'The great tree of the art of singing' Hoang Trong Kha passed away

According to music researcher Nguyen Quang Long, Meritorious Artist Hoang Trong Kha passed away in Hanoi on February 14 (the 5th day of the Lunar New Year).

Mr. Nguyen Quang Long shared: "In the last days of 2023, Mr. Kha's health was weak, he could no longer play the instrument, sing, and even had difficulty talking.

Yet when talking about music and singing, about his life associated with the wonderful sounds of Hat Van, he gradually became more alert, his face brightened, he talked more, Minh (his student) sang a few words and he immediately sang along, and then Minh let him sing by himself.

The researcher also said that artist Hoang Trong Kha was a practitioner of the ancient art of singing. He played the instrument very disciplinedly, strictly following the rules, according to the style of each region. He was also dedicated and strict with his students, teaching them how to sit and how to cross their legs.

Every time he visits Meritorious Artisan Hoang Trong Kha, Nguyen Quang Long often asks about playing instruments, singing, and passing on the craft. The most recent time, he asked for more information, because the artist has many books on the art of singing.

Image of Meritorious Artist Hoang Trong Kha performing an excerpt from "Van Cong Dong". (Photo: Vietnam Hat Van Forum).

"Mr. Kha said he used to have a lot of books, he still has them now but many have disappeared. Uncle Phuc, his son, took out a stack of books from the cupboard, picked out a few and gave them to him. They were all written in Chinese and Nom characters. He opened each book, looked through each page, pointed at each word and read, then translated and explained the meaning to us.

"Those are books stained with time, some he collected, some he copied himself. The content of the books is ancient songs and prayers," researcher Nguyen Quang Long shared.

Meritorious Artist Hoang Trong Kha was born in 1923 in a family with a musical tradition in Hanoi . His father was a singer, so at the age of 10, he began studying and in less than a year, he followed his father to play and sing. The 5 brothers in his family then participated in a series of singing competitions, creating a great buzz, and were known as the "Five Tigers" group.

In 1946, when he and his family evacuated to his hometown, Hoang Trong Kha applied to join a Cai Luong troupe. It was not until 1951 that he returned to Hanoi and joined the Chuong Van Cai Luong troupe. He remained with Cai Luong for a long time, and only returned to perform Chau Van after his retirement.

In March 2012, musician Hoang Trong Kha was awarded the title of Folk Artist by the Folk Arts Association. In December 2022, during the awarding ceremony of the titles of People's Artist and Meritorious Artist in the field of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Hanoi, Mr. Hoang Trong Kha became a Meritorious Artist.

Le Chi

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