Telling the story of Princess Ngoc Hoa coming to Japan 400 years ago through Ao Dai Nhat Binh

NDO - The story of Princess Ngoc Hoa being married by Lord Nguyen Phuc Nguyen to Japanese merchant Araki Sotaro in the 17th century was recreated in the performance "Fragrance of Vietnam" within the framework of the program "Vietnam Day in Japan 2023" taking place in Fukuoka (Japan).

Nhat Binh Ao Dai performance in the show "Fragrance and beauty of Vietnam". (Photo: Provided by the crew)

This is a program organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam in coordination with the Consulate General of Vietnam in Fukuoka on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan (1973-2023). Through the performance of various types of intangible cultural heritage of Vietnam, the program brings stories about the friendship between Vietnam and Japan, while introducing to the public in Japan the unique beauty of the three regions of Vietnam. Taking on the role of scriptwriter and stager, and directly participating in the performance of the art night "The Fragrance of Vietnam" is a very young face: artist Le Thanh Phong . The 9x artist said that when the program's production director Yen Nguyen assigned him the responsibility of writing the script and staging "The Fragrance of Vietnam", he immediately thought of bringing true historical stories of Vietnam and Japan into the program. After completing the script, he was co-developed and commented by Ms. Truong Ngoc Trang - Deputy Head of the Department of Cultural Diplomacy, Department of Cultural Diplomacy and UNESCO of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have the most complete program. Accompanying Thanh Phong in the program are choreographer Minh Thanh and artists and actors of Dong Do Art Troupe.

Reenacting the story of Princess Ngoc Hoa following her husband to Japan in the 17th century.

In the performance of the traditional ao dai by Van Thien Y, while honoring the ao dai on the background of traditional Hue royal court music, artist Thanh Phong also recreated the story of Princess Ngoc Hoa being married by Lord Nguyen Phuc Nguyen to Japanese merchant Araki Sotaro in the 17th century. On the day she boarded the boat to follow her husband, the Princess wore the ao dai, bringing Vietnamese ao dai to Japan since the 17th century. Not only that, Thanh Phong also combined Hue singing with the ao dai performance. When saying goodbye to the Princess boarding the boat to Japan in a red Nhat Binh wedding ao dai, the tune "Ly muoi thuong" resounded. “The music for the performance of the ancient costumes is traditional music from the Nguyen Dynasty, but the transition to the farewell to the Princess must have a new, modern feel. And musician Minh Duc has created a very creative and suitable harmony and arrangement. Along with that, the young voice of Ha Quynh Nhu has contributed significantly to creating a farewell space full of nostalgia but full of pride and happiness, not sentimentality. “When the court officials bowed to the Princess and the Princess once again bowed to the people and the country to leave to the music of 'Ly muoi thuong', I felt the emotion of the audience through each round of applause - emotion in happiness”, said artist Thanh Phong.

Artist Thanh Phong and artist Ha Quynh Nhu in a song about patriot Phan Boi Chau.

The second act, staged by Thanh Phong from a historical story, is a love song about the patriot Phan Boi Chau - who initiated the Dong Du revolutionary movement calling on Vietnamese youth to study in Japan, preparing forces for the opportunity to regain the country's independence. Thanh Phong plays the role of Phan Boi Chau in this scene, while young singer Ha Quynh Nhu plays the role of Phan's wife; the dance is performed by Dong Do Dance Group. Thanh Phong shared: “For Phan Boi Chau, the nights of singing in the fabric guild in his hometown of Nam Dan, Nghe An were a very important foundation in nurturing his soul, emotions and desire for freedom, ready to sacrifice himself for a great cause. I asked for permission from People's Artist Hong Luu to add to the excerpt 'Dap toang hai canh can khon' with the old story of Phan singing in the fabric guild, deepening his love story. In Nghe An folk songs, the Tu Hoa melody can help express the singer's feelings and I added the Tu Hoa section for the scene to more deeply portray the character's feelings. I composed the lyrics from the best ideas in Phan Boi Chau's poems to best illustrate the "essence" in his soul". Talking about bringing history into the art program, Le Thanh Phong expressed that this was not an easy thing because it had to ensure the correct nature and historical events and how to balance them with the materials and artistic language expressed. “How to reconcile history, real time and the fantasy of art, mythologizing while still being suitable for life is a difficult problem that makes me very careful,” he said.

Artists and delegates in the program.

Closing the program "The Fragrance of Vietnam" was the song and dance performance "Vietnam - Japan Friendship Song" with the song of the same name composed by Le Thanh Phong himself. "After a night of staying up all night to learn about history and find the main ideas, I wrote this song with contemporary folk material and then received comments and corrections from Mr. Hoang Huu Anh - Deputy Director of the Department of Cultural Diplomacy and UNESCO (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)". The song was arranged by musician Minh Duong, combining traditional and modern, which is the monochord, bamboo flute with the rap reading of rapper RamC. This closing performance was warmly received by the audience. Artist Le Thanh Phong is a Master, Head of the Nghe An Folk Song Group, Unesco in Hanoi, Editor of the Folk Song and Traditional Music program VOV3 - Voice of Vietnam . He was awarded the Outstanding Actor Award at the World Folk Music Festival Uzbekistan 2017; Certificate of Merit for the Folk Music Festival awarded by Yunnan International Television Station - China in 2019; Certificates of Merit for the cause of preserving and promoting national cultural heritage awarded by the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Association in 2018, 2019, 2020...

HA CHI

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