Tan Tai: The career of 'Plastic Record Emperor' of Tan Beo's father
The late artist Tan Tai, father of Tan Beo - Tan Bo, was once a legend of Cai Luong with a salary equivalent to an amount of gold and left behind a legacy of more than 1,000 vọng cổ songs.
'The vinyl record emperor' with a salary of one tael of gold
In the 1960s and 1970s, artist Tan Tai emerged as a phenomenon in the Southern Cai Luong theater scene, dubbed the “Emperor of Vinyl Records”. His name is associated with the golden age of vinyl records, when his voice was present in every family and on the radio.
After winning the Thanh Tam Gold Medal in 1963, he became one of the most sought-after artists with a record-breaking salary. At that time, each vọng cổ disc he recorded was paid 12,000 VND, a figure equivalent to the value of a tael of gold. According to his son, artist Tan Beo, at that time, “just turn on the radio and listen to Tân Tài sing”, showing the wide coverage of his father.
His fame mainly came from his voice on the radio, so many audiences knew his name but had never seen his face. However, when they had the chance to meet him, they loved him even more because of his gentle and approachable appearance.
The journey from the podium to the big stage
Artist Tan Tai, whose real name is Le Tan Tai, was born in 1938 in An Giang. Before becoming a big name in the Cai Luong village, he was a teacher at Thoai Ngoc Hau school. However, his passion for singing urged him to give up his teaching position to pursue an artistic career, despite his family's objections.
His career started from small theater troupes and gradually progressed to big stages in Saigon. He worked with many famous theater troupes such as Thu Do, Da Ly Huong, and was the main actor of Kim Chung troupes 1 and 2. He created a harmonious pair with female artist Bach Tuyet through many classic plays such asDragon Saber,Legend of the Condor Heroes, andWu Song kills Tau.
Artistic family and legacy
In 1969, artist Tan Tai and his wife, artist Nhu Ngoc, a famous actress, founded a theater troupe called Tan Thu Do - Tan Tai. They had three children together, including two sons who followed in their father's footsteps: comedians Tan Beo and Tan Bo.
Although born into a family with a tradition of art, Tan Beo and Tan Bo had to go through many jobs from low to high in their father's troupe, from ticket checker to backstage staff, before getting their own position.
Artist Tan Beo once shared that his parents were not only talented but also kind, always helped colleagues and never had any bad reputation. He was proud that his parents' character was the most valuable legacy to leave to their children.
Artist Tan Tai passed away on January 26, 2011 in Ho Chi Minh City at the age of 72. He left behind a huge artistic legacy of more than 1,000 vọng cổ songs and 500 tuong plays, a legacy that many generations of artists will admire.
