Artist Minh Thanh: "The third wife of Ba Kien" is gentle and proud

(Baonghean) - Born into a family where no one pursued an artistic career, Artist Minh Thanh soon revealed his stage talent. He has a sweet, naturally gifted voice, a stage-ready face, and a gentle yet somewhat multifaceted beauty.

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Nghe An girl has a predestined relationship with Cai Luong

Since her youth, Minh Thanh has been particularly fond of traditional melodies such as Cai Luong, Vi and Giam folk songs. Because of her passion, after graduating from junior high school, she chose the path of art, even though she knew that singing was not an easy career. While studying at the School of Culture and Arts, Minh Thanh boldly auditioned to join the White Lotus Cai Luong Troupe.

Although Cai Luong is not Minh Thanh's forte, with her natural vocal range, when she auditioned for the White Lotus, she was considered to have a talented Cai Luong voice. During her 6 years in the White Lotus Cai Luong Troupe, Minh Thanh took on many important roles. Notably, at the age of 16, with the character of Le Giang in the play "10 Years of Solitude", she was honored by the Ministry of Culture as a Talented Young Artist.

Artist Minh Thanh in an intimate performance space. Photo provided by the character.

Then the Cai Luong wave gradually faded away when the White Lotus Art Troupe was dissolved, "that was the trend and also the long-term strategy for the province's folk art" - Minh Thanh said.

At that time, the White Lotus Art Troupe merged with the Nghe Tinh Folk Song Troupe. Thanks to his natural talent, Minh Thanh quickly integrated into his new role, winning the admiration and love of many people.

“It is easy to say, but to be able to keep up with folk songs is not simple because for a person with a “voice”, if they just sing a few melodies, it seems easy, but to be able to sing well, sing with the spirit of an artist who loves and understands folk songs is not simple at all” – Minh Thanh confided.

And the roles of a lifetime

Since joining the Folk Song Troupe, Minh Thanh has taken on many leading roles in plays. Her memorable roles include the role of Lien in the play Vu Can, which won the Gold Medal at the Professional Stage Festival in 2003; and the role of Hang in the play Nguoi Thiet Chan Tu, which won the Gold Medal at the Professional Stage Festival in 2010. In all of these roles, she demonstrated her full potential, both in acting and singing.

However, the role that she did not win any medal at any festival but received many medals in the hearts of the audience was the role of Ba Kien's third wife in the play Chi Pheo, and the role of the second wife in the play "One man, two women".

Talking about the role of Ba Ba, Ba Kien's wife in the play Chi Pheo, Minh Thanh was extremely satisfied because this was the first negative role she took on, but thanks to careful investment, she played the role very successfully, portraying the hidden aspects of a rebellious woman under the feudal regime.

To win many medals in the hearts of the audience, a folk singer must not only be a person who loves folk songs and struggles to stylize them on stage, but must also be a person who can convey the beauty of life to the opera stage so that the audience can perceive the messages it brings in the simplest and easiest way to understand.

Therefore, even when she is only assigned a small role, she always struggles to find the most diverse role so that everyone can find themselves in it.

Artist Minh Thanh on the day the folk songs Vi and Giam were honored by UNESCO. Photo provided by the character.

Therefore, with the role of Linh in Teacher and Student which just won the Gold Medal at the 2016 Professional Performance Festival, she only appeared very little and was only a one-dimensional character, but she tried to invest so that Linh appeared most vividly, creating the main axis for the entire work. Therefore, when the Silver Medal was awarded to the female lead role of Linh in Teacher and Student, it was very worthy.

Minh Thanh said: “The play Teacher and Student is about to be broadcast on VTV 1” so now she and the troupe are urgently rehearsing. Every time there is a play to perform, she feels like she is living with new sources of energy.

From this source of energy, Minh Thanh has nurtured new plans for the future. “I am taking my first steps into the career of screenwriting and have already had a few adaptations that have been welcomed by my colleagues in the troupe and folk song clubs in the province.

And to be able to step into this new journey with confidence and energy, we need to learn and explore more in both literature and life."

According to her, what life needs most from a folk singer is to give the audience the role of the subject, returning the performance space to the workers. According to artist Minh Thanh, scriptwriting is the most favorable land to realize those concerns.

Thanh Nga