MUSIC LEGEND: Songs and music pieces based on Vietnamese folk tunes by late musician and author Bắc Sơn, one of the region’s leading artists in music, theatre and movies in the 1980s and 90s, will be featured in a music contest in Long An next week. Photo courtesy of the producer

LONG AN — Songs based on Vietnamese folk tunes by late musician and author Bắc Sơn, one of the region’s leading artists in music, theatre and movies in the 1980s and 90s, will be highlighted in a music contest in the southern province of Long An next week.

The contest, Tiếng Hát Tình Ca Bắc Sơn (Love Songs by Bắc Sơn), encourages locals in southern provinces who love singing folk tunes to show off their skills.

The participants will perform from a collection of 500 songs, most of them in praise of southern people and their culture, written and composed by Sơn.

Sơn’s songs include Về Thăm Quê Ngoại (Come Back Home), Điệu Ru Mòn Mỏi (Lullaby) and Qua Nhịp Cầu Tre (Walking on the Bamboo Bridge) -- all of which portray southern people and culture.

The contest’s semifinal and final rounds will be aired on a YouTube channel managed by the organiser, An Nông Group, in December.

Winners’ performances will be aired on the Long An Province Radio & Television and television stations of Bình Phước and Tiền Giang provinces.

“Through our contest, we hope fans, singers, composers and music producers can work together to introduce Vietnamese music and musician-author Sơn in particular,” said theatre actress-singer Bích Thuỷ, Sơn’s daughter and also a member of the contest’s organising board.

Musician-author Sơn (real name Trương Văn Khuê) began his writing career in 1952 when he was a teacher in Đồng Nai.

In 1977, he became familiar with folk tunes that feature his love for the south. He worked as a musician, theatre actor and scriptwriter.

He wrote 180 scripts for TV, theatre and movies and also performed in 60 films and TV series. He died in 2005.

“Sơn’s art features the beauty of southern culture,” said Thuỷ, who has 20 years of experience in the industry.

Long An Radio & TV is working with its partner, An Group, to produce 100 two-act plays about the lifestyle and characters of farmers living in the Mekong River Delta provinces written by Sơn.

Dozens of theatre performers in drama, cải lương (reformed opera) and tuồng (classical drama) will be featured, such as People’s Artist Bạch Tuyết and People’s Artist Ngọc Giàu. VNS