Cai luong story sharing campaign kicks off

Illustrative photo (Source: VTV)

Sponsored by the British Council, the campaign targets people aged between 15 and 35 with interest in traditional art, with entries in forms of podcasts, videos, photos, and graphic designs submitted from October 1 to November 15.

Voting for these submissions opens from October 15 to December 7.

The results awarding entries in terms of materials, creativity, communications, and public voting will be announced on December 23, with the highest prize valued at 2.5 million VND (109.76 USD).

Male singer Isaac in "Song Lang" - a film that recreates the golden age of Cai luong (Source: CGV)

Cai luong is the convergence of southern Vietnamese folk songs, classical music, tuong (traditional opera) and modern spoken drama.

About 100 years ago, authors like Ho Bieu Chanh and Dang Thuc Lieng introduced Cai luong to the public. Chanh and his friend set up cai luong troupes that staged performances across Sai Gon (now Ho Chi Minh City) and Mekong Delta provinces. The birth of the art had enriched people’s spiritual life, becoming the most popular art genre at that time, especially during the 1960s.

Between 1975 and 1990, Ho Chi Minh City was home to more than 20 Cai luong troupes that performed at 15 theatres, with each attracting thousands of audiences each night.

Cai luong was the first traditional Vietnamese art genre that had been introduced in Paris in the first half of the 20th century. During the wars against French and American forces, it served as a spiritual weapon, helping to encourage people to join revolutionary movements, particularly in southern provinces./.

VNA