Nghe An Song and Dance Troupe performs in Cu Mgar district (Dak Lak)

On the evening of January 9, 2011, I had the chance to watch live the Nghe An Music and Dance Troupe performing in Cu Mgar district to welcome the 11th National Party Congress.

Normally I would go to bed early or be glued to the internet after dinner but today, as I was preparing dinner, a neighbor called:

-Miss Q! Tonight there is a Nghe An folk music troupe performing at the Cultural House. Let's go see it after dinner!

At that time I was waiting anxiously like a child!

At about 7:30, we arrived at the Cultural House.

Honestly speaking, I still feel a glimmer of resentment in my heart (maybe I am too sentimental and sensitive?) and it is difficult to be satisfied because of the responsibility of those in charge (Propaganda Department, Radio Station, Department of Culture and Information...) who did not widely propagate and advertise, so few people knew to come.

The troupe performed special songs such as "Song of Unification" by Vo Van Di, "Angry but Loving" by Tran Hoan... and the most impressive was an excerpt from a song and dance drama about Uncle Ho (aimed at propagating Ho Chi Minh's moral ideology) that made many audience members secretly cry and I can't remember how many rounds of applause there were from the audience.

I still remember in 1976, that was also the first time I saw the Nghe Tinh Cai Luong troupe perform in Ru O Ong, Thanh Luan commune (now Dong Van commune) with the operas: Ba Me Song Hong (with artist Minh Goong as Ba Me Hao, artist Phi Ninh as Co Xoan ...); as for the play "Thach Sanh", I don't remember who played what role. At that time, on the first night, there were only three grandfathers and grandchildren: Mr. Tran Yen - almost 70 years old, Mr. Ho Si Thiet and I, who were in the same production team from the right bank of Lam river, did not hesitate to take the Cho Moi ferry to see it. And - the next night - when they heard me enthusiastically advertising, there were quite a few people in my neighborhood, including my family, who were allowed by my parents to let all four of us go see the play "Stone Saint", no matter how far, no matter how dangerous the ferry crossing can be!

It has been almost 34 years since I had the chance to enjoy the performances of the people of Nghe An, right on the highlands. My heart is filled with an emotion, excitement... hard to describe.

I must affirm one thing, the actors performed with all their heart, they sang with all their heart. Listening to the gentle voices of my hometown children, I feel warm, close, and dear. I feel like I am returning to my childhood in my simple, innocent homeland.

The concert ended, when leaving, there were many audiences who could not stop admiring and admiring, including old men and women who were almost in their eighties...

Nguyen Thi Khanh Quyen