil and negativity through each verse.

What is even more valuable is that from that foundation, many artists have performed comedic vọng cổ (traditional Vietnamese folk singing), choosing this genre as their forte, such as People's Artist Giang Châu, Meritorious Artist Phú Quý, comedian Hề Sa, Văn Chí Mỹ, Linh Trung, Dũng Nhí...

Artist Van Huong has always hoped that a sponsor would compile a collection of "humorous Vong Co" (traditional Vietnamese folk songs), and that the Ho Chi Minh City Theater Association would organize seminars and workshops to mark the 75th anniversary of the birth and existence of this musical style, thereby encouraging young composers to write and enjoy humorous Vong Co.

Then, organize a separate competition for fans of humorous Vọng Cổ (traditional Vietnamese folk singing) and promote it, further spreading this genre.

The period of his fame spurred him to start composing. During his time on the stage of the Kim Chung Cai Luong Troupe, and later when he formed a troupe with artist Thanh Hai, he composed many humorous traditional songs and comedic Cai Luong scripts.

Throughout his artistic career, he performed many famous humorous folk songs such as: "Three Fortune Tellers", "Black Dog with a Fox's Head", "What is Life?", "Going to Sing Cai Luong", "Drunk Knight Retiring", "Storytelling on Stage", "Country Music", "Being a King is So Sad", "Rapport to the Kitchen God", "Honda Accident", "Because I'm Born in the Year of the Ox", "Cao Cao's Beard Burned", "Money, Money", "Tu Ech Goes to the Market", "I Go Get a Haircut", "I Lost the Last Number", "Tu Ech Goes to the Fair", "Tu Ech", "Ba Rau Goes to the Grand Music Festival", "Four Walls of Gambling", "Tu Ech's Great Battle with Van Huong", "Van Huong Rides a Suzuki", "Van Huong Goes to Heaven at the Bottom of the List", "Van Huong Obsessed with Lottery Numbers", "Van Huong Has Five Wives", "My Wife Goes to See a Fortune Teller", "My Wife Obsessed with Modern Music", "My Wife Speaks French", "Wife I'm scared..."

Not long ago, the "Golden Apricot Blossom Charity" program, organized by the Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper with the support of Nam A Commercial Bank, visited him.

The renowned singer performed the song "Tu Ech Goes to Saigon" as a gift to the troupe. The passing of a famous singer who brought glory to the "humorous Vong Co" genre has left much sorrow among the theater community and appreciative audiences.

The funeral of artist Van Huong was held at his private residence in Thu Duc City. The embalming ceremony took place at 6:00 AM on December 8th, the funeral procession at 8:00 AM on December 11th, followed by cremation at Phuc An Vien Cemetery in Thu Duc City.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/danh-ca-vong-co-hai-van-huong-qua-doi-196231208050817495.htm