Trinh Cong Son
Encyclopedia
Trịnh Công Sơn was a Vietnam
ese composer
, musician
, painter
and songwriter
. He, along with Pham Duy
and Van Cao
, is widely considered one of the three salient figures of modern (non-classical) Vietnamese music. Many of Trinh's songs are long songs. Others are anti-war songs, written during and about the Vietnam War
; some of them were censored by the southern Republic of Vietnam and later by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Many performing artists, notably Khanh Ly
(Vietnamese: Khánh Ly), have interpreted Trinh Cong Son's music.
, Đắk Lắk Province, Vietnam
, but as a child he lived in the village of Minh Huong in Huong Tra in Thừa Thiên-Huế Province
. He grew up in Hue
, where he attended the Lycee Francais and the Providence school. Later he went to Saigon and studied western philosophy at the Lycee Jean-Jacques Rousseau
, from which he graduated with the baccalaureate degree. In 1961, he studied psychology and pedagogy in a school for teachers in Quy Nhon. After graduation, he taught at an elementary school in Bao Loc, Lam Dong.
Trinh Cong Son wrote over 500 songs, and, during the 1960s and 1970s, Joan Baez
dubbed him the Bob Dylan
of Vietnam for his antiwar songs. He became one of South Vietnam
's notable singer-songwriter
s, after his first hit, Ướt mi (Tearing Lashes) in 1958. He was frequently under pressure from the government
, which was displeased with the pacifist's lyrics of such songs as Ngủ đi con (Lullaby, about a mother grieving for her soldier son).
Before April 30, 1975, he went on the radio in Saigon to sing the song "Joining Hands" ("Nối vòng tay lớn") about the dream of national reconciliation between the North and the South, which he had written in 1968. On the afternoon of April 30, following Duong Van Minh
's proclamation of surrender, Trinh went on the radio to say that the national dream had been realized and that liberation had been achieved.
After the reunification in 1975, Trinh Cong Son was sentenced by the new communist government, to "retraining" in a labour camp after his family had fled to Canada
. However, he was eventually honoured by the government and many officials sent their respects with floral tributes. His often melancholic songs about love and postwar reconciliation earned new acceptance and popularity in later years. Many of his songs have been re-licensed to Vietnamese music companies such as Thuy Nga
and Lang Van
and sung by other artists.
There are two singers' names often associated with Trinh Cong Son. One is Khanh Ly
. The other one is Hong Nhung.
Khanh Ly helped popularize Trinh Cong Son music in the early years. They often performed together in South Vietnam University Campuses.
Later on in his life, Hong Nhung, many years his junior, replaced Khanh Ly's place until his death.
Hundreds of thousands of people gathered at his funeral in Ho Chi Minh city, for a spontaneous ad hoc
funeral concert, making such a spectacle the largest in Vietnamese history, next to the funeral procession of Ho Chi Minh
.
: He laments that the 1,000 years of Vietnam's subjugation to Chinese imperial rule, the 100 years of subjugation to French colonial rule, and the ongoing civil war, together have left a sad legacy of graveyards, parched fields and burning houses. He urges the children of Vietnam to remain true to their Vietnamese identity and to put an end to internecine fighting and the destruction of the country.
In The song "Song about the Corpses of People" ("Hát trên những xác người"), written in the aftermath of the Hue Massacre, Trinh sings about the corpses strewn around the city, in the river, on the roads, on the rooftops, even on the porches of the pagodas. The corpses, each one of which he regards as the body of a sibling, will nourrish the farmland.
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
ese composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. He, along with Pham Duy
Pham Duy
Pham Duy is a prolific Vietnamese songwriter. He, along with Van Cao and Trinh Cong Son, is widely considered one of the three most salient figures of modern Vietnamese music. Pham Duy's musical career spans fifty years...
and Van Cao
Van Cao
Văn Cao was a Vietnamese composer whose works include Tiến Quân Ca, which became the national anthem of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. He, along with Pham Duy and Trinh Cong Son, is widely considered one of the three most salient figures of modern Vietnamese music...
, is widely considered one of the three salient figures of modern (non-classical) Vietnamese music. Many of Trinh's songs are long songs. Others are anti-war songs, written during and about the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
; some of them were censored by the southern Republic of Vietnam and later by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Many performing artists, notably Khanh Ly
Khanh Ly
Khanh Ly is a Vietnamese singer and columnist. At age 11, Khanh Ly and her mother fled communist North Vietnam to South Vietnam in 1956. Khanh Ly rose to fame singing the songs of musician, songwriter and composer Trinh Cong Son...
(Vietnamese: Khánh Ly), have interpreted Trinh Cong Son's music.
Biography
Trinh was born in Buôn Ma ThuộtBuon Ma Thuot
Buôn Ma Thuột or sometimes Buon Ma Thuat or Ban Mê Thuột, is the capital city of Dak Lak Province, in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Its population is approximately 300,000...
, Đắk Lắk Province, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, but as a child he lived in the village of Minh Huong in Huong Tra in Thừa Thiên-Huế Province
Thua Thien-Hue Province
Thừa Thiên-Huế is a province in the North Central Coast of Vietnam, approximately in the center of the country. It borders Quang Tri Provice to the north and Da Nang City to the south, Laos to the west and the South China Sea to the east. The province has 128 km of coastline, 22,000 ha of...
. He grew up in Hue
Hue
Hue is one of the main properties of a color, defined technically , as "the degree to which a stimulus can be describedas similar to or different from stimuli that are described as red, green, blue, and yellow,"...
, where he attended the Lycee Francais and the Providence school. Later he went to Saigon and studied western philosophy at the Lycee Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer of 18th-century Romanticism. His political philosophy influenced the French Revolution as well as the overall development of modern political, sociological and educational thought.His novel Émile: or, On Education is a treatise...
, from which he graduated with the baccalaureate degree. In 1961, he studied psychology and pedagogy in a school for teachers in Quy Nhon. After graduation, he taught at an elementary school in Bao Loc, Lam Dong.
Trinh Cong Son wrote over 500 songs, and, during the 1960s and 1970s, Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
dubbed him the Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
of Vietnam for his antiwar songs. He became one of South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
's notable singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
s, after his first hit, Ướt mi (Tearing Lashes) in 1958. He was frequently under pressure from the government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
, which was displeased with the pacifist's lyrics of such songs as Ngủ đi con (Lullaby, about a mother grieving for her soldier son).
Before April 30, 1975, he went on the radio in Saigon to sing the song "Joining Hands" ("Nối vòng tay lớn") about the dream of national reconciliation between the North and the South, which he had written in 1968. On the afternoon of April 30, following Duong Van Minh
Duong Van Minh
Minh was born on 16 February 1916 in Mỹ Tho Province in the Mekong Delta, the son of a wealthy landowner who served in a prominent position in the Finance Ministry of the French colonial administration...
's proclamation of surrender, Trinh went on the radio to say that the national dream had been realized and that liberation had been achieved.
After the reunification in 1975, Trinh Cong Son was sentenced by the new communist government, to "retraining" in a labour camp after his family had fled to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. However, he was eventually honoured by the government and many officials sent their respects with floral tributes. His often melancholic songs about love and postwar reconciliation earned new acceptance and popularity in later years. Many of his songs have been re-licensed to Vietnamese music companies such as Thuy Nga
Thuy Nga
Thúy Nga is a Vietnamese-oriented entertainment company that produces Paris By Night, as well as music CDs, musical specials, movies and films, magazines, audio books, posters, and calendars...
and Lang Van
Lang Van
Lang Van is a Vietnamese production company based in Westminster, CA and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.-History:Làng Văn was founded in 1985. It was one of the first Vietnamese production companies to be established in the United States after Thanh Lan Productions, and the very first to open in...
and sung by other artists.
There are two singers' names often associated with Trinh Cong Son. One is Khanh Ly
Khanh Ly
Khanh Ly is a Vietnamese singer and columnist. At age 11, Khanh Ly and her mother fled communist North Vietnam to South Vietnam in 1956. Khanh Ly rose to fame singing the songs of musician, songwriter and composer Trinh Cong Son...
. The other one is Hong Nhung.
Khanh Ly helped popularize Trinh Cong Son music in the early years. They often performed together in South Vietnam University Campuses.
Later on in his life, Hong Nhung, many years his junior, replaced Khanh Ly's place until his death.
Hundreds of thousands of people gathered at his funeral in Ho Chi Minh city, for a spontaneous ad hoc
Ad hoc
Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning "for this". It generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes. Compare A priori....
funeral concert, making such a spectacle the largest in Vietnamese history, next to the funeral procession of Ho Chi Minh
Ho Chi Minh
Hồ Chí Minh , born Nguyễn Sinh Cung and also known as Nguyễn Ái Quốc, was a Vietnamese Marxist-Leninist revolutionary leader who was prime minister and president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam...
.
List of songs
- Bài ca dành cho những xác người (A song for the human corpses), written in the aftermath of the Hue Massacre
- Ca dao mẹ (A mother's lament)
- Cát bụi (Sand and dust)
- Cho đời chút ơn (Grace onto life)
- Cho một người nằm xuống (To one who lays down)
- Cỏ xót xa đưa (Sway sorrow weeds)
- Cuối cùng cho một tình yêu (The end of a romance)
- Diễm xưa (Diễm of the Past)
- Đại bác ru đêm (A Lullaby of Cannons for the Night)
- Đóa hoa vô thường (Evanescent bloom)
- Em hãy ngủ đi (Love, you should sleep)
- Em là hoa hồng nhỏ (You are a little rose)
- Gia tài của mẹ (A mother's legacy)
- Hạ trắng (White summer)
- Hát trên những xác người (Song about the corpses of people), not to be confused with "Bài ca dành cho những xác người"
- Hoa vàng mấy độ (Bright yellow flower)
- Hoa xuân ca
- Lặng lẽ nơi này (So silent here)
- Mỗi ngày tôi chọn một niềm vui (Each day I choose joy)
- Một cõi đi về (A place for leaving and returning)
- Mưa hồng (Pink rain)
- Nắng thuỷ tinh (Crystal sun)
- Người con gái Việt Nam (A Vietnamese girl)
- Ngày dài trên quê hương (A long day in the Motherland)
- Người già em bé (An old person, a baby)
- Như cánh vạc bay (Like a flying crane)
- Như một lời chia tay (Like words of good-bye)
- Nối vòng tay lớn (Circle of unity)
- Quỳnh hương (Scent of the ephemeral bloom)
- Rồi như đá ngây ngô (Not gone at all)
- Ru đời đi nhé (Lullaby to life)
- Rừng xưa đã khép (Your old woods are closed)
- Ta thấy gì đêm nay (What have we seen tonight?)
- Thương một người (To love someone)
- Tiến thoái lưỡng nan (All ways closed off)
- Tình ca của người mất trí ("Ballad of an insane person" or "Love song of a deranged woman")
- Tôi đang lắng nghe (I am listening)
- Tôi ơi đừng tuyệt vọng (Dear me, don’t despair)
- Tôi sẽ đi thăm (I shall visit)
- Tuổi đá buồn (Stone's age of despair)
- Ướt mi ("Misty eyes" or "Tearing lashes")
Songs about the War
In the song "Mother's Legacy" ("Huyền thoại mẹ), Trinh sings about the Vietnamese experience of the Vietnam WarVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
: He laments that the 1,000 years of Vietnam's subjugation to Chinese imperial rule, the 100 years of subjugation to French colonial rule, and the ongoing civil war, together have left a sad legacy of graveyards, parched fields and burning houses. He urges the children of Vietnam to remain true to their Vietnamese identity and to put an end to internecine fighting and the destruction of the country.
In The song "Song about the Corpses of People" ("Hát trên những xác người"), written in the aftermath of the Hue Massacre, Trinh sings about the corpses strewn around the city, in the river, on the roads, on the rooftops, even on the porches of the pagodas. The corpses, each one of which he regards as the body of a sibling, will nourrish the farmland.
External links
- BBC News article on Trinh Cong Son's funeral
- A tribute to Trinh Cong Son
- An extensive site on Trinh Cong Son, including most of his songs, writings, and articles about him
- Trinh Cong Son songs on writeopenstory, with links to many Vietnamese songs on him