Hoang Phuc made an impression with his witty and cheerful portrayal of the character "Thang Dau" (a character from a Vietnamese folk tale). Photo: Provided by the artist.
At the recent National Achievements Exhibition celebrating the 80th anniversary of Vietnam's National Day on September 2nd in Hanoi , the Ca Mau province's exhibition space was filled with laughter thanks to the Cai Luong (Vietnamese traditional opera) performances revolving around stories from Uncle Ba Phi. Stories like "The Lotus Bird Trap" (Ngoc Ngan), "The Turtle Ship" (Nguyen Tien Duong), "The Bee Fighting the Enemy," "The Queen Crab," and "Ca Mau Shrimp" (Hoang Phuc)... not only brought joy but also showcased the unique characteristics of the region: the generosity of the forest and sea, and the love for the land and its people. Hoang Phuc, playing the role of "Thang Dau," dressed in traditional Vietnamese clothing with wide-legged trousers and a checkered headscarf, performed alongside artist Quoc Tin, who played Uncle Ba Phi. The charming storytelling of artists Quoc Tin and Hoang Phuc was well-received by the audience.
Many audience members came to see the Ca Mau troupe perform almost every day, becoming loyal fans. "I remember one elderly gentleman in a wheelchair who regularly asked his wife to bring him to the performance every time it was time to listen. Many uncles, aunts, and older siblings enthusiastically shook his hand and offered many kind words after each performance," Hoang Phuc recalled. The tour from the southernmost tip of Vietnam to the thousand-year-old capital city is an unforgettable milestone and memory in Hoang Phuc's artistic journey.
Tran Hoang Phuc, born in 1995, hails from Hoa Thanh ward, Ca Mau province. He currently works at the Ca Mau Provincial Cultural Center and is a contributor to Ca Mau Newspaper, Radio, and Television. During the 2023 Nghinh Ong Song Doc Festival, artist Quoc Tin invited Hoang Phuc to play the role of "Thang Dau," alongside him as "Uncle Ba Phi," in the short play "Lotus Bird Trap" by author Nguyen Tien Duong. Following that success, artist Quoc Tin suggested creating a video clip telling the story of Uncle Ba Phi, to be posted on YouTube, to help promote the beauty of their homeland and the legacy of artisan Nguyen Long Phi. Thus, these interesting videos were created, and the two "Uncle Ba Phi and his nephew," Quoc Tin and Hoang Phuc, gradually became familiar to the audience.
The "Grandfather and Grandson" duo were invited by the Ca Mau Provincial Center for Disease Control to create promotional video clips. During performances at the Ca Mau Provincial Cultural Center for audiences and tourist groups, their presence brought joyful laughter and meaningful messages. Besides selecting scripts by authors Nguyen Tien Duong and Ngoc Ngan, Hoang Phuc also wrote short Cai Luong plays such as "The Crab King," "The Bee Fighting the Enemy," and "Ca Mau Shrimp"... The combination of the folk tales of Uncle Ba Phi and the traditional Southern Vietnamese folk music (Don Ca Tai Tu) and Cai Luong art created a new turning point.
Hoang Phuc, playing the role of Thang Dau, and artist Quoc Tin retell the story of Uncle Ba Phi. Photo: Provided by the artist.
In 2023, journalist Ngo Minh Toan, Editor-in-Chief of Ca Mau Newspaper, suggested that Hoang Phuc create the podcast "Uncle Ba Phi - The Man and His Works" on the Ca Mau Newspaper's online platform. Hoang Phuc took on the role of editor and portrayed Uncle Ba Phi. To date, more than 30 episodes of the podcast have been broadcast, attracting a large audience.
Hoang Phuc said that he and artist Quoc Tin always choose ideas, stories, and comedic elements that are funny but not overly exaggerated, while maintaining the witty and simple spirit of Uncle Ba Phi's stories. "When I embody the role of Dau, I imagine myself as an innocent boy from the fields, even a little naive," Hoang Phuc shared. And when he embodies Uncle Ba Phi, he delivers his lines and laughs in a way that perfectly captures the spirit of a generous and witty old farmer, using stories about the U Minh forest and the fields to express the abundance of his homeland.
Both Hoang Phuc and artist Quoc Tin hope that the audience, especially young people, will feel that Uncle Ba Phi's stories are not simply "entertainment for a few hours," but rather unique creations, the heartfelt emotions of artists of the past in the face of abundant nature, and pride in their beautiful homeland. And then, these stories will serve as a beautiful bridge between the past and the present.
Come to Ca Mau, to the forests fragrant with melaleuca, to the mangrove swamps that penetrate deep into the earth, come to hear stories of Uncle Ba Phi told by his "successor" Hoang Phuc, a young man who has just turned 30 and is always proud of and cherishes the achievements that his ancestors painstakingly built...
DANG HUYNH
Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/-truyen-nhan-ke-chuyen-bac-ba-phi-a198850.html
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