Veteran singer secrets revealed

Veteran singer secrets revealed

Few Vietnamese people are unfamiliar with the romantic tunes of music icon Trinh Cong Son, but not many know the late singer was also once in the movies.

Son - an anti-war composer who was referred as the Bob Dylan of Vietnam and died in 2001 aged 62 - left a legacy of thousands of popular tunes that won him critical acclaim throughout the nation. Every year a music festival is held to mark the anniversary of Son's death.

But this year's event, called Ngoi Ben Hien Nha (Sit on the Verandah), is going to be a bit different, thanks to a chance find by one of Son's friends, poet Do Trung Quan. Out of the blue, Quan stumbled across a side to the musician that had remained virtually unknown for over three decades.

"One of my contacts in the US sent me a CD with a recording of a film called Dat Kho (Poor Land). It was made in 1973 and was about artists and singers during the American War," the poet said. The film was banned by the US-backed Sai Gon administration at the time, he added.

"Thirty years is a long time and although I'd been told Son was the star it was difficult to know for sure."

But lengthy research revealed that Son was indeed the main character, acting alongside other household names like Trinh Quan, Kim Cuong, Bach Ly and Son Nam.

"It was such a huge surprise for me, in all the decades we'd been friends, I never knew he'd been an actor. He never told me."

Footage from the film includes scenes where Son performs the songs Dung Lai Nha, Dung Lai Nguoi (Rebuilding the House, Rehabilitating the People) and Ta Cung Len Duong (Up the Road Together) as well as dialogue between him and other actors.

The film will be used at the concert to commemorate Son, Quan says.

A testimony to Son's popularity, at least 10,000 fans are slated to attend the event, set to be held at the Binh Quoi tourism site on April 2. The first 5,000 tickets will be handed out for free. Tickets are available at Hoi Ngo Quan, Binh Quoi, HCM City, on 31 March from 8am.

The film won't be the only new addition to the concert, event organiser Dinh Anh Dung says. "Some of Son's lesser-known songs will also be on the bill, like those in his collections Khoi Troi Menh Mong (A Vast Cloud) and Tuyen Tinh Khuc (A Collection of Love Songs). We'll also be inviting new singers on the music scene to take part in the show."

And the personal insight into the life and times of Son doesn't stop there as an exhibition of the musician's belongings opens at his former home on 47C Pham Ngoc Thach Street, District 3 in HCM City on April 1. Paintings and books on the artist will also be on show. The exhibition will be open for one day only.