It’s been 24 years since our deceased composer Trinh Cong Son left this fleeting world. However, the journey of exploring the philosophy embedded in the countless songs he left behind still continues to inspire many generations. In November 2024, the Vietnam Studies Center of Fulbright University Vietnam established the Trinh Cong Son Music Research and Performance Group to honor the legacy of the redoubtable musician while providing a research foundation for Trinh Cong Son’s music, from lyrics and contexts of creation to the humanistic philosophy and Buddhist thought present in his works.
Notably, the music night “Back into Mother’s Arms” on March 8th was the opening event in a series of activities aimed at preserving and developing these legacies. With a theme honoring mothers, the concert also served as a special tribute to Mrs. Le Thi Quynh – Trinh Cong Son’s mother, on the anniversary of her birth.
The research and performance team of Trinh Cong Son’s music from Fulbright University commemorates with the family of the late musician and guest artists at the concert “Back into Mother’s Arms.”
From love to efforts in promoting Trinh Cong Son’s legacy
Speaking at the launch of the Trinh Cong Son Music Research and Performance Group in November 2024, Dr. Nguyen Nam – Director of the Vietnam Studies Center emphasized that studying Trinh Cong Son’s music is not merely about learning how to sing or perform; it is essential to view it as “the art within academic”: only with a understanding of Vietnamese history, culture, and thought can performers truly grasp the feelings and philosophy in Trinh Cong Son’s music.
Following this guidance, Fulbright’s students in the Trinh Cong Son Music Research and Performance Group have made dedicated efforts to first “understand Trinh Cong Son’s music.” As an enthusiastic researcher, Phan Ngoc Tue Nguyen, a third-year student, shared: “In his music, apart from themes expressing deep emotions with the word ‘love,’ Trinh Cong Son left many songs about love for life, romantic love, and love for the country, etc. But above all, he used his lyrics to express special gratitude for a pure and sacred love from the moment of birth – the boundless love of a mother.”
The group’s research highlights that the image of the mother in the flow of the late artist’s music is depicted with various nuances and different imagery. Sometimes, this mother is Mother Suot, rowing through the rain of bombs and bullets to protect and embrace her children in the work “Huyen thoai me”. Sometimes, those lyrics are the artist’s cries for countless “Vietnamese Heroic Mothers” on this land.
And sometimes, this mother is Mrs. Le Thi Quynh – Trinh Cong Son’s mother. She was not just a mother, but also the source of the humanistic values in his music and soul. She was the first person he shared his creations with, quietly accompanying him through every high and low of life. Her love and kindness have permeated the beautiful and immortal melodies of Trinh, like “embracing all beings.”
Performing the song “Duong xa van dam” a song that Trinh Cong Son wrote for his mother on her forty-sevenfold ancestor veneration, Luong Ngoc Chung – a final-year student at Fulbright confessed: “Performing Trinh Cong Son’s music is a difficult challenge for me because his songs require a high level of emotional depth and message conveyance. However, like many young people, I deeply admire the melodies and philosophy in his music, so we have worked hard to bring the audience a meaningful and well-prepared concert.”
Student Luong Ngoc Chung feels emotional while performing the song “Duong xa van dam”.
Fostering cultural engagement: guiding students in the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage
In the atmosphere of International Women’s Day, over 300 people from all over gathered in the hall of Fulbright University Vietnam to honor and remember mothers. The program unfolded like a book with four chapters: “Oh Childhood, Oh Childhood,” “In the Midst of Human Suffering,” “From There We Are the Night,” and “Back into Mother’s Arms.” Nearly 20 songs about mothers composed by Trinh Cong Son were performed by various student singers from the Trinh Cong Son Music Research and Performance Group and guest artists.
The music night “Back Into Mother’s Arms” was not merely a performance event but also an academic and creative space where students experienced fully the musical legacy of Trinh Cong Son, deeply feeling the meaning of connection, love, and gratitude. The concert is part of a series of events aimed at engaging Fulbright students with cultural heritage, raising awareness of their responsibilities toward society.
The family of Trinh Cong Son visits the exhibition on Trinh Cong Son’s music research conducted by Fulbright students.
Expressing profound gratitude at the end of the program, Dr. Nguyen Nam shared: “This music night would not exist without the presence of Generation Z singing and performing Trinh Cong Son’s music. Let us all applaud these young people – those who cherish, inherit, and bring new life to Trinh Cong Son’s music, and Vietnamese music in general. Because our country needs a heart from us, each of us should be a small rose, helping to make this life beautiful and noble.”
Dr. Nguyen Nam, Director of the Vietnam Studies Center, expressed gratitude to the sponsors and participants at the end of the music night.
Not only the legacy of Trinh Cong Son’s music, but also the journey of exploring and developing all the beauty of Vietnamese culture will always be continued by the young people who cherish it. The flow of time will always move forward alongside modernization, but culture and art will remain a mark of human identity.
A few images throughout the event:
Như Ý
