The family of Meritorious Artist Thanh Loc has been serving the ancestral land for four generations, and is renowned throughout all three regions of Vietnam.
Meritorious Artist Thành Lộc was born into a prominent family with a long-standing artistic tradition. His great-grandfather, Nguyễn Văn Sĩ, his grandfather, Nguyễn Văn Luông, and his father, People's Artist Thành Tôn, all became renowned <i>hát bội</i> (traditional Vietnamese opera) artists.
Artist Nguyen Van Si was the pioneer in the tradition of pursuing the art of Hat Boi (traditional Vietnamese opera) within the Nguyen family. Under his guidance, the art of Hat Boi was passed down through subsequent generations.
Artist Nguyen Van Luong followed in the footsteps of his father, artist Nguyen Van Si, continuing to perform and develop the art of traditional Vietnamese opera (hat boi).
Next is the father of Meritorious Artist Thanh Loc - People's Artist Thanh Ton, a renowned traditional opera artist who later switched to Cai Luong (reformed opera).
Artist Thanh Ton began studying singing at the age of 13 at his grandfather Luong's Phuoc Long Ban theater troupe. Although it was a family troupe, he still had to learn singing according to the proper procedure, starting from roles as a servant, guard, or messenger, until he was 17 years old before he was allowed to play a leading role.
In the early days of his career in traditional Vietnamese opera, Thanh Ton had to endure many hardships. The Phuoc Long Ban troupe only performed for six months a year before returning to their hometown to distribute the money among the troupe members. They worked in the fields while practicing new plays, waiting for the "season" to travel by boat to perform throughout the waterways of the Southwestern Mekong Delta. Only those who truly loved the profession could remain dedicated to traditional Vietnamese opera.
But then, traditional Vietnamese opera (hat boi) fell into a period of declining audience, which was after the 1930s. Meanwhile, reformed opera (cai luong) began to gain popularity. Therefore, the opera troupes had to find ways to innovate to attract viewers. Many events combined, and the Phuoc Long Ban group disbanded.
Unwilling to give up his profession, he went to sing for the Thanh Hung Ban troupe of impresario Hung in Tra On district, Can Tho. But unwilling to remain a provincial actor, Thanh Ton wanted to try his luck in the city, so he packed his bags and made his way to Saigon.
Upon returning to Saigon, he sang for the Tan Thanh Ban troupe of impresario Cung at Cau Muoi temple. A year later, Thanh Ton joined the Vinh Xuan Ban troupe of impresario Thang and quickly became the most popular leading male performer at the time.
Artist Thanh Ton and artist Huynh Mai became husband and wife, and their children are all famous artists such as Bach Long, Thanh Loc, Bach Le, Bach Lien, Bach Luu, and Bach Ly in various fields of art.
Thanh Loc's parents were not only prominent on stage but also possessed creative ideas. His father confidently believed that talent was more important than appearance – a belief that strongly influenced his children's later development.
Most of Meritorious Artist Thanh Loc's colleagues share the same opinion: he has the talent to make audiences cry or laugh, feel joyful or sad, according to his will. This talent of Thanh Loc is not only innate, stemming from a family with generations of singers, but also from his passion for the stage, his continuous learning, and his unceasing artistic work.
Meritorious Artist Thanh Loc's creative abilities are demonstrated through his many roles. No matter how complex the character's emotions, Thanh Loc always portrays them perfectly, leaving a deep impression on the audience.
"My father taught me that healthy competition is competition on stage. Whether the performing arts bless you or not depends on your stage presence. If you stand in the shadows and the audience still remembers you, that's better than being in the spotlight and few remember you. That's already a success," shared Meritorious Artist Thanh Loc.
