Narrative of the Night: A Glimpse of Trinh Cong Son's Music

On late nights, if you're not working and simply want to relieve stress after a busy day before bed, what kind of music would you listen to? Romantic ballads, folk songs, traditional Vietnamese opera, or modern music...?

I absolutely love listening to Trinh Cong Son's music, because the gentle, beautiful, and profound melodies that resonate in the night are perfect for relaxing the mind and even engaging in self-dialogue. My love for Trinh Cong Son's music isn't a sudden hobby; it's been influenced and shaped in part by the lifestyle and culture of my family in the past.

When I was a child, around the late 1990s, I often heard my father humming songs by the musician Trịnh Công Sơn. Especially the song "Diễm xưa" (Old Beauty), which I would hear so often that I knew it by heart whenever it suddenly rained in Saigon: "Rain still falls on the ancient tower / Your long arms, your pale blue eyes..."

Or, in his free time, my father would go to the shop to rent Trinh Cong Son's music CDs and play them for the whole family to listen to, just for entertainment and relaxation... Back then, there was no internet where you could just click a mouse or tap a phone to listen to your favorite songs. Yet, I listened to Trinh Cong Son's music so much that it became deeply ingrained in my subconscious without me even realizing it.

By the age of 13, having developed a habit of reading extensively, I began exploring the lyrics and life of musician Trịnh Công Sơn through books written about him. Understanding Trịnh Công Sơn's lyrics is not easy, and sometimes it's impossible to fully grasp their meaning.

Handwritten notes by Trinh Cong Son

It is said that music contains meditation, lyrics imbued with existentialism and Buddhist philosophy. But for many listeners of Trinh Cong Son's music over the past century, the first requirement is not understanding his lyrics. Because simply resonating with the melodious, undulating notes is enough to touch the source that soothes the mind and soul.

I know nothing about the academic aspects of Vietnamese music . Many artists and musicians have achieved success on their own unique paths since ancient times. Their songs are categorized into genres like folk, lyrical, or bolero… But strangely, only the musician Trịnh Công Sơn has his surname used to name the genre of music he composed – that is, the Trịnh music genre.

Later, as entertainment options became more diverse, I listened to and enjoyed many works by other musicians. Songs with beautiful lyrics and melodies always captivated and moved me for a certain period of time.

But at a certain point, having to go through life's challenges with many emotional storms, I turned to listening to Trinh Cong Son's music like a child seeking the comfort of lullabies... Those melodies always resonated at the right moment to heal a weary soul in need of rest...

"Please sleep in the cradle."

We sing lullabies with sorrowful hearts.

"Please let me sleep under the canopy of trees..."

(Lullaby of sorrow - Trinh Cong Son)

Source: https://vov.vn/van-hoa/tu-su-cua-dem-mot-goc-nhac-trinh-post1097473.vov