My memories with the Inter-zone V Performing Arts Troupe 70 years ago

I remember, after the Inter-Zone V art troupe had gathered in the North, they came to station in my village for nearly a month. I loved it. Holding my baby in my arms, I stood there all day long, engrossed, watching the artists practice singing and dancing in my yard or my aunt's yard.

Many special performances at Thanh Hoa Television Bridge at the Memorial Area for Southern compatriots and soldiers who gathered in the North (Sam Son City, evening of September 1, 2024).

For the first time, I got to see and listen to opera performances, bai choi and Central folk songs, and to see with my own eyes the artists performing senh tien. Right in my own yard, I got to enjoy the song "Liberating Kon Tum" praising the victory of Kon Tum (February 1954). I still remember, although not completely accurately, some parts of this song: " Good news, good news, Kon Tum is liberated, news is coming, Kon Tum is liberated. The flags are flying high, Kon Tum is happy, our people... This afternoon, the people of Kon Tum are happy and joyful, returning to the streets... Remembering the old days, more than eighty years of slavery, imperialism and feudalism, oppressing Kon Tum, causing sorrow and mourning to many poor people, but the people of Kon Tum still believe that there will be a brighter day. Today Kon Tum is liberated, today Kon Tum rises up to kill the greedy army, unite together. Kon Tum is happy, jubilant, reading Uncle Ho's poems, beloved Uncle Ho...". There was also a folk song condemning Ngo Dinh Diem for sabotaging the truce, of which I still vaguely remember a few lines: "Who is his name, who is his name, the robber, he broke the truce, he plotted to divide between religion and non-religion, he is Diem, tang tang tang tinh, tang tang tang tinh, he is, he is Diem í i í i...".

At that time, I only knew about the Inter-Zone V art troupe through what I saw with my own eyes in my house and my village, I only knew that this was an art troupe from the remote provinces of the South Central Coast. Listening to the dialects of the art troupes, I could easily recognize the origin of this military art troupe. For example, they did not say “work” but “lom viec” - “I lom viec”. As for the people in my village, including me, instead of saying “work”, they said “man viec” - “I man viec”. Only later, when I grew up, through the press, did I clearly learn about the history and “selfless service to the people” activities of this military art troupe:

“In 1952, in response to the request to mobilize the fighting spirit of soldiers and people on the battlefield of Zone 5, at Cat market, Tam Quan commune, Hoai Nhon district (Binh Dinh province), the Artistic Team of the Inter-Zone Command was established with only 10 members, who were young cadets who had just graduated from the 6th course of Tran Quoc Tuan Military Academy (now Army Officer School 1) and a number of comrades with singing and dancing talents selected from the base. The initial capital of the team was self-composed and self-performed performances based on the soulful and smooth folk songs of Zone 5.

Most of the actors at that time were soldiers who fought with guns during the day and sang at night to serve the soldiers and people; they collected, composed, staged, and designed their own costumes and props in a situation of scarcity. With the determination to stick close to the soldiers, stick close to the battlefield, and overcome the challenges of survival amidst the rain of bombs and bullets, the team divided into small groups, ready to go to serve the soldiers, the people, and the wounded and sick soldiers under the "3 no" conditions: no backdrop, no sound, no light.

In a small house in the Military Region 5 officer's quarters, musician Thanh Anh, former Head of the Military Region 5 Art Troupe, recounted that from the very first day of its establishment, the troupe had hundreds of performances to serve soldiers and people in Go Noi (Quang Nam), Ta Muc (Son Tay), Nam Quang Ngai, An Khe (Gia Lai), Konplong (Kon Tum)... before and after the historic Summer-Autumn 1952 and Fall-Winter 1953 campaigns.

“Musician Thanh Anh is one of the “leading birds” in developing the music and dance movement in Zone 5. In a professional and modern direction, but still suitable for all assigned political tasks. Leaving his family at the age of 13, 3 years later, he joined the army and became a dancer of the 120th Regiment, the leader of the dance team of the Inter-Zone 5 Command's Artistic Team gathered in the North a few years later.”

The ladies and gentlemen of the Inter-Zone V Art Troupe who used to station and practice at my house and in my village must be very old now. Because at that time I was only 12 or 13 years old and now I am “older than you”, so they are definitely older than me. However, I still clearly picture in my mind the image of the young, beautiful, talented artists who played musical instruments, sang well and loved us children.

70 years have passed, you guys have left me with indelible impressions. I know many songs and melodies of the South Central region thanks to you guys. And it was you guys who instilled in me a passion for South Central Vietnam folk songs and resistance songs with regional imprints. I was really happy to hear that the monument “The Gathering Ship” at the Memorial Site for Southern compatriots, cadres, soldiers and students who gathered in the North in Sam Son City will be inaugurated on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of this important event (1954-2024).

Le Ba Thu (Contributor)

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/ky-niem-cua-toi-voi-doan-van-cong-lien-khu-v-cach-day-70-nam-227661.htm