Tuan Cry: Weaving contemporary music from folk cultural materials

Tuan Cry with artist Xuan Hinh and other Northern artists.

National consciousness

"Bac Bling" ( Bac Ninh ) is currently a hit song with 133 million views, a bold collaboration between singer Hoa Minzy, comedian Xuan Hinh and author Tuan Cry, directors Nhu Dang and Ngo Huyen Trang.

Someone said that “Bac Bling” created an earthquake from the quan ho region, spreading throughout the Vietnamese music-loving community. It is the respect and decision to bring indigenous folk cultural elements into the work that made “Bac Bling” quickly become a song not only for the people of Bac Ninh province, but almost a national song because it is received by many classes and ages.

Tuan Cry - real name Nguyen Sy Tuan (born 1992) - is a typical face of an art-loving young man looking for his own path. Born in his hometown of Bac Ninh, Tuan is very determined to go through many difficult days, both surviving and nurturing his artistic life.

Tuan paid attention to the traditional cultural values of his hometown. He went singing with his mother, observing her sitting on the boat with her brothers and sisters holding the conical hat and passionately listening to Quan Ho melodies. It was a happiness that he rarely saw. From then on, Tuan determined his own path, which was songs associated with traditional culture and the identity of his hometown.

Tuan Cry's previous compositions have vaguely depicted metaphors of folk cultural allusions. In 2023, the duo Masew - Tuan Cry collaborated very well in the song "Inviting Betel" - using folk materials from poems by Ho Xuan Huong in the 19th century, to "Picky fish, selective canh" (Hoa Minzy), "Xap xinh xap xinh" (Double2T), "Vietnam melody"...

Do something for your homeland

Tuan Cry had begun to shape the style of his compositions. Until Hoa Minzy made an appointment with Tuan Cry to produce a musical product that carried the breath of the tradition of his hometown Bac Ninh. Doing something for the homeland, modern and youthful, must become a trend, that is what both artists aimed for. From there, the harmony of a team began to take shape.

482088132_9350324678417203_4827164965441526492_n(1).jpg — Tuan Cry with artist Xuan Hinh and other Northern artists.

Tuan seriously and thoroughly researched the traditional cultural values of Bac Ninh. He worked during the day and researched the cultural cradle of Kinh Bac region at night, with Luy Lau citadel - the cradle of Buddhism. And after more than a year of nurturing, researching, writing, creating, and putting it down very carefully, Tuan finished writing "Bac Bling". When he sent the demo to singer Hoa Minzy, she was immediately satisfied and barely made any changes.

“Bac Bling” is imbued with folk culture. The images were carefully and meticulously created by the MV directors and crew, demonstrating a deep understanding of the values of national art and the colors of their homeland. That is a prominent plus point in this MV.

Furthermore, author Tuan Cry has a folk culture background because he was born in the cradle of quan ho Bac Ninh - like Hoa Minzy and artist Xuan Hinh.

In this place, every spring, the Quan Ho singing of Lien Anh Lien Chi and the local festivals are extremely rich, a heartfelt voice for those who are far from home to remember. The cultural values of villages in each region are very special, so each person has memories of their homeland!

Since childhood, Tuan Cry has heard his mother - a Quan Ho singer - sing songs of his homeland. "Returning is like returning to my roots - I discovered a "gold mine" that I had not noticed for a long time" - Tuan said.

"I go home and bathe in my pond"

Tuan suggested to singer Hoa Minzy that: at all costs, we must invite artist Xuan Hinh. And artist Xuan Hinh also had to overcome all her initial "hesitations". He also wanted singer Hoa Minzy to send him her music to listen to see "if it was any good!".

He shared: “Nowadays, young people sing fast, but I am old and afraid that I won’t be able to sing in sync, so if I change and match like this, next time I will play rock music!” Indeed, worthy of his reputation as a famous comedian from the North, artist Xuan Hinh rapped a part that “shocked” Vietnamese music in 2025: “Bac Ninh values love/ I wait in the communal house yard with a conical hat/ When my brothers turn around and look, it’s also great/ But the players call it Bac Bling Bling…”.

Tuan Cry shared that he liked the part: "When I return, I bathe in my pond/ Whether clear or muddy, my home pond is still better"... Because that is what he felt when he returned to his homeland, when he realized the thousand-year-old traditional values of his homeland.

So Tuan Cry was really successful with the song "Bac Bling" which stands out as a harmonious blend of folk music and modern breath.

MV Bac Bling attracts millions of views on media.

Together with young artists, they form harmonious teams, contributing to shaping a unique music genre, bringing cultural identity into harmony with modern music trends.

Traditional values are truly a treasure if young artists know how to cultivate knowledge, study and apply those values to their works. Folk materials are not only beautiful but also shimmer with gold, bringing a connection between young people and what is gradually fading away.

Tuan Cry, Hoa Minzy and artist Xuan Hinh, the children of Kinh Bac, have made a miracle for their homeland Bac Ninh. Immediately, the name of the homeland of quan ho Bac Ninh was widely spread, tours not only of beautiful landscapes, but also of the cultural and artistic values of Bac Ninh were strongly developed.

Even though it's almost May, Bac Ninh cultural tours are still full and many people are lining up to enjoy the values of Bac Ninh thanks to the influence of this song.

“Bac Bling” is not only a music product that is causing a stir but also becomes a tourism ambassador, bringing the beauty of folk culture closer to global audiences.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/tuan-cry-det-nhac-duong-dai-tu-chat-lieu-van-hoa-dan-gian-3154057.html