25 Years Remembering Trinh Cong Son: Musical Returns
Twenty-five years have passed since Trinh Cong Son's passing, yet his music remains ever-present in the spiritual lives of the public.
Perform:Phuoc Anh• April 1, 2026
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Twenty-five years after Trinh Cong Son's passing, his music has never faded from the public's spiritual life. In late March and early April, quiet musical venues light up, welcoming those who return to listen to familiar melodies and embark on an emotional journey together, where people can find peace, share, and heal in "Trinh's realm."
In late March, lovers of Trinh Cong Son's music flock to a small tea house in Truong Vinh ward. Nestled in a tranquil, tree-shaded setting, it seems to detach itself from the hustle and bustle of daily life, opening up to another realm – a realm of memories, nostalgia, contemplation, and the sounds that have accompanied many lives.
Strangers and regulars…the boundaries seem to disappear. They arrive, sit, remain silent, and share a common feeling. They merge into the “Trinh realm,” allowing the music to soothe the invisible wounds in their souls. The tea room's ambiance is meticulously crafted like a “wordless melody,” from the warm golden light, the branches of flowers and leaves, the paintings on the walls…all blending together, supporting the flowing melody, gradually seeping into the hearts of the patrons.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh, owner of the tea room, shared that Trinh Cong Son's music is performed regularly throughout the year, but the end of March and beginning of April always have a different atmosphere: "This is an occasion to commemorate the day he passed away, so everything is prepared more meticulously, from the space and lighting to the program script. The audience is also larger, but not noisy; they come to find a moment of quiet for themselves. That's what sets Trinh Cong Son's music tea room apart from many other music venues."
The memorial concert for the talented late musician Trịnh Công Sơn usually begins in the darkness – a darkness deep enough for people to quiet their hearts. Then, from there, a female voice rises, ethereal and vague, like a self-questioning about one's own fate:Which dust particle will be reincarnated as my body?So that one day we may rise up and regain our form.…”.The familiar lyrics from the song "Dust," like a philosophy of life, resonate in the tranquil space. As the lights gradually dim, the singer's figure emerges, and songs follow one another like waves of emotion. The audience is immersed in the poignant melodies of "Diễm xưa," "Biển nhớ," and "Còn tuổi nào cho em," before suddenly becoming more vibrant and cheerful with "Xin mặt trời ngủ yên"... Being present at these memorial concerts for Trịnh Công Sơn, one truly understands that it is a journey of emotions, where listeners are guided through realms of memories, feelings that are both personal and universal.
An unexpected highlight of the memorial concert was the appearance of Bui Nam Ngan, affectionately known as "Little Dove," a 5th-grade student from Hung Phuc Primary School. Amidst the atmosphere steeped in nostalgia, her clear, pure voice brought a different hue of freshness and innocence, yet still touched upon the depth of the lyrics. Songs like "The Vastness of Life," "You Are a Little Rose," and "What Do We See in the Night?" became more familiar and lighthearted through her young voice. The presence of a "child singer" who has known Trinh Cong Son's music since the age of 5 and has received formal music theory training serves as simple proof of the belief that Trinh Cong Son's music has never faded from the memory of a bygone generation.
Memorial programs for musician Trịnh Công Sơn are also meticulously prepared as a spiritual ritual. The stage is decorated with bamboo baskets filled with rose petals, next to a large, clear glass vase. As the music flows, audience members are invited to step forward, gently pick a petal, and drop it into the water before the musician's portrait. This gesture is symbolic, a way of conveying a message, a greeting, or a heartfelt offering. The tea house owner doesn't recount Trịnh Công Sơn's biography or career, but chooses a different way of speaking – words of respect, as if the musician is still present somewhere, listening. The memorial words are spoken slowly and solemnly, telling him about the nights of music, about the people who still come, sing, listen, and live with his music today.
Having been associated with tea rooms for many years, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh can't remember all the touching moments. There were audience members who traveled dozens of kilometers just to sit and listen to a night of music; there were people who quietly wiped away tears when a song touched their hearts; there were people who stayed until the very end, seeking out the organizers to express their gratitude… For them, music created a magical connection and empathy. The tea room, therefore, transcended the meaning of a typical business space to become a meeting place for kindred spirits – people who found each other through the music of Trinh Cong Son.
Not only at Trinh Cong Son's music venue, but many other music spaces in Nghe An province also organize nights to commemorate the talented musician. It's noteworthy that Trinh Cong Son's music hasn't become outdated over time. On the contrary, those melodies continue to quietly spread, permeating contemporary life and touching even young people – those who didn't live in the era of the late musician Trinh Cong Son, yet still find themselves reflected in those lyrics.
Dang Nguyen Linh Anh (21 years old), a student of the Faculty of Tourism and Social Work at Vinh University, recently organized a musical evening with her friends to commemorate the late talented musician. Choosing the vast, wave-swept beach of Cua Lo, on a late March night, 12 young people, accompanied by their guitars, sang simple, sincere melodies, sending their love and longing to the shoreline.
Linh Anh shared that, living amidst a vibrant and constantly changing music market, Trinh Cong Son's music still transcends space and time to "touch" the souls of young people in its own unique way. A quarter of a century after Trinh Cong Son's passing, his music remains, not as a preserved legacy, but as a vibrant, living stream.
“Perhaps it’s because Trinh Cong Son’s lyrics touch upon the timeless questions of humanity: Who are we? Where are we going? Amidst the hustle and bustle of modern life, his songs are like a rare moment of quiet reflection, allowing people to question themselves and engage in self-dialogue. It is this philosophical depth blended with the simplicity of the melody that creates music that remains timeless,” Linh Anh expressed her thoughts on Trinh Cong Son’s music.
For many fans of Trinh Cong Son's music, the enduring reason lies in the fact that his songs always open up a space for each person to "fill in" their own story. Each song is not closed off in meaning, but rather like a door that anyone who enters will find themselves within. Young people can hear in them the wistful feelings of early life, while those who have experienced life can feel the profound emotions after many hardships. There is no generational gap in Trinh Cong Son's music, because he wrote about the most fundamental aspects of humanity: love, loneliness, loss, and hope. Therefore, over time, Trinh Cong Son's music does not become outdated, but is like a mirror that, each time one looks back, sees themselves in a different version, more tranquil but also more compassionate.
The memorial concerts will eventually end, the stage lights will fade, but the echoes will surely remain in the hearts of the listeners, in the poignant melodies, in the lingering footsteps. And somewhere, in a very deep corner of the soul, each person carries their own "Trinh realm," silently and persistently, just as he came and stayed in this life.
