Minh Thong's real name is Ho Van Thong (born in 1982), born and raised in Quynh Minh commune, Quynh Luu. He has a sweet voice and clear timbre, a very prominent characteristic of folk singers. Minh Thong and the people in the small hamlet where he lived loved the folk music stages of Nghe An. Whenever a touring troupe stopped by, they would exchange cassava, chicken eggs, duck eggs, etc. for tickets to see the plays. Minh Thong, when he was 9 or 10 years old, did not have tickets to see the plays, so he hid outside the fence to listen to the dialogue, listen to the quatrains and sing along silently. Seeing this, the neighbors advised him: "Thong, you should strive to join a professional theater troupe so that I can go see it with my grave"! That seemingly unintentional remark aroused in the young Minh Thong the thought: Could his small talent make any difference? Will these initial interests be enough to persevere on this path that no one in the family has ever walked before?
Minh Thong brought his thoughts, concerns and newly-born aspirations to a relative - People's Artist An Phuc, a famous actor of Nghe An Folk Song Troupe at that time. People's Artist An Phuc listened to Thong's singing voice, saw his demeanor and knowledge, and was immediately satisfied. He said that if Thong knew how to invest and ignite his love for folk songs early, he would be successful in the future. From that day on, Thong diligently studied and practiced, and went to see every play in Thong village, even if he could only stand outside and listen. With his rare memory, Thong knew all the lines and lyrics in the play.
Time flies, after graduating from high school, Minh Thong decided to follow the path he had long cherished. In 2002, he went to the city. He was honored to be selected and unexpectedly, after only a few prepared folk songs, Thong was welcomed by the Board of Directors of the Group. From then on, Thong planned his study and training path quite properly and methodically with a high determination to study to become talented.
To reach those levels, learners must have innate abilities in addition to determination. Thong himself realized that God had not given him anything special except the ability to remember quickly and for a long time. Thong quickly learned any song, play, or complex vocal technique. Absorbing quickly, but to develop a fluent skill, it required hard work. So, after studying two sessions a day at the Provincial School of Culture and Arts, Minh Thong would close the door to the security room - where Doan allowed him to stay to both study and work - to practice breathing, sound, and the lessons he had "broken" at school.
Throughout his studies at the Provincial School of Culture and Arts, Thong always reminded himself to persevere to achieve success in the future. Minh Thong is always grateful for what he has achieved, he thinks that he is luckier than many of his friends in being able to go to school and have a job after graduating. After impressive academic achievements, receiving scholarships from the school and scholarships from the Swedish organization, Thong was trusted by the Board of Directors of the Group when he was given small roles to try his hand at.
Needless to say, the young man who was considered to have a bright face on stage was delighted when he first got to play a role. He soon demonstrated the necessary elements of a leading actor and the leaders of the troupe soon recognized Minh Thong's qualities when assigning him many roles in classic plays such as "Power and Crime", "The Girl of the Lam River"... Thong said: "To be able to play a supporting role, an actor needs to know all the lines and scripts of all the roles and characters to understand how he will interact and juggle with his co-stars". And at this time, Thong's talent for memorizing the script in a short time was brought into play, often after just one night, he had memorized the entire script of the play and all the lines of all the roles. Therefore, Minh Thong played the role so smoothly that People's Artist Hong Luu - Former Director of the Provincial Traditional Arts Center once said: "If it weren't for Minh Thong, no one would be more suitable for political roles like this."
Minh Thong is associated with political roles such as Cuong Quoc Cong Nguyen Xi in the play of the same name; Phan Dang Luu in “Dawn”; Le Hong Phong in “Sang Mai Niem Tin”; Nguyen Tat Thanh, President Ho Chi Minh in Pac Bo in plays such as “Loi Nguoi Loi Cua Nuoc Non”, “Niem Tin Ngay Doc Lap”; Phan Boi Chau in “Nhung Van Tho Tua Song”… Thong said, that is a great honor for an actor, but at the same time it is also a great pressure.
To be able to transform into the role of a historical figure, the actor not only needs to have the appropriate demeanor, but also the acting ability, the way of speaking and the dialogue must bring out the character's qualities. Therefore, in addition to studying books and documentaries about these historical figures, Thong also has to find a unique feature when transforming into each character. Playing the role of Cuong Quoc Cong Nguyen Xi, Minh Thong was taught by the director about each demeanor, how to walk, how to hold the fan, and the tone of his voice. However, if he did not ponder history himself, Thong would not be able to "absorb" the character. With his concerns and dedication in each performance, this character brought Minh Thong the Gold Medal at the 2018 National Tuong, Bai Choi and Folk Opera Festival. Thong also won the Gold Medal for the role of Quan Than in the play "Power and Crime" at this Festival, also thanks to his fate in playing historical and unofficial characters.
In particular, with the image of President Ho Chi Minh, in addition to studying his demeanor and voice, Minh Thong also read many works about him to deeply understand the character of the genius and benevolent leader. Every small gesture such as a wave of the hand, the habit of emphasizing words was carefully polished by Minh Thong and performed very realistically, receiving much praise from the public. Later, in many projects of film studios, Minh Thong was often invited to dub President Ho Chi Minh.
In Minh Thong’s acting career, the role of the patriot Phan Boi Chau was a role that took Thong both blood and tears, as he had to practice and act in wooden clogs for many weeks. To wear these clogs, Thong had to tighten the straps so tightly that every step caused him pain, and when he went on stage to perform in front of hundreds of spectators, his feet were bleeding. Every step felt like a knife was stabbing him, but Minh Thong remained calm to act as if he had transformed into the character, until the moment the curtain closed…
For other roles such as General Secretary Le Hong Phong, Minh Thong believes that the actor must exude the revolutionary spirit and indomitable loyalty of a communist. He spent many days studying countless documentary footage to learn the General Secretary's pronunciation, expressions, demeanor, and even his resolute gaze. Thong said: "Each character gives me a great lesson, and at the same time brings unforgettable experiences. The important thing is that the actor must leave his own impression and characteristics when transforming into each type of role."
Often “fixed” with historical characters, Minh Thong said he is very proud and always strives to improve himself, worthy of the expectations of the public in general and the Center's leadership in particular. In mid-October, Minh Thong was honored to receive the title of Meritorious Artist, bringing joy not only to himself but also to his colleagues. It is the sweet fruit of his tireless efforts and dedication over more than 20 years of pursuing the folk music career.
