There is still room for reinventing Trinh Cong Son's music.

Trinh Cong Son's music has always been the "standard," somewhat challenging attempts at modernization. However, there have been many successful projects, demonstrating increasingly open acceptance from both audiences and artists.

Diverse efforts to renew

At the end of 2024, singer The Thien – the nephew of the late musician Trinh Cong Son – surprised audiences by reimagining two famous songs, "Mot Coi Di Ve " and "Diem Xua," in his debut album, " Tran The ." Compared to the "classic" recordings, this electronic rendition made the songs more familiar to younger audiences. Ha Le also successfully implemented this approach in her album " O Tro ," dressing the songs in new styles like reggae and world music. It's also worth mentioning musician Vo Thien Thanh and his chill-out and new-age arrangements, performed by Nguyen Thao, which have given Trinh Cong Son's music a unique sound.

New versions of Trinh Cong Son's music have been particularly well-received recently.

PHOTO: ARCHIVE

This innovative approach has been consistently pursued by Giang Trang for over 10 years. From albums like "Lênh đênh nhớ phố ," " Hạ huyền , " "Hạ huyền 2," and "Trịnh cuối ," the singer has continuously incorporated semi-classical, contemporary folk, jazz, blues, and rock elements into her work. In the album "Trịnh cuối," which marked the end of her dedication to Trịnh Công Sơn's music , she collaborated with young talents in Ho Chi Minh City to bring new colors to the songs, thereby recreating the life of the city during a bygone era. This is also a symbiotic creation, where the melodies and lyrics of the late composer give rise to a new context.

Renowned singer Cẩm Vân (center) and the family of the late musician Trịnh Công Sơn, including singer Trịnh Vĩnh Trinh (left) and fashion designer Trịnh Vĩnh Tâm.

PHOTO: HOA PHAM

Not only young artists, but also veteran singers who have made their mark are not holding onto their established "thrones." Beyond Vietnam's borders, Cam Van and Hong Nhung have collaborated with internationally renowned teams from France, Germany, and the USA to release two vinyl album projects: "The Depressed Mark" and "Who Is Bong?" . Both feature blues and jazz ballad styles… through this effort to reinvent them, audiences can enjoy songs that are quite familiar yet feel new. For example, in "Who Is Bong?" , Hong Nhung maintains her signature "masculine" singing style but incorporates added subtlety and a sense of experience.

Cẩm Vân is famous for her passionate and fiery renditions of Trịnh Công Sơn's music, but in her newly released vinyl album, after a 17-year hiatus from the record market, she has explored new territories in improvisational genres, focusing more on the subtle nuances and nuances of the lower register. Through eight songs that made her famous, featuring exceptional sound quality and subtly re-arranged by composer Nguyễn Công Phương Nam, the renowned singer sings as if speaking, pouring out her heart into the depths she acknowledges as she matures over time with Trịnh Công Sơn's music.

From understanding to successful implementation.

It's not hard to see that the success of these products stems from understanding and grasping the spirit of Trinh Cong Son's music. The artists don't clothe Trinh Cong Son's music in an unsuitable way, but rather delve deeper to discover other sub-streams within this musical tradition.

Speaking to Thanh Nien newspaper, musician Nguyen Cong Phuong Nam explained that his desire for Cam Van to change her singing style was based on his own understanding of Trinh Cong Son's music: "For me, Trinh Cong Son's music is like a gentle self-narrative, a heartfelt sharing, like Bob Dylan's 'traveling minstrel' style with Americans. Furthermore, with the vinyl format, the audience consists of those who want to enjoy refined sound, so it's even more important to highlight the unique characteristics of the instruments and vocals… At this point, Cam Van's voice is particularly rich and warm in the lower register, so during the production process, the team made adjustments to further explore this aspect."

Renowned singer Cam Van practices with musician Nguyen Cong Phuong Nam.

PHOTO: TVTMUSIC

And achieving success was no easy feat. Renowned singer Cam Van stated: "Honestly, I'm very nervous, not knowing if the album will be well-received, but for me, this is an incredibly interesting project. I hope that through this, the audience will see a newer version of Cam Van in her renditions of Trinh Cong Son's music." Composer Nguyen Cong Phuong Nam added: "Re-arranging and re-singing Trinh Cong Son's music easily falls into clichés that many people have already done. Finding something new, something with a unique mark, is not easy. The arrangements in 'Vet Lan Tram' aim to ensure that listeners still recognize Cam Van's poignant and expressive style, but also find it interesting with new elements that only she can bring."

Furthermore, with these specially executed projects, the artists and their teams not only highlight the vocals, but also give the musicians and instruments their own "stage," transforming it into a true dialogue between music and vocals. In "Trịnh cuối ," Giang Trang has moments where the brass instruments and sharp guitar "speak"; while in "Vết lăn trầm ," composer Nguyễn Công Phương Nam also fully utilizes the superior sound quality of the vinyl format and international standard recording studio, so that "the arrangements lean towards acoustic so that not only the singer's voice but also the musicians have their 'stage,' thus fully showcasing the sonic beauty of each instrument." From here, Trịnh's music is no longer confined to a single song, lyrics, and melody, but has freed itself to co-create in many different dimensions.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/van-con-du-dia-lam-moi-nhac-trinh-18525032722452618.htm