The Five Palaces return to the Northwest.

Looking back at the history of Vietnamese popular music, the years 2005-2008 can certainly be seen as a golden age.

It can be said that Ngu Cung is one of the "founding fathers" who created the rock scene of Northwest Vietnam - Photo: BNCC

The popularity of the Vietnamese Song program has fostered the emergence of a new wave of songwriters, diversifying the musical landscape, with every genre from rock to R'n'B, from folk to ballad, bearing their distinctive mark.

The Ngũ Cung band belonged to that era.

Just as today's Gen Z is impressed by Double2T's "Mountain People" song, back then, those in the late 80s and early 90s were equally impressed by Ngu Cung's "Wife Stealing."

Previously, the Central Highlands had been rock-ified and become a towering realm of Vietnamese rock thanks to the songs of Nguyen Cuong and Tran Tien, but the Northwest – another majestic mountainous region – had not yet. It can be said that Ngu Cung is one of the "founding fathers" who created the rock scene in the Northwest.

Then, after many years, having gone through periods when rap was dominant, and not only in Vietnam but also around the world, everyone felt the gradual decline of rock music, Ngu Cung returned with an album of new compositions, "Heritage," exactly 10 years since "Stone Plateau" (2014), not counting the album of remixes of classic Vietnamese songs in rock style in 2022.

The Ngu Cung band - Photo: VAN TRUNG

The legacy is far better than one would expect from a band that might otherwise be considered in decline. It's not a commemorative album, or a casual tribute to the audience; it's a genuine album.

Although the opening track, "Living Differently," doesn't offer the exhilarating sonic experiences of "Calling for Love" at the beginning of "Stone Plateau," its unadulterated intensity serves as a declaration of return, proving that rock is still here and hasn't gone anywhere.

The album then unfolds like a road trip, starting off smooth and easy, then gradually leading us onto more treacherous, rocky, and adventurous paths—paths along cliff edges rarely traveled in "Dancing with Fire to Pray for Rain," "Man Le 1979," "The Two Girls of the Upper Mountains," and at that point, the Five-Tone instrument is the same Five-Tone we knew in "Wife Stealing."

We once again stepped into the realm of Northwestern rock, but it was far deeper and more elusive.

Replacing the initial exhilaration is a mystical, mythical atmosphere, steeped in tales of the spirits of the cinnamon tree spirits that people still whisper about while gathered around a campfire on a rainy night in the deep forest; a transcendent, ethereal feeling, like a heavenly realm, when entering a Mother Goddess temple;

It blurs the lines between lyrical and historical elements, harmonizing the light and airy feel of the pear blossom forest with the weight of border war history. There are riffs that last for a minute or more, yet still make you wish they were longer.

The Pentatonic Band - Photo: T. ĐIỂU

The Five Palaces returns to being the Five Palaces.

There are parts of the lyrics that remind us of a time when music still demanded elaborate lyrics: "The bright sunlight shines across the sky / A vibrant, rich color / Amidst the green mountains, there are many fruits and flowers..."

That difference is not surprising, because in terms of personnel, the Ngũ Cung of Heritage today is almost no longer the Ngũ Cung we knew during the time of "Wife Stealing," even the lead singer Hoàng Hiệp withdrew last year.

The only person who has remained active since then is Tran Thang, the band's lead guitarist and songwriter.

Other positions are constantly changing. The constant comings and goings of new members – even Heritage has three completely new names, who have only been with the band since… 2024 – brings to mind a famous philosophical paradox: how many parts of a ship need to be replaced before the ship ceases to be itself? Like all philosophical questions, there is no definitive answer to it.

But for Ngu Cung specifically, perhaps change was inevitable, allowing them to return to being Ngu Cung, a band associated with a bygone era of Vietnamese popular music that brought so many fresh surprises, so they could continue their exploration of Northwest Vietnam, which had been put on hold for ten years, this time venturing onto different paths.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ngu-cung-tro-lai-tay-bac-20250112100657537.htm