"Trinh Cong Son" Exhibition

On May 21st, the exhibition "Trinh Cong Son – Inspiration from Zen and Coffee" officially opened. This is the first thematic exhibition about Trinh Cong Son to be held in Buon Ma Thuot – the birthplace of the late musician – and will run until the end of August 2023.

When Vietnamese modern music began to develop, from around the beginning of the 20th century to the present day, composer Trinh Cong Son was one of the leading figures of this period. His music is widely known to the public both domestically and internationally because his works are associated with profound philosophies of life, becoming an endless source of artistic inspiration. Many music critics have written essays on the lyrics in Trinh Cong Son's music contributing to the development of Zen philosophy, including American professor John C. Schafer, who wrote: "Listening to Trinh Cong Son's music is almost like listening to a Buddhist scripture for many Vietnamese people" ...

The story of Trịnh Công Sơn's music, which originated in a coffee shop in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City), has spread widely to many of his fans. However, not all listeners know that the late musician was born and raised in Lạc Giao village, now Buôn Ma Thuột city – the birthplace of the world's finest Robusta coffee beans.

Đại diện sở VH-TT-DL Đắk Lắk, gia đình nhạc sĩ Trịnh Công Sơn, các chuyên gia và khách mời tham dự triển lãm.

Representatives from the Dak Lak Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the family of musician Trinh Cong Son, experts, and guests attended the exhibition.

At the thematic exhibition "Trinh Cong Son – Inspiration from Zen and Coffee," visitors will discover and learn about the incredibly poetic stories from the life of this talented musician, including his daily coffee-drinking habits and the Zen influence in his musical legacy. "Zen and Coffee Inspiration" is interwoven throughout the musician's creative life, as well as in the projects and artistic products that Trung Nguyen Legend has launched and introduced to the public based on this inspiration.

Khách mời trong chương trình tham quan không gian trưng bày tại triển lãm.

Guests at the exhibition tour are shown around the display area.

The exhibition began with an exciting performance by the Chi Ri Ria band from the Dak Lak Provincial Folk Dance and Music Troupe, featuring renditions of Trinh Cong Son's songs accompanied by traditional instruments of the Central Highlands ethnic groups such as the T'rưng, Đinh Pad, Ching ding, and drums.

At the opening ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Trung Truc, representing the family of musician Trinh Cong Son, shared: “Upon receiving the information that the World Coffee Museum planned to organize an exhibition about Mr. Son with the theme “Inspiration from Zen and Coffee,” the two words “Zen” and “Coffee” almost perfectly encapsulated the essence of our family's beloved brother. This is also one of the family's directions in preserving and spreading his musical legacy to future generations.”

Ms. Le Hai Anh, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City, shared: “I have been listening to Trinh Cong Son's music for over 20 years, since I was very young. Trinh Cong Son's music has had a profound influence and can comfort and heal the soul, including mine. Therefore, I was extremely surprised and delighted to have the opportunity to learn about a part of his life through the exhibition when visiting the World Coffee Museum.”

Một góc trưng bày của triển lãm “Trịnh Công Sơn – Cảm hứng từ Thiền và Cà phê”.

A display area of the exhibition "Trinh Cong Son – Inspiration from Zen and Coffee".

Also within the framework of the exhibition, to help the community in Buon Ma Thuot enjoy Trinh Cong Son's music from a new, more contemporary perspective, the World Coffee Museum and Coffee City are organizing the program "Trinh Cong Son's Music in the Contemporary Flow" exclusively for residents of the Coffee City urban area on the evening of May 21, 2023. The program will feature singer Ha Le, who has breathed new life into Trinh Cong Son's music with modern styles such as R&B and Rap, connecting the values of Trinh Cong Son's music closer to the younger generations of Vietnam.

As of May 2023, the World Coffee Museum had welcomed nearly 200,000 visitors during a series of important events such as: the 8th Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival 2023, the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day, the April 30th - May 1st holidays… New thematic exhibitions will continue to be held regularly every quarter and it is expected to welcome its 5 millionth visitor since opening (November 23, 2018) in 2023.

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