Meeting Kieu Le Mai again

Artists Minh Duc and Kieu Le Mai

She and her husband, artist Minh Duc, returned to their homeland to visit relatives after many years living in France. He is 87 years old this year, and she is 75, but they still possess incredibly expressive singing voices. They are renowned artists who have had many excellent roles on the stage of the Tran Huu Trang Theater, most notably their portrayal of the American mother in the Cai Luong play "Chim Viet Canh Nam" (Vietnamese Bird on a Southern Branch).

Since their son, artist Tuan Hung, returned to Vietnam to live, artists Kieu Le Mai and Minh Duc sold their large house and moved to a smaller one 45 minutes' drive from Paris, and they occasionally return to their hometown to visit their son.

Artist Kieu Le Mai during a performance of the musical scene "The Previous Lives of the Buddha".

When I reunited with my grandparents, the greatest joy was reminiscing about the time they performed with theater troupes in Vietnam. My grandmother was an actress at the Tran Huu Trang Cai Luong Theater, known as a timeless female artist.

She vividly remembers the play "Vietnamese Bird on a Southern Branch," where she played the American mother of student Nguyen Thai Binh . "Because I have both Vietnamese and French blood, when this play was staged, director and Meritorious Artist Doan Ba ​​accepted my request to volunteer for the role of the American mother, while the Vietnamese mother was played by People's Artist Ngoc Giau. Even though I've been away from my homeland for many years, I can't forget this memorable role," artist Kieu Le Mai confided.

Artist Kieu Le Mai when she was young.

Ten years ago, artist Kieu Le Mai established a venue for Vietnamese expatriate theater lovers living in Paris and surrounding areas to perform Cai Luong (traditional Vietnamese opera). She and the late artist Ha My Lien (sister of People's Artist Thanh Dien) regularly organized monthly Cai Luong performances at the Minh Hoa restaurant on Roger Salengro Street, bordering the 13th arrondissement of Paris.

Artist Kieu Le Mai when she was young.

Artist Kieu Le Mai said that in Paris, it is very difficult to find a venue for Cai Luong (Vietnamese traditional opera) performances where artists can gather. Since the death of artist Ha My Lien, this venue has also ceased operations.

Now I've switched to singing at temples during holidays and festivals. Recently, I participated in a performance of the "Previous Lives of the Buddha" scene with young actors, providing free entertainment for overseas Vietnamese and visitors to the temple.

"This trip back home reminds me of artist Dang Vinh Quang - he is a famous artist known for his role as the patriotic student Nguyen Thai Binh. This is considered his most memorable role, and also a performance I long to see staged again. In addition, my husband and I hope to have good health so we can visit our homeland every year," said artist Kieu Le Mai emotionally.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/gap-lai-kieu-le-mai-ba-me-nguyen-thai-binh-vo-cai-luong-chim-viet-canh-nam-196240124091334685.htm