Refreshing folk songs and nursery rhymes with rap lyrics

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The lyrics, music and rustic melody have been part of the memories, nurturing the souls of many generations of Vietnamese people, now recreated with a new breath, through modern arrangement techniques, suddenly "transformed" fresh, youthful and bustling. The person who wrote the modern rap in the film's soundtrack is none other than director and Meritorious Artist Trinh Lam Tung. He was inspired by the nursery rhyme Dung dang dung de but transformed it into a walk with words and music . Young audiences enjoyed immersing themselves in the vocabulary of the Gen Z generation, English - Vietnamese slang interwoven, both mischievous rhymes and full of childhood rhythms, causing laughter to ring out involuntarily.

Nguyen Thu Giang with the sound of the erhu in the film soundtrack.

Director Trinh Lam Tung shared the reason for using folk songs and nursery rhymes for the soundtrack: “For me, Ly Cay Da has a soft narrative quality, rich in imagery. Di Xay evokes a joyful working atmosphere, with cinematic expression through lyrics. Dung Dang Dung De has a bustling rhythm, describing folk games as a symbol of childhood for the whole generation. These three songs have connected the character's journey to adulthood, not only the children but also the parents who came to see it had to remember their own beautiful memories. In the film, I not only tell a fantasy adventure story but also want to recreate a cultural space. There, children do not feel unfamiliar with the countryside, with the bamboo bushes at the village entrance, the well, the communal house yard... Music is one of the strongest bridges to bring children closer to the soul and origin of the nation.”

Admittedly, the soundtrack is a new venture for the director. The confident and energetic rap part is performed by the child actor who voices the main role of Quynh Nho, Tuan Khanh. Director, Meritorious Artist Trinh Lam Tung said: “For me, the rap is a success beyond expectations. Tuan Khanh raps innocently, drifting emotionally with the music. This is a rap combined with two folk songs to create the best mix for the film, helping the film have a truly perfect ending. We hope that young audiences or parents will walk out of the theater with dancing steps and lyrics on their lips because it connects the cultures of many generations.”

Ho Trong Tuan Khanh, voice actor of the character Quynh, participated in performing the film's soundtrack.

Performing the soundtrack are two teenage singers, Do Ngoc Linh and Do Nhat Anh. Not only that, the musical instruments in the film such as the erhu, zither, flute... resonate rhythmically, blending with the young musicians. The innocence of the young singers makes the ending of the song clear and genuine.

It took a long time for him and the music team to find a satisfactory arrangement. Musician Dang Duy Chien said: "The challenge of this process is that the musical rhythm changes according to the movements of the characters. The film's theme song retains the national spirit but is not outdated." Recording director Pham Quang Quoc Trung was initially worried about whether the application of international recording techniques to Vietnamese folk music would be suitable and smooth. However, after only one or two instructions, the young singers completed it smoothly.

Vietnamese animation unexpectedly got together to make a soundtrack inspired by folk music: An emotional mash-up in "Little Trang Quynh: The Legend of the Taurus".

“Trang Quynh Nhi: The Legend of Kim Nguu” is proud to be the first commercial animated film in Vietnam to exploit folk cultural materials. The film was developed from the animated series “Trang Quynh in his silly days” which was popular on YouTube and won the “Audience Award for Most Favorite Vietnamese Film” at the 2024 Da Nang Asian Film Festival.

Lam Khanh

(Photo: Provided by the film crew)

Source: https://baocamau.vn/lam-moi-dan-ca-dong-dao-bang-loi-rap-a39890.html