By Thu Anh 

HCM CITY — Famous artists of HCM City are working on a musical featuring southern culture by late musician-scriptwriter Bắc Sơn, one of the region’s leading artists in music, theatre and movies in the 1980s and 90s. 

Celebrated drama actress Hồng Vân will perform with younger actors Lê Lộc, Minh Luân and Thanh Duy. 

Vietnamese-American drama actress Hồng Đào will also be included.

They will perform Sơn’s musical titled Bông Cánh Cò (Stork Wings), a production of folk tunes of the South. 

The musical tells stories about the daily life of farmers in the Mekong River Delta region. Their work, dreams and hopes are also highlighted.

The show’s director, Lê Nguyễn Tuấn Anh, has worked on Sơn’s original work to remake it with new concepts targeting young audiences. 

“Sơn’s work, Bông Cánh Cò, features the beauty of southern culture. I will highlight his art through my new version,” said Anh. 

The first show of the musical Bông Cánh Cò opened on Saturday at the HCM City Students Cultural House, 643 Điện Biên Phủ Street in District 3. 

 Sơn’s art appears on YouTube

Songs and music pieces by the late author and musician Sơn can be seen on a YouTube channel.

The channel, Tình Ca Bắc Sơn -Tập Đoàn An Nông (Bắc Sơn’s songs supported by An Nông Group), includes many works portraying southern people and their culture by Sơn.

Many documents and articles on the artist’s life and career are also featured. 

“Through YouTube, we hope fans, singers, composers and music producers can work together to introduce Vietnamese music and musician-author Sơn in particular,” said theatre actress-singer Bích Thủy, one of the channel’s producers. 

She and her staff have encouraged Sơn’s fans at home and abroad to send information and materials to promote the late composer’s music on YouTube.

Sơn (whose real name is Trương Văn Khuê) was born in 1931 in Đồng Nai Province. 

He began his writing career in 1952 when he was a teacher. In 1977, he became familiar with folk tunes that feature his love for the south.  

He later lived in HCM City and worked as a musician, theatre actor and scriptwriter. 

Sơn wrote more than 500 songs, most of them in praise of southern people and their culture. His songs have been performed by pop stars. 

He also wrote 180 scripts for TV, theatre and movies and also performed in 60 films and TV series. He died in 2005. 

Long An Province Radio & Television has worked with its partner, the An Nông Group, to produce 100 two-act plays about Vietnamese culture and lifestyle written by Sơn.

The station organised the contest called Tiếng Hát Tình Ca Bắc Sơn (Love Songs in folk music by Bắc Sơn) last year. The event encouraged young locals in southern provinces who love singing folk tunes to show off their skills. – VNS