Singer Trong Tan: 'The shirt is not tight, but it looks a bit old'

Trong Tan has always been a "symbol" of certainty, just like his "weighty" name. Not only in his short, stocky, "tang tang ma tien" appearance, but above all in his stage presence, dignified, unhurried demeanor; his singing style is both tightly controlled in technique and full of emotion in a person who has dedicated his life to portraying the country. A truly gentle person, both on stage and in real life. The only "fearsome" thing is perhaps the quiet but determined way of maintaining the leading position in the music genre that Trong Tan has maintained for more than two decades with Anh Tho - who will accompany him in the cross-Vietnam live concert Trong Tan - Anh Tho - 20 years of Love Songs, starting from October 20 at the Viet Xo Cultural Palace, Hanoi.

If there is a song that "transforms" into the life and career of the "king of red music" Trong Tan, it is easy to mention first the Song on the Mountain , the song "nailed" by his passionate lyrical voice: "In the sky, there are morning and evening stars/... Even if you go with the sky, even if you go all over the mountain/The sky only has, only morning and evening stars...". "Why (forever) not change position" is a given, in a genre of music whose position, once worthy, will be extremely solid, more than any other genre of music; but also because, Trong Tan actually once lived in the mountains (his humble appearance probably originated from a little-known fact: part of the blood of the "king of red music" is Thai). He spent his childhood climbing mountains and wading streams along the Pu Luong range, catching birds and fish, even... panning for gold. Then when entering life and the profession, he continued to be a diligent "gold digger" in music . Up to now, for Trong Tan alone, since the day he came down from the mountain, it has been nearly 30 years; and with his "pair" Anh Tho, it has been a full 20 years.

On the rehearsal floor for the cross-Vietnam live concert Trong Tan - Anh Tho - 20 years of Love Songs is about to open on October 20th

Having held the position of "king of red music" for many years, in a music genre that rarely has the phenomenon of "changing stars", have you ever felt a lack of motivation to compete and innovate?

It is true that compared to other popular music genres, which always require singers to have new hits to heat up their reputation, with red music, people can sometimes live their whole lives with "hits" that are inherently timeless songs. It is also because of that "supply - demand" that creates a very vibrant pop music market. As for the "vibrancy" of red music, it is the vibrancy of a past time, when history itself has left tragic and heroic traces in music. Because history never returns, and the singers of national love songs are also the ones who keep the special, sacred memories of a time, and convey positive, healthy messages, so once they are loved, they will be loved very long.

The applause is therefore different. For commercial singers, hits can bring them, in addition to the lively screams of the audience, also advertising orders... Red music does not have those stimulating screams, but in return there are applauses that can be called stadium-shattering, and sometimes just tearful eyes. The respect for the "stars" of red music is the sum of the two things, noisy and quiet...

In the applause and tearful eyes he received from the audience, was it also because "Nguyen Binh of the music industry" had "awakened the country bumpkin still hidden in their hearts"?

I dare not compare myself to a unique poetic soul like Nguyen Binh. But it is true that there always seems to be a country person in me. Even though when I return to my hometown, there may be no more country river to see, but somewhere there is still an underground stream flowing inside me, a "country river" that never dries up. My husband and I still occasionally reminisce about the past, when we look at old photos together, meet old classmates in photos, or cook again, remembering rustic dishes from the past... The love of the country and homeland sometimes stays and returns with such small memories, but they are extremely warm. Amidst the hustle and bustle of life today, I believe those are precious moments, and that "country person" will always be present, having its own place in each of us.

Trong Tan's home

But if you keep "immersing yourself" in old songs (Tan once jokingly told me that one day he had to... "get pregnant" 9 times while performing his signature song "Tieng dan bau" - PV) , is there ever a time when you feel bored?

I don't get bored with old songs, but sometimes I get bored with my emotions (for example, if I have to sing "Tieng dan bau" 9 times in one day, I'll become a record). But luckily, there is a very significant factor that can immediately cut off that feeling of boredom, which is the audience effect. It can be cut off immediately. That fermentation is truly magical!

Of course, we want new songs! But with red music, it is really difficult to have and have more heroic songs like that, when it belongs to a time that will never return. Looking at the world, it is the same, why besides the trendy hits, people still perform classic plays over and over again, or cover songs that they know by heart... That, it is the soul. And once it is the soul, it cannot be lost, and it is not easy to have it back.

Red music duo Trong Tan - Anh Tho

There is a legend in your hometown Thanh Hoa: Heroine Ngo Thi Tuyen, in the battle of Ham Rong bridge in April 1965, carried two boxes of ammunition that were twice her body weight at the same time. But there is also a side story that says that when she got out of that fierce situation, she could not do it again. The moment gives birth to heroes, the times create songs. Don’t you hope that there will be more new red songs that can paint different portraits of the country in peacetime?

Actually, there are still some good songs, even very good ones like Loi ru by musician Le Minh, Ha Noi linh thinh hao hoa by Le May, or To quoc goi ten minh by musician Dinh Trung Can..., but maybe they are not enough to create a strong flow, deeply ingrained in the consciousness of a time. There were times when I thought about ordering songs, like in commercial music, youth music... But ordering emotions is always not easy, especially with red music. Other pop music, can rely on a certain idea, a certain melody..., can be tailored specifically for a certain voice, but mainstream music is difficult. The heart is very difficult, cannot be awkward! In the end, the way to create new arrangements, breathe life into old songs and give them a new life seems to be the safest and most effective way. That is what you can see in the upcoming live concert of me and Anh Tho through the "magic" hands of Duong Cam. Well, while we can't expand, we'd better dig deeper!

Famous red music trio: Dang Duong - Trong Tan - Viet Hoan

But when looking at experimental artists, or a "rebellious" person like Tung Duong in the way he suddenly "dusted off" the attractive Chiec Khan Pieu; or even the way commercial singers quickly dig into the folk art treasure trove to create hits that spread beyond Vietnam's borders..., does the "king of red music" sometimes feel startled by the state of "sleeping on victory"?

There is a startle! It is not the startle of sadness or sadness, but the startle before the boundless creativity, once someone among us dares to break the rules and do something different. At home, I have two children studying music, both of whom are teenagers, so I often listen to hits of young music with my children. Many hits must be acknowledged as smartly made by young people, with strange ideas, good arrangements, and importantly, bringing surprises. Of course, what it brings is not deep enough emotions to penetrate my heart, but clearly in the song there is a keyword that touches me, makes me want to dance and suddenly feel young again. See love , I think it is a hit with a strange rhythm and visual, catchy, eye-catching. Let Mi tell you to listen is the same. Or like some of the arrangements of Ha Le singing Trinh's music. The Pieu Scarf , with Nguyen Le's magical arrangement and Tung Duong's haunting voice, is truly the best, a true specialty of world music...

It is always possible to be startled like that, if you always have a concern in yourself, to be able to stand long and firmly in this profession. There is no "resting on one's laurels" here, because I have never slept, and forgotten!

Sometimes, do you feel that red music, with so many songs sung over and over again for decades, "is really good", loving it is loving, but it's still a shirt that's too tight for you?

The shirt is not tight, and is also very durable, but it looks a bit old ( laughs ). But as I said, the love of the audience is always enough to help me renew that shirt, making it, which is already durable, even more durable. I think I will always remember the time I stood and sang Pham Minh Tuan's song "Country" in Da Nang, in front of an audience of heroic Vietnamese mothers; or once, at Truong Son cemetery..., in the chorus " Please sing about Him, oh country! Please sing about Mother, oh Fatherland! ...", I thought I could choke up. There were also times when I shed tears because I really couldn't hold back. Or like the time I stood and sang "We Guard Your Sleep" in Ba Dinh Square, or "The Fatherland Calls Our Name" in the coastal city of Nha Trang, in front of a sea of ​​people seething with the words Truong Sa, Hoang Sa, or in front of overseas Vietnamese in Europe... The applause at that time was really different, it seemed to come from somewhere far away. Well, that shirt, even though it's old, I still feel really grateful for it because of its durability, its familiarity, and its fit, on me...

Trong Tan, the man known as the "king of red music"

Do Duy Anh

A truly gentle person (according to Anh Tho's comment), that helps them have the necessary calmness when working, but can also lead to excessive caution, to have breakthroughs?

No, I'm actually very passionate, sometimes very passionate, I just don't show it, I don't say it...

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ca-si-trong-tan-ao-thi-khong-chat-nhung-co-ve-hoi-cu-185231015003858013.htm