'Keeping the flame alive' for Cai Luong (Vietnamese traditional opera) from both banks of the Vam Co River.

Amidst the flow of contemporary culture, Cai Luong (Vietnamese traditional opera) continues to quietly thrive on the stage of the Vam Co Cai Luong Art Troupe. After the provincial merger, Tay Ninh is one of the few localities that still maintains an independent Cai Luong troupe, preserving the essence of Cai Luong not only through performances for the public but also through its mission of nurturing and training the next generation of artists.

The play "The Son of the Melaleuca Forest" was newly staged by the troupe, participating in the production.

Golden Memories

Southern Vietnam is the birthplace of Cai Luong (Vietnamese traditional opera). There, almost everyone has heard, or even sung, a few modern-traditional duet songs or even sung a few traditional folk songs. Tay Ninh is no exception. The Long An I Collective Cai Luong Troupe was officially established in 1977, with its predecessor being the Trung Hieu Song Troupe of the Ministry of Interior. However, since the resistance war, Cai Luong and traditional folk songs with content that criticized and satirized the old regime, educated patriotism, and evoked the indomitable fighting tradition of the nation have always been well received by the people.

After the country was reunified, artistic activities were gradually reorganized. The Long An I Cai Luong Troupe was one of the prominent Cai Luong troupes in Southern Vietnam at that time, possessing fairly large-scale facilities and equipment, and featuring many talented artists of the era.

Simultaneously, at that time, private Cai Luong (Vietnamese traditional opera) troupes were also reorganized. The Tan Da Ly Cai Luong Troupe merged with the Vam Co Cai Luong Troupe to form the Long An II Cai Luong Troupe, which also operated quite strongly. After merging into the Long An II Cai Luong Troupe and being placed under the management of the then Department of Culture and Information, the troupe's political and artistic level improved significantly, gaining the admiration of audiences inside and outside the province (Long An Gazetteer 496).

In 1989, the Long An I and Long An II Traditional Opera Troupes merged to form the Long An State-owned Traditional Opera Troupe, later renamed the Long An Traditional Opera Art Troupe (the predecessor of the Vam Co Traditional Opera Art Troupe), and continued to operate independently, performing for revenue both within and outside the province and receiving positive feedback from audiences.

Recalling the golden age of cải lương (Vietnamese traditional opera) in the province at that time, Meritorious Artist Đoàn Dự recounted: “Back when the troupe performed with ticket sales, it was well-received by audiences nationwide and mainly operated outside the province, performing in large theaters and venues from the South to the North. At that time, the troupe staged plays praising tradition alongside period dramas that focused on art and entertainment to create harmony. Most of the troupe's new productions featured People's Artist Huỳnh Nga and People's Artist Trần Ngọc Giàu in the staging. At that time, the scriptwriting movement in the province was developing, so many of the troupe's outstanding plays were adapted from scripts by local playwrights.”

"Transforming" to serve

Having passed the golden age of cải lương (Vietnamese traditional opera), the Long An Cải Lương Art Troupe entered a new operational mode: performing for people in remote and rural areas of the province. At that time, the troupe shifted from performing on large stages to "makeshift" stages, erected on open fields in remote and border communes under extremely difficult and challenging conditions. With their love for the profession, the artists and actors of the troupe maintained an optimistic spirit and wholeheartedly served the people.

Recalling his tours in remote areas decades ago, Meritorious Artist Vuong Tuan reminisced: “Back then, touring was very difficult because the roads were long and arduous. Sometimes we had to stay for several days, and living conditions were difficult and lacking in many things, especially for female artists. But it was a very joyful time; the audience loved the artists. Every performance was packed with spectators, even though the stage and seating were limited. We were loved by the people, invited to their homes, and given local specialties to enjoy.”

While fulfilling its political mission, the Long An Cai Luong (Vietnamese traditional opera) Art Troupe also focuses on selecting and training a new generation of artists, creating high-quality performances, participating in competitions and festivals for professional Cai Luong, and winning numerous awards for both actors and performances.

In line with the general development trend of the country, the Vam Co Cai Luong (Vietnamese traditional opera) Art Troupe is undergoing a transformation to prepare for a new journey, one with great potential but also many challenges. The performance space is expanding, and more performances are being offered, creating more opportunities for artists to perform on stage; however, this will also present significant challenges in logistics and transportation.

People's Artist and Master of Arts Ho Ngoc Trinh - Head of the Vam Co Cai Luong (Vietnamese traditional opera) Art Troupe, said that from now until the end of the year, the Troupe will focus on performing for the people in the province, especially in remote areas, border regions, and newly merged localities. In addition, the Troupe will stage new plays to celebrate the upcoming Provincial Party Congress.

“Alongside the difficulties are opportunities. The artists of the troupe will certainly work together to overcome challenges and fulfill their roles and responsibilities well; improve the quality of performances, select and nurture successors, especially from talented young faces from the Golden Bell Vọng Cổ competition,” affirmed People's Artist and Master Hồ Ngọc Trinh.

To date, the Vam Co Cai Luong Art Troupe has featured many renowned artists such as People's Artist Ho Ngoc Trinh, Meritorious Artist Ngoc Doi, artist Le Dieu Hien, artist Le Hoang Nghi, artist Phu Yen, etc.

Despite numerous upheavals, the artists and actors of the Vam Co Cai Luong (Vietnamese traditional opera) Troupe have maintained their passion, persistently preserving and revitalizing the spirit of Cai Luong in Tay Ninh province.

When Tay Ninh province was newly established, the Long An Cai Luong (Vietnamese traditional opera) Troupe was also renamed the Vam Co Cai Luong Troupe. The Vam Co Dong River is the connecting river of the province, and previously, the province also had a Cai Luong troupe named Vam Co which was merged to form the Long An Cai Luong Troupe.

The name Vàm Cỏ evokes the iconic image of Tây Ninh, the Vàm Cỏ Đông river, while also serving as a reminder of the troupe's past, contributing to preserving the artistic brand that generations of artists have built up over the years.

Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism - Nguyen Tan Quoc

Guilin

Source: https://baolongan.vn/tiep-lua-cai-luong-tu-doi-bo-vam-co-a198972.html