Viet Nam News
HCMC — Veteran musician and researcher Nguyen Vinh Bao, who turns 101 years old this year, hosted an informal performance with zither artist Hai Phuong and musician Duc Tri during Tet at his home in HCM City.
Bao has made significant contributions in researching, preserving and developing traditional music, particularly don ca tai tu (southern folk music).
He was born into a family having a tradition in music in the southern province of Dong Thap.
Vinh Bao brought Vietnamese music to the world through his Nhac Tai Tu Nam Bo (Southern Folk Music) album, performed by himself and the late researcher Tran Van Khe. The album was recorded by Ocara and UNESCO in Paris, France in 1972.
Along with Khe and musician Pham Duy, Vinh Bao was invited by Southern Illinois University in the US, where he spent two years teaching Vietnamese music in 1970.
Vinh Bao played many instruments, including dan bau (monochord) and dan tranh (16-chord zither). Of note, he improved the zither, creating 17, 18 and 19 chord zithers that are more melodious.
He showed off his skill at making guitars and violins at several universities and cultural centres in France.
He also wrote or edited many books and documents in three languages —Vietnamese, French and English — on traditional music, and his books includes instructions on how to play music.
In 2008 he received the Officier des Arts et des Lettres from the French Government, in recognition of his contributions to and development of art and literature.
In 2014, he was conferred with the Prime Minister’s Certificate of Merit for his contributions to Vietnamese music. —VNS