Ai Nhu, director, artist
Pride in being from Hue
Born and brought up in Ancient Hue – the ancient and poetic area, Ai Nhu - a female artist and director, has all the qualities of a Hue lady. She left her hometown for a new living place, busy Saigon, at the age of 11 and soon went in for arts.
It is probable that her very distinctive qualities help the talented artist and director, in collaboration with merited artist Thanh Hoi, successfully establish the poetic Hoang Thai Thanh theater that has spread the humanity in every single work of art.
There has been an attraction of the plays performed at Hoang Thai Thanh theater to the audience of psycho-social drama for many years. In many plays, the audience could find themselves in the thought-provoking situations that make them moved and empathetic with the characters and their stories full of caring and sharing.
She said emotionally with her memory of Hue, “When my father died, he was buried in Hue. Thus, however far we settled away from our hometown, we arrange to go back to Hue for a tribute visit to our parents’ graves with all love and respect. Those return visits always brought me both excitement and nostalgia for beautiful memories. I am proud to be a native of Hue.”
As a settler in Ho Chi Minh City for decades, she said frankly, “the meaning of ‘quietness’ to me is familiar because it is the space and the nature of Hue and of Hue people. We want to go back to the quietness to meditate and leave behind the busy life for relief. In work, I keep hoping and trying despite professional difficulties. Once I overcome hardship and look back, I find myself strong and brave.”
Life and work continue with the nonstop endeavors of a talented artist and director. She and others artists at Hoang Thai Thanh theater are always busy rehearsing and performing high-quality plays to entertain the audience and beautify spiritual life of the public.
Luong Viet Quang, singer
A desire for long-preserved features of Hue
After completing his study in music pedagogy from Hue University, Luong Viet Quang moved to Ho Chi Minh for life and professional development. The second prize in the 2003 Hue Television Singing Festival served as the foundation for his career. He admitted that he was sometimes in inevitable loneliness, sadness and hardship at the beginning of his away-from-home life. Yet they were the forces for his efforts, which were recognized through the second prize and the additional prize for the most popular singer at the TV Sao Mai Singing Contests for the Youth in 2009 and 2010, respectively.
He also added that any singer born in Hue – the home to burning sun but deep affection – will take pride in the peculiarity of the accent, especially while singing the ‘bolero’ and ballads. He is well received with songs of these types although he has been known as a pop singer.
Establishing himself in Ho Chi Minh City for over 10 years, Luong Viet Quang is still in deep love with Hue. In his career, he has a variety of music products about his hometown, including albums, singles, and MVs.
The album Ngọt ngào Huế thuở dấu yêu comprises 13 songs that composer Quynh Hop had confidence in Quang’s singing voice. Other products such as the MVs Rất Huế (‘Hue-specific’) and Bây giờ em thế nào (‘How are you now?’) and the single Huế xưa (‘Ancient Hue’) manifest his warm sweet voice and Hue specificity in the lyrics on the one hand, and show the youth and modernity on the other.
“The MVs made in Hue always have peculiarities. Taking the advantage of being a native of Hue, I know how to tap into the uncovered scenes. It is the opportunity to introduce the beauty of Hue, contributing to the extensive promotion of Hue,” he said.
He also revealed that music lovers in Hue and from across the country sent him messages of encouragement, awaiting more products about the ancient Hue. It is this love that he cherishes. Luong Viet Quang also have had music nights in Hue that were well received by the local audience.
Luong Viet Quang said that his family are still in Hue. In his childhood, he was told by his grandfather about Hue in the painful years of war. He is happy, though, that after historic ups and downs Hue has retained its distinctive features of the quietness, the deep beauty of national historical relics and the hospitable people.
Story and photos: THUY BINH – VAN TUAN