Highly appreciated golden bells over the seasons (from left to right): artists Thu Van, Vo Minh Lam, Ngoc Doi and Le Hoang Nghi - Photo: LINH DOAN
The documentary Golden Bell Shining was produced by Ho Chi Minh City Television to celebrate the 20th season of Golden Bell vọng cổ. Vo Minh Lam, Ngoc Doi, Thu Van… are considered the successful Golden Bells from the competition.
Vo Minh Lam, Ngoc Doi... tearfully look back at themselves 20 years ago
Vo Minh Lam confided that he had been to the cinema many times, but this was the first time he had seen a film about himself and the golden bells through the seasons. "Looking back at myself 20 years ago, suddenly so many memories came flooding back that I wanted to cry" - Vo Minh Lam said.
In the blink of an eye, from this launching pad through many efforts, Lam has now grown up and become a young cai luong star with many good roles.
Looking back at himself from his early days, Vo Minh Lam understood that if he had enough passion, talent, and hard work, one day he would reap the rewards.
The 2007 footage also recorded the young face of Ngoc Doi. A poor girl from the countryside in the West came to the city for the first time to participate in a big competition. The Golden Bell really changed her, helping her reach her dream of becoming a Cai Luong artist, performing more shows and making life easier.
Thu Van is also proud of being the Golden Bell of Traditional Opera 2009. That award helped her quickly enter the professional path, challenge herself with many difficult roles and become known to the audience like today.
Golden Bell Award-winning artists and contestants of the 2025 Golden Bell season attended the premiere of the documentary Golden Bell Shines - Photo: LINH DOAN
Golden Bell of Southern Folk Songs for Young People
Mr. Hien Phuong, deputy head of the station's arts department, who has been associated with the Golden Bell of Traditional Music Awards for the past 20 years, said that Mr. Huynh Van Nam, the station's general director at that time, saw that the Tran Huu Trang competition was effective, so he also wanted the station to hold its own competition, spreading it on television.
One time, Mr. Phuong visited artist Minh Vuong and saw the certificate of Khoi Nguyen vong co that Minh Vuong won at the age of 14. So he thought of proposing that the station hold a similar contest to find and discover good singers to nurture and develop their talents.
Since then, with the efforts of many seniors, the Golden Bell of Traditional Music was first born in 2006 (originally named Traditional Music Star of Television).
After 20 years, it can be said that Golden Bell of Southern Folk Songs is the most enduring competition on television, contributing to spreading the unique features of amateur music and reformed opera, specifically Southern Folk Songs, and contributing to the reformed opera village a series of young reformed opera stars today.
The 40-minute film Golden Bell Shines gives people an overview of the 20-year journey of Golden Bell.
There, the audience was moved to tears when they met the respected seniors who had accompanied the Golden Bell of Traditional Opera since the early days, such as Professor Tran Van Khe, artists Diep Lang, Huynh Nga, Thanh Tong, Hoa Ha, Minh Vuong, Bach Tuyet, Thanh Tuan, musician Thanh Hai, Mr. Phan Quoc Hung (former director of Tran Huu Trang Theater)...
Viewers also listen to the wishes of the predecessors to preserve the program even though there are too many modern forms of entertainment dominating it. Because cải lương and vọng cổ are the soul of the South.
Mr. Hien Phuong (left) and Ms. Le Thi Thuy Trang, director of the documentary Golden Bell Shines, interacted with the audience on the afternoon of September 25 - Photo: LINH DOAN
Mr. Hien Phuong confided that the thing that makes the performers worry is how to make the Golden Bell of Southern Folk Songs close and accessible to young people.
"We appreciate the older audiences who love cải lương, however we are very interested in finding out what today's young people want so that we can change accordingly each season. Because in the future, for the Golden Bell to survive, we really need the support of young audiences," said Mr. Hien Phuong.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/vo-minh-lam-ngoc-doi-thu-van-xuc-dong-khi-xem-phim-ve-chuong-vang-vong-co-20250925181554534.htm
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