The artisan Minh Trang (right) in a play of Binh Dinh bai choi folk-song club.

70 years earlier, there was a girl devoting her enthusiasm to bai choi folk-song. The girl now is…83 years, but it seems that the time only makes “the old bai choi become deeper in her soul” as she bared her heart.

* Being beloved with “cau xuan nu nhip song loan”

The artisan Minh Trang whose real name is Le Thi Dao was born in 1925 at Huynh Gian hamlet, Phuoc Hoa commune, Tuy Phuoc district. When she was a child, she gave her passion for bai choi folk-song, so, at the age of 14, she decided to learn to sing bai choi folk-song with Bay Xin, a famous singer of “bai choi” at that time.

With inborn latency together with the teacher Bay Xin’s whole-hearted instruction, Dao proved her voice several years later and soon became the most famous actress of Huynh Gian hamlet’s troupe. And as a predestined fate, once Bon Trang’s (real name Nguyen Trac) troupe of Nhon Phuc hamlet, An Nhon district performed at Huynh Gian hamlet, she got married him, 14 years older than her just because she admired his voice too much.

In Nhon Phuc, at the time of the anti-French, Le Thi Dao was invited to take part in the Nhon Phuc’s ensemble to go to perform at all hamlets in the district. After that, the married couple travelled around the districts and neighbouring provinces such as Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, etc. At this time, Dao (her stage name was Minh Trang) became a star of the Bon Trang troupe. Her strong points of her singing voice in bai choi are the high breath, the sweet voice, and the ability of showing the character’s psychology. Many her roles were loved by most audience such forting roles as Thoai Khanh in the play “Thoai Khanh-Chau Tuan”, Quan Xuan (or Mau Lang) in “Lang Chau-Ly An” and, especially, Le in “Chau Dat-Ngoc Ha”.

* And being alone with bai choi

After the liberation, due to her husband’s death in 1976 the artisan Minh Trang fell into the melancholy, and it was the nostalgia for bai choi that helped her to pick herself up. Then, she alone travelled around to perform. Once again, bai choi folk-song helped her find the pleasure in her life. More strangely, it was the enthusiasm for the art that made her voice ”young with time”; the much she sang, the stronger her voice was. When she was under 60, 70 and even 80, she still performed everywhere. Recently, although over 80, she went to Ly Son district (Quang Ngai province) to perform.

Being 83 years now, the artisan Minh Trang still has a passion for her career. “Within one year earlier, due to the weak health, I have had to stay at home, but I’ve still missed it very much so I sometimes borrowed tapes of bai choi folk-song to watch,” she said. And, then, she lowered her voice and talked to me that if being invited to perform in the forthcoming time, she would continue travelling.

• Written by Hoai Thu
• Translated by Hong Quang