Trịnh Công Sơn

Born

1939-02-28

Died

2001-04-01

Birthplace

Buôn Ma Thuột, Vietnam

Biography

Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a famous Vietnamese, musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during the Vietnam War. Born in Buôn Ma Thuột, Đắk Lắk Province, as a child he lived in Thừa Thiên–Huế Province. There he attended the Lycée Français and the Providence school. Later in his youth, Trịnh went to Saigon and studied western philosophy at the Lycée Jean-Jacques Rousseau, from which he graduated with a baccalaureate degree. In 1961, he studied psychology and education in a school for teachers in Qui Nhơn, in an attempt to avoid being drafted into the Republic of Vietnam Military Forces. After graduation, he taught at an elementary school in Bảo Lộc, Lâm Đồng. Trịnh Công Sơn wrote over 500 songs during the 1960s and 1970s, He became one of South Vietnam's notable singer-songwriters following his first hit, "Ướt mi" (Tearing Lashes), released in 1958. He was frequently under pressure from the government, which was displeased with the pacifist's sentimental lyrics in such songs as "Ngủ đi con" (Lullaby, about a mother grieving for her soldier son). After 1975, Trịnh was then sent by the new government for "retraining" in a labour camp, after his family had fled to Canada, although there remains dispute over what he did during this period in his life. Trịnh was eventually officially honored for his legacy. His often melancholic songs about love and postwar reconciliation gain new acceptance and popularity in later years. Many of his songs have been re-licensed to Vietnamese music companies such as Thúy Nga and Lang Van, and sung by other artists. Two singers most often associated with Trịnh Công Sơn are Khánh Ly and Hồng Nhung. Khánh Ly helped popularize Trịnh's music in the early years. They often performed together on South Vietnam University campuses. Later on in his life, singer Hồng Nhung re-popularized his music. Beyond war and the fate of humankind, love is the single biggest recurring theme in Trinh's body of works. Most of them are sorrowful, conveying a sense of despondence and solitude, as in "Sương đêm", "Ướt mi". There are songs that are either about loss, as in "Diểm xưa", "Biển nhớ"; or nostalgia, as in "Tình xa", "Tình sầu", "Tình nhớ", "Em còn nhớ hay em đã quên", "Hoa vàng mấy độ". Other songs carry philosophical messages from a man to his lover: "Cỏ xót xa đưa", "Gọi tên bốn mùa", "Mưa hồng". Trịnh's melody is sly, simple and suitable for rendition in Slow, Blues or Boston. His lyrics are overwhelmingly poetic, candid and yet deeply poignant, oftentimes hinting at elements of symbolism and surrealism. Trịnh Công Sơn died in Ho Chi Minh City of diabetes on April 1, 2001. Thousands of people attended the funeral. He was buried at Quang Binh Pagoda Cemetery (Binh Chieu Ward, Thu Duc City). Since then, fans have treated this day as an annual memorial day. In 2001, Hoa Binh Theater and Phuong Nam Film Studio performed a music festival to commemorate the 100th-day anniversary of his death, titled "Like a Farewell" (named after one of his songs, "Như một lời chia tay"). After that, there were live shows in his memory such as "Mythical Night" (Đêm thần thoại, 2005) and "Lullaby of Falling Tears" (Rơi lệ ru người, 2007).