Vam Co River and its artistic imprint in 2025

Mentioning the name Diep Vam Co, music lovers will remember outstanding works such as: "My Beloved Wants to Stop," "Loving You Like a Private," "Memories of Peach Blossoms," "When Will I Suffer," "Purple Lilac," etc. In particular, he created the "three-verse Vong Co" genre, suitable for modern needs and a departure from the traditional structure.

(Photo: INTERNET)

Achievements and writing style

Diep Vam Co, whose real name is Bui Van Diep, was born in 1958 in My Lac commune, Thu Thua district, Long An province (now My Thanh commune, Tay Ninh province). His stage name, "Diep Vam Co," is derived from the name of the Vam Co River, where he spent his childhood.

He is a composer specializing in the Vọng Cổ and Tân Cổ Giao Duyên genres, as well as a Cai Luong (Vietnamese traditional opera) script and a journalist. He has written hundreds of Vọng Cổ songs and numerous Cai Luong scripts, winning many awards over his approximately 30 years of writing, including second, third, and first prizes in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Vọng Cổ Songwriting Competitions in the Mekong Delta region, and first, second, and third prizes in the Long An Province (before its merger) competitions for promoting literary, artistic, and journalistic works… along with awards in the field of journalism such as: Silver Medal at the 1996 National Television Festival and the 2010 National Radio Festival, Bronze Medal at the 2012 and 2014 National Radio Festivals, etc.

The works of composer Diep Vam Co possess a simple yet profound beauty, much like the Vam Co River itself, which is intimately connected to his life. Each song, each vong co (traditional Southern Vietnamese folk song) or tan co giao duyen (traditional Southern Vietnamese folk song with music composed by him) is imbued with the genuine, free-spirited, yet deeply affectionate essence of Southern Vietnam, making listeners feel as if they are encountering images of their homeland, its people, and themselves.

A highlight of his compositions is his ability to tell stories through emotion. Lyrics like "Purple Crape Myrtle," "Memories of Peach Blossoms," "My Beloved Wants to Stop," "Loving You Like a Private," etc., are not just words but authentic "slices" of life: there is love, separation, longing, and even very ordinary happiness. Listeners find in them a sweetness mixed with sorrow, like the unique timbre of Vọng Cổ (traditional Vietnamese folk singing): soft, poignant, yet full of self-expression.

One notable point is his bold innovation in form, composing "three-line Vọng Cổ" to suit the modern stage and the need for quick performances. Despite the innovation, the works still retain their traditional essence – that is, the ability to combine the spirit of preservation with adaptability, making his compositions both modern and rooted in tradition.

Diep Vam Co did not chase after extravagance. He chose a straightforward, intimate, and emotionally evocative style of writing. But it is precisely this simplicity that creates depth. His songs are easy to remember and sing, but the more you sing them, the more they resonate – the resonance of life experience, cultural knowledge, and a heart always yearning for its roots: “The cloth my father wore was as fine as silk, even a simple country shirt is as intact as a person's / Yet today you still heartlessly leave me” (excerpt from “My Love Wants to Leave”) or “Even if tomorrow we are separated, one in the South and the other in the North, don’t become like Lady To Thi, my dear / Because even stones, though enduring for a thousand years, cannot compare to my unwavering loyalty” (excerpt from “Memories of Peach Blossoms”).

Artistic highlights in 2025

2025 truly marks a milestone in the creative career of playwright Diep Vam Co - a year with an extremely significant event: the "Reorganization of the Nation," the merger of Tay Ninh and Long An into Tay Ninh province. This event further invigorated his spirit, filling him with emotion. It was a year in which his work ethic, artistic inspiration, and civic responsibility blended together to create a rare and bountiful harvest.

With 11 works serving most of the major events of Long An, Tay Ninh, and the entire nation, he has proven that creativity, when nurtured by dedication to his homeland and love of art, will never run dry.

What is most impressive is the vast range of themes he explored in a single year: from welcoming the new year with "Memories of the River" and "Spring Melodies," to significant historical milestones such as the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Long An and the South; from the 100th anniversary of Vietnamese revolutionary journalism and the 80th anniversary of the Vietnam News Agency to symbolic celebrations like the 60th anniversary of the victory at Go Ong Let and the 60th anniversary of the victory at Duc Lap; and even provincial-level political events such as the First Congress of the Tay Ninh Provincial Party Committee;…

Each of his works not only fulfills ceremonial requirements but also carries a profound emotional depth – a hallmark of Diep Vam Co's style. Most notably, at the ceremony announcing the establishment of Tay Ninh province on the morning of June 30, 2025, everyone received his song "Returning to Tay Ninh" with joy and gratitude.

Looking back, the 11 works in 2025 are not only impressive "numbers" but also a spiritual portrait of Diep Vam Co: a composer who always keeps the flame alive, always full of creative energy, and always dedicated to the literature and art of his province. He doesn't compose to count his works, but to serve the spiritual life of the community, to accompany the important moments of his homeland and country.

That creative energy, at his mature age and professional experience, is like the underground stream of the Vam Co River in his homeland: persistent, quiet, yet abundant, constantly nourishing the greenness of the land and warming the souls of those who love art.

List of works by the author

The Vam Co River will be established in 2025, coinciding with important events in the homeland:

1. The Song of Memories of the River

- Performed by: Meritorious Artist Ngoc Doi - Vo Hoang Du.

Event: New Year's Eve 2025 Art Program (live on LA34 channel).

2. The Song of Spring Improvisation

- Performed by: Meritorious Artist Vân Khánh - Meritorious Artist Võ Thành Phê.

Event: Art program celebrating the glorious Party and the Lunar New Year 2025 (live on LA34 channel).

3. The Song of Long An: 50 Years of Singing a Song of Pride

- Performed by: People's Artist Ho Ngoc Trinh.

Event: Art program celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of Long An, the Liberation of Southern Vietnam and the Unification of the Country (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025) (live on LA34 channel).

4. The Song of 50 Years of Nostalgia for Long An

Awarded the A prize in the campaign to create and promote literary and artistic works commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of Southern Vietnam and the reunification of the country (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025).

5. The Song of Pride: A Century of Vietnamese Revolutionary Journalism

- Presented by: Thu My - Yen Nhi.

Event: Art program celebrating the 100th anniversary of Vietnam's Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925 - June 21, 2025) (live on LA34 channel).

6. The Song of PRIDE OF THE VIETNAM NEWS AGENCY

- Presented by: Dang Tan Tai (staff member of Vietnam News Agency, Southern region).

Event: Artistic program celebrating the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam News Agency (September 15, 1945 - September 15, 2025) took place at the auditorium of the Vietnam News Agency headquarters in Hanoi .

7. The Song of Returning to Tay Ninh

- Performed by: People's Artist Ho Ngoc Trinh.

Event: Announcement Ceremony for the Establishment of Tay Ninh Province (live on LA34 channel).

8. The Song of Welcome to the Congress

- Performed by: People's Artist Ho Ngoc Trinh.

Event: Artistic program to welcome the closing session of the First Congress of the Tay Ninh Provincial Party Committee, term 2025-2030 (live on TTV1, TTV2 channels).

9. The song "Tay Ninh Belongs to Us"

- Performed by: People's Artist Ho Ngoc Trinh - Meritorious Artist Vo Minh Lam.

Event: Art program celebrating the successful conclusion of the First Congress of the Tay Ninh Provincial Party Committee, term 2025-2030 (broadcast live on TTV1 and TTV2).

10. The Song of Memories of the Flood Season

- Performed by: Meritorious Artist Ngoc Doi.

Event: Art program at the 60th anniversary celebration of the victory at Go Ong Let Battle (November 16, 1965 - November 16, 2025) in Vinh Hung commune, Tay Ninh province.

11. The Song of the 60-Year Story

Presented by: Thu My and Vo Hoang Nghi.

Event: Art program at the 60th anniversary celebration of the Duc Lap victory (November 20, 1965 - November 20, 2025) in Hau Nghia commune, Tay Ninh province.

Diem Trang

Source: https://baolongan.vn/diep-vam-co-va-dau-an-nghe-thuat-trong-nam-2025-a207117.html