Thanh Phap, born in 1986, is a Cham ethnic artist from Chau Hanh village, Phan Thanh commune, Bac Binh district (Binh Thuan). He grew up in a farming family with 11 siblings. No one in his family is an artist, but Thanh Phap has been interested in singing since he was a child.
Thanh Phap performs on stage in traditional Cham costume.
As the 10th child in the family, Thanh Phap's childhood was like that of many other children in the Cham Pley Cham village, following his older siblings to herd goats and cows on the banks of the Luy River and helping his parents farm and plant rice. While still in high school, Thanh Phap joined the Cham ethnic art troupe of Binh Thuan to perform in many places. Graduating from the Faculty of Music Pedagogy of the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music, he returned to serve his homeland, working at the Bien Xanh Music and Dance Theater (under the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Binh Thuan) from then until now.
" I WRITE TO HONOR CARING MOTHERS"
With a strong tenor voice, Thanh Phap can sing many genres of folk music, especially music based on Cham folk music.
Thanh Phap performs on stage in traditional Cham costume.
In recent years, he has switched to composing and arranging music. Some songs composed by Thanh Phap are considered by experts to be profound and imbued with national culture; especially those based on Cham folk songs. The song Giot Thap , composed and performed by Thanh Phap, won the Gold Medal at the 2021 National Music and Dance Festival in Hai Phong City. Or the song Loi Thinh Cau Po Yan , composed and performed by him, won the B prize at the 2022 ASEAN Music Festival in Hoi An City (Quang Nam). Notably, the work Xuong Cactus Dat Thap won the Gold Medal at the National Professional Music Festival, held in Binh Duong in September 2024.
In just 10 years of composing, Thanh Phap has released nearly 60 songs, including works that he confided were "written with all his heart". For example, in the song " Giọt Tháp ", Thanh Phap said: "I took the image of Cham towers in all the provinces of the Central region, like drops of water bestowed by heaven and earth, floating on the ground. Those are the emotions that inspired me to write this song". As for the song " Giac mo shiva" , it is different. "In Cham language, shiva means statue, but there is a traditional Cham dance also called shiva. I wanted to portray the traditional dance of my people through musical melodies. So that song was born and was first popularized by me to the public", Thanh Phap confided.
But for Thanh Phap, the song "Cactus in the Land of Towers" is still the most memorable. He shared: "I wrote it to honor Cham mothers, including my mother. Cham women work hard to make a living in the scorching sun and wind in the fields during the dry season. They are like cacti in the desert, despite the aridity, they still grow green to feed their growing children."
In particular, the song Co mot tim (There is a heart ) was written by Thanh Phap about the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong upon hearing the news of his passing. "I think that a person like him spent his whole life for the cause of the Party and the people. He passed away but the saying "Honor is the most sacred and noble thing" makes us think. With the love of a young party member, I wrote that song very quickly after hearing the news of his passing. After that, the song (performed by singer Minh Duc) was arranged by Binh Thuan Television and mixed and arranged by me before its premiere," Thanh Phap said.
promote traditional culture
Even more special, Thanh Phap was honored to be invited to perform at two National Party Congresses. At the opening ceremony of the 11th National Party Congress (January 12, 2011), Thanh Phap was invited to perform the song Hey Nurisa (composed and written by Khanh Vinh about the Cham people in the South). At the 12th National Party Congress, Thanh Phap was invited to perform at the closing ceremony (January 28, 2016) with the song Lang Cham Ong Bac by musician A Mu Nhan.
In October 2024, Thanh Phap was also invited to perform at the 10th National Congress of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (October 17, 2024). "I consider myself fortunate to be able to perform at important political events of the country and that is the honor and pride of an artist, giving me the motivation to try to improve myself further," Thanh Phap said.
Thanh Phap also confided: "No matter where I perform, I always devote myself to promoting traditional culture. And every time I get to perform folk songs for the Cham people, I feel as happy as if I were coming back to my own home to sing for my mother."
In 2023, Thanh Phap was honored as one of 70 outstanding faces of the Culture, Sports and Tourism sector. He received many Certificates of Merit from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism; the Minister, Chairman of the Ethnic Committee and the Chairman of the People's Committee of Binh Thuan province. Thanh Phap is currently the Head of the Performing Arts Department, Bien Xanh Music and Dance Theater, Binh Thuan.
People's Artist Minh Man, former Director of the Bien Xanh Music and Dance Theater, shared: "Thanh Phap possesses three elements that make him a promising artist. First, he was well-trained at the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music. Second, he is someone who always has the will to excel in all professional circumstances. Third, he is a creative artist, has new thinking, is willing to learn, and always aspires to innovate to create valuable works of art to serve the public. I think that not only keeping the passion for his profession, Thanh Phap will promote and preserve the traditional cultural values of the Cham people in particular and the cultural and artistic movement of Binh Thuan in general."
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nghe-si-thanh-phap-cay-xuong-rong-tren-cat-185250102155023836.htm
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