Photo exhibition reveals daily life of late composer Trinh Cong Son

Visitors look at a photo of late composer Trinh Cong Son. (Photo: VNA)

Thua Thien – Hue (VNA) - A photo exhibition featuring late composer Trinh Cong Son opened on March 16 at the Centre for Culture, Information and Sports in Hue City, the hometown of the composer, in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue.

The exhibition, Trinh Cong Son- Lan Dau Gap Lai (Trinh Cong Son- Meeting you again for first time), features 35 black-and-white photos taken by photographer Duong Minh Long which capture the everyday moments of the musician. 

All works in the exhibition are introduced to the public for the first time, including those of the musician and relatives and friends, such as late composer Van Cao, Vietnamese-French film director Tran Anh Hung and singer Liz Mitchell of the German-Caribbean vocal group Boney M.  They are selected from over 9,000 photos that Long took of the late composer over 11 years, from 1990 to his death in 2001.

The exhibition offers an opportunity for viewers and Son's music lovers to know more about his life, said Director of the Centre for Culture, Information and Sports of Hue city Tran Viet Hung.

Born in Hue in 1939, Son became popular in 1957. His lasting legacy includes albums of romantic love songs, such as Diem Xua (Diem, My Cherished Old Flame) and Ru Tinh (Lullaby to Love), released in the 1960s and 70s.  

Diem Xua is well-known in Japan, where it was introduced through well-known singer Khanh Ly in Osaka in 1970. Later, the song was written in Japanese, titled Utsukushii Mukashi, and was listed among Japan’s top 10 favourite love songs.

Son went on to become southern Vietnam’s most famous songwriter of anti-war music collections, including Ca Khuc Da Vang (Yellow Skin Song), Kinh Viet Nam (Vietnamese Prayer) and Ta Phai Thay Mat Troi (We Must See The Sunlight).

He died in HCM City in 2001 after a prolonged illness.

The exhibition will remain open until April 2./.