Cam Van: 'I once arbitrarily edited Trinh's lyrics'

Singer Cam Van said she once "risked" changing a word in a Trinh song in front of the author but he didn't get angry.

Reminiscing about the musician on his 23rd death anniversary (April 1, 2001 - April 1, 2024), Cam Van said that during his lifetime, Trinh Cong Son was always meticulous about lyrics, especially with professional singers. He once told Cam Van that she could sing the wrong melody but not change the lyrics on her own. Remembering his advice, she always studied the songs carefully.

Once, Cam Van performed Xin Cho Toi - a famous composition in Trinh Cong Son's Da Vang song collection. The opening line of the song is "Xin cho may che du phan nguoi". Before going on stage, Cam Van practiced many times but felt that she could not sing the word "du" well. "I had to risk changing it to 'phu' to better suit my voice and the way I sang. While singing, I nervously observed the attitude of the musician sitting below. Luckily, he was not angry, he just looked at me and smiled," Cam Van said.

Cam Van: I once edited Trinh's lyrics without permission. — Cam Van with musician Trinh Cong Son when she first started her career. Photo: *Character provided*

The 65-year-old singer said that Trinh's music holds a special place in her more than four-decade singing career. In 1984, while participating in a music night in Ho Chi Minh City, musician Pham Trong Cau asked her to sing a Trinh song. Cam Van gently refused because "I don't know any of Son's songs". Trinh Cong Son - who was sitting below at the time - offered to remind her. The singer then performed the song Diem Xua , while the author stood next to her, occasionally giving her the lyrics in a slightly drunken voice. That was the first time Cam Van had a chance to listen to Trinh's music, opening the way for her series of successful recordings later on, such as Song ve dau, Ru ta ngam ngui, Xin mat troi ngu yen .

Cam Van met him for the last time in 2001, at his 62nd birthday party at the musician's home. At that time, his health had declined after a serious illness, and he was thin and weak. However, when he met her and some friends, he forced himself to get up and sit on the guest chair with his usual polite manner. In the middle of the conversation, the musician suggested: "Van, please sing for me." She refused because her voice was a bit hoarse that day, and there was no accompaniment, but he still insisted. Cam Van then performed "Where Will the Waves Go?" - a song she had recorded that the musician loved. After leaving, the two parted ways regretfully.

The singer did not expect that just over a month after the reunion, the musician would pass away. "At that time, when an acquaintance told me the news over the phone, I thought it was an April Fool's joke. After calling many other people to check, I finally accepted the fact that he had passed away forever," the singer said.

Cam Van - MV — MV "Pilgrimage on the high hills". Video: *YouTube Cam Van - Khac Trieu*

On the occasion of Trinh's death anniversary, Cam Van released the MV "Pilgrimage on the high hills", directed by Tung Phan . The video was filmed late last year, during a visit to Cam Van's father's hometown in Cao Bang. When setting foot on the majestic mountains and waterfalls, she suddenly remembered the lyrics of Trinh's music: "The person walking alone, the steep hills tilt down/ The person walking alone, the deep abyss calls out". She chose the song with the intention of both recording the memory of her visit to her father's homeland and a pilgrimage to the roots of Trinh's music. The singer retained the arrangement by musician Bao Phuc in the album Xin cho toi (2004) with the saxophone of Tran Manh Tuan.

Musician Trinh Cong Son was born in 1939 in Dak Lak and passed away on April 1, 2001. He left behind more than 600 songs, of which about 236 were popular. Trinh's music is imbued with philosophy, humanity, sincerity, and passion, with great love for the people and homeland of Vietnam and praise for peace. Many names are associated with his music such as: Khanh Ly, Tuan Ngoc, Hong Nhung, Cam Van, Hong Hanh, Quang Dung, of which Khanh Ly is an iconic voice.