Contributing a little something to cải lương (Vietnamese traditional opera).

SGGP 04/06/2023 15:08

Born in Kien Giang , Vo Tuan Nam (25 years old, currently living and working in Ho Chi Minh City) often listened to Cai Luong (Vietnamese traditional opera) with his grandmother from a young age.

Every Saturday and Sunday evening, the grandmother and grandson would sit in front of the television, intently watching plays like "By the Silk Weaving Bridge," "The Life of Miss Luu," "The Durian Leaf," "Queen Mother Duong Van Nga ," etc. Nam grew up with these Cai Luong plays through the soulful voices of the artists of that time: Vu Linh, Le Thuy, Bach Tuyet...

Vo Tuan Nam, author of the artbook Cai Luong Tam Su (History of Cai Luong Opera)

While Võ Tuấn Nam loves cải lương (Vietnamese traditional opera), he also has another passion: drawing. Therefore, when taking the university entrance exam, Nam chose graphic design (at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts). Despite this, cải lương remains a deep-seated passion for him. So, at the end of 2021, while working on his graduation project, Nam turned to cải lương as a way to pay tribute to this traditional art form that was closely associated with his childhood and his grandmother. Nam's graduation project is an artbook titled "Cải lương Tâm Sử" (Cải lương Heartfelt History).

Tuan Nam recounted that while struggling to find a title for his project, he stumbled upon a project on People's Artist Bach Tuyet's YouTube channel called "Cai Luong Tam Su" (History of Cai Luong), with the heartfelt message: "Cai Luong Tam Su was born from gratitude and appreciation for the golden generations who have preserved and passed on this precious art form to the next generation of artists. As long as the Vietnamese language exists, Cai Luong art, along with the songs and voices of all the artists, will always live on in the hearts of the public."

Sympathizing with People's Artist Bach Tuyet's project, Tuan Nam borrowed the title "History of Cai Luong" for his design project. "I understand that 'history' here refers to the history of Cai Luong, and it's being done with my heart. For People's Artist Bach Tuyet, it's the songs and melodies; but as a design student, I express it through images. I chose the Pop Art style, hoping to offer an easier and more accessible approach for everyone," Nam shared.

Although it's just a project, the artbook "Cai Luong Tam Su" (History of Cai Luong Opera) has a beautiful and unique appearance, no less impressive than publications currently available on the market, perhaps because Nam put a lot of heart and soul into its creation. His greatest wish right now is to have the opportunity to publish it as a book so that Cai Luong can reach a wider audience, especially young people.

"I've processed the images, colors, and text from a modern perspective to make them more accessible to young people. The reality is that many young people today no longer know or appreciate cải lương (Vietnamese traditional opera), and it's in danger of disappearing," Nam explained.

The artbook "Cai Luong Tam Su" (History of Cai Luong) consists of three chapters: "Tieng Doi Dong" (The Sound of Silk), "Van Geon of Yesteryear," and "Continuing the Legacy of a Hundred Years," containing a concise history of Cai Luong for easy viewing and reading. Readers will encounter playwrights (Truong Duy Toan, Nam Chau, Vien Chau, Tran Huu Trang…), musicians (Vien Chau, Van Vi, Nam Co, Van Gioi…), and actors and actresses (Bay Nam, Nam Phi, Phung Ha, Ut Bach Lan, Ut Tra On, Van Chung, Huu Phuoc…).

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/gop-chut-long-voi-cai-luong-post692324.html