In November 1953, Truong Quang Hien from Cao La village, Dan Chu commune, Tu Ky district, Hai Duong province (now Tan Ky commune, Hai Phong city) got married. Nguyen Thi Duyen from Lai Cau village (Hoang Dieu, Gia Loc) in the neighboring area, with white skin and long hair, the same age as him, Giap Tuat 1934, accepted his proposal. But not only because of "handsome man and beautiful woman". Nor was it because Hien was from a rich family, with a 3rd year of the Fourth Grade... The main thing was that Hien loved folk arts. When he was young, Duyen went to see festivals in neighboring villages, often seeing this "rich boy" clinging to his parents' shirt, engrossed in watching the show. She heard an old woman praise him: "Playing around makes you miserable. Singing makes you kind".
After half a year of marriage, they gave birth to their first son. In May 1955, Mr. Hien was assigned to the administrative committee of Chi Linh district (formerly Hai Duong). To reassure her husband, Ms. Duyen actively participated in the militia and self-defense forces and, together with her mother-in-law, raised two younger siblings to study, enlisted in the army to fight the American invaders, and completed their mission excellently. Unfortunately, the youngest brother, Truong Minh Ton, died in 1971 on the Tien Giang battlefield.
One Saturday night in late 1962, Mr. Hien told his wife: “Last Sunday, the Chi Linh district socialist labor agency built a dam to serve agriculture, named “Phu Loi Dam”. The Girl - a union member knew that I loved folk arts and writing, so she teased: “With such a big job, Mr. Quang Hien is so quiet! Or is he missing his wife?”. So that night, I wrote a reportage “Phu Loi Dam” reflecting the working spirit and the meaning of the project, and sent it to Voice of Vietnam Radio .
5 days later, the Rural Radio Program broadcast the song. The agency was buzzing with cheers. I brought my royalties all the way to Hai Duong General Store to buy this (he gave his wife a silk scarf with a beautiful rose print) as a gift for myself!”.
For decades, through the positions of Teacher, Finance, Secretary of the Youth Union of the agency, then returning to take charge of local folk art clubs, Truong Quang Hien was praised and rewarded by his superiors every year. By 2025, Mr. Hien had 57 glorious years of Party membership.
When Mr. Hien retired, Mrs. Duyen encouraged him to participate in promoting the cultural and artistic movement in his hometown. In the following years, the Party's Resolutions on cultural and artistic tasks, especially the Resolution of the 5th Central Conference, 8th term (1998) "On building and developing an advanced Vietnamese culture with strong national identity", ignited in him the idea of a folk art movement of his homeland.
Trusted, he took charge of the Cao La village Elderly Arts Club and the Huong Que Poetry Club of 4 neighboring communes: Tan Ky, Dan Chu, Quang Nghiep, Dai Hop, Vice President of the Thoi Gian Xanh Poetry Club of Tu Ky district... He organized the establishment of the Dan Chu Ca Tru Club. From 3 "red seeds" ("The first famous musician" Nguyen Phu De, 76 years old - lifelong wish for the development of Ca Tru and 2 veteran singers: Nguyen Thi Cung, Nguyen Thi Boc) gradually developed with 2 male musicians, 4 chau musicians, 6 main singers and 10 supporting members, including 4 children under 10 years old.
He especially focused on promoting the teaching effectiveness of the master Nguyen Phu De and the singers Nguyen Thi Cung, Nguyen Thi Boc, Hong Thuy, helping all club members to be enthusiastic about learning to play and sing. He also composed and explained songs himself so that members could understand the cultural connotation of each lyric...
With the creative talent of Mr. Hien and his colleagues, the folk poetry and arts movement in Democracy has developed strongly and practically. Each club has a program to welcome the New Year, serving traditional festivals, congresses and festivals organized by leaders and local authorities. The Ca Tru club participates in most festivals at all levels from national to provincial and city levels. Every time it wins prizes.
In 2000, Kep dan Nguyen Phu De and Ca nuong Nguyen Thi Cung received the excellent award of Hanoi city. In 2005, they received the National Gold Medal and together with Mr. Truong Quang Hien, were awarded the title of Folk Artist by the State. In 2015, Mr. Hien received the title of Meritorious Artist. In 2019, Mr. De received the title of People's Artist. It is a pity that Mr. Cung is no longer around to attend this awarding ceremony.
In addition, there are 4 Silver Medals for other singers, 1 Silver Medal for the club, many certificates of merit from the Ministry and the People's Committee of the former Hai Duong province awarded to groups and individuals.
Since 2022, learning to sing Ca Tru has become an extracurricular program of Dan Chu Primary School. Ca Nuong Hong Chiem (granddaughter of Mr. De, a club member) teaches. Mr. Hien is now in his "eighties", transferring the role of Club President to Mr. Vu Cong Bao (a talented and enthusiastic musician). As Honorary President, Mr. Hien still regularly contributes ideas and poems to the club's activities.
The folk art imprint of Meritorious Artist Truong Quang Hien is also shown in his self-composed poetic works rich in aesthetics and full of cognitive education, practical for the community, published by the Writers' Association Publishing House. Typical are 2 collections: "Motherland" (2004), "Love my homeland so much" (2018), each collection has 100 poems and the book of poems "Thanh hoang lang Cao La" (2024) including more than 400 six-eight verses, printed 500 copies to serve the people.
Many immortal ca tru songs such as "Visiting Con Son in 2018", Meritorious Artist Bach Van, Meritorious Artist Kieu Trinh and many other singers chose to perform at a number of national ca tru festivals. In 2022, Tu Ky district organized the celebration of Vietnamese Women's Day on October 20, the folk song "Singing about Heroic Vietnamese Women" composed and directed by him, performed by singer Hong Nhung won first prize in the competition with the participation of 23 groups.
Meritorious Artisan Truong Quang Hien, before turning 75, used a Honda motorbike to take his wife to see Cheo, folk songs, and Ca Tru. His friends called them "The Old Lovebirds". On the occasion of his 72nd anniversary of being married and the 10th anniversary of Mr. Hien receiving the title of Meritorious Artisan, Mr. Hien "reviewed" some of his achievements: 55-year Party membership badge (2023); Anti-French resistance medal, Anti-American resistance medal, both first class; Meritorious Artisan certificate; Commemorative medals of the Ministry of Culture, the finance sector, and the Association of the Elderly; Delegate badges, typical examples at the patriotic emulation congresses in the period 2015 - 2020 of Tu Ky district and Hai Duong province.
What was surprising and touching was that Mr. Hien dedicated all those titles to his wife with the sincere sharing: "I am only the title holder, the rest is all thanks to you!". The story of their fate and love for each other and for folk art is like a love song that will last forever./.
PHAM XUONGSource: https://baohaiphong.vn/nhu-ban-tinh-ca-527916.html
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