Farewell to the creator of the four-flower melody

(Baonghean) - The news of Meritorious Artist Dinh Bao's passing has shocked many people.

People know him as a pillar artist of the provincial Cheo stage, the creator of the Tu Hoa tune, a devoted teacher of folk songs... On their personal Facebook pages, some artists share their endless grief for the artist who devoted his whole life to raising the wings of the homeland's songs. We remember the simple artist with white hair, worn-out clothes, in a small room and sharing with us the joys and sorrows of a day exactly 3 years ago...

The village boy and his dream of "going to the performing arts"

Artist Dinh Bao is the third child in a family of 6 children, from Trung Phuong village, Dien Minh commune (Dien Chau), a hometown famous for Ke Lu ca tru. Perhaps, it is thanks to the countryside and the country customs that made him know and love folk songs and love performing since his childhood.

When he was a barefooted boy, artist Dinh Bao skipped school many times to watch performances in the commune and district. The stories on stage, the acting and singing of the actors made the country boy at that time fascinated, wishing that he could transform into another person, live another life, behind that glorious stage curtain. Dinh Bao's only wish at that time was to "go to the art troupe".

Meritorious Artist Dinh Bao. Photo: Thu Huong

The artist told us that in his hometown, there used to be a group of women who worked as fabric weavers and fabric guild singers. Some spun, some wove, some rolled cotton, and sang as they worked. He liked that atmosphere and the songs so much that he followed the women around to listen. There were many days when his parents found him asleep in the corner of the neighbor's yard.

At that time, his family only had one bicycle that kept slipping, but every time he heard that there was a performance practice in the district, he would ask his mother to take his bicycle to see it. Every day when he came back, his hands and face were covered in grease because the bicycle kept slipping…

Then he told about the endless corn fields of his hometown, about the fields of yellow mustard flowers in the sunlight, about the amazement of a boy who dreamed early, about the hardships of his parents, the scoldings of their son who was absorbed in singing but then they themselves saved up so that he could pursue his passion. Perhaps it was because of those memories that he felt indebted to his homeland, indebted to folk songs...

At the age of 16, while studying in grade 7 at a village school, Meritorious Artist Dinh Bao played the role of Ha in the skit “What is the most precious thing” at the provincial mass art performance. His role left a deep impression on the judges and the audience. After a while, he was unexpectedly approached by the Nghe An Art Troupe.

At that time, Dinh Bao was washing grass by his pond when he heard someone asking about him. He was recruited directly into the Art Troupe. He told us that until now (2014), he still remembers clearly the feeling of excitement and joy he felt at that time.

Happiness on stage

In 1961, at the age of 17, Dinh Bao was recruited into the Nghe An Cheo Troupe. He said that he was very happy when his wish of “going to the performing arts” was fulfilled and even happier because thanks to it he got to meet Uncle Ho.

After joining the Cheo troupe, he was assigned the role of the net carrier in the famous Cheo play of that time, “The Girl of the Lam River”. This play was invested in to be performed for Uncle Ho and the Party Central Committee to watch at the Presidential Palace. The net carrier in the play was a person on a revolutionary mission, responsible for delivering confidential information and documents to secret cadres, requiring flexible and skillful acting.

Dinh Bao performed quite successfully. After watching the play, artist Dinh Bao always remembered Uncle Ho's pat on the shoulder and his compliment: "You are so young but you act very well, if you try hard you will surely succeed". It was that encouragement that helped him believe in the path he was taking, and be more passionate about the career he chose.

Meritorious Artist Dinh Bao practices with actors from Nghe An Folk Song Theater. Photo: Internet

The “lifetime” roles of artist Dinh Bao are not the main characters (in fact, he rarely plays the main roles) but mainly supporting roles, simple country people, or clowns. His lively, witty, flexible, creative and extremely natural features have attracted the audience. That is why, even though it is only a supporting role, people always remember a charming Dinh Bao on stage. And those roles, he feels, “fit” him, they make him satisfied.

No matter what role he plays, he doesn’t care much about what position he will be in, but what he cares about most is whether he plays the role well and leaves an impression on the audience. Therefore, artist Dinh Bao has spent a lot of time and effort practicing the role, learning from his predecessors and from books. He is so absorbed in practicing that he forgets to eat, and some people even think he has “mental problems” when he is doing something, or walking on the street, but still gesticulating to “get into character” like on stage.

Among hundreds of roles, we can mention his imprints that people still remember until now, such as the role of Phi in the folk play: "Not me" (this play participated in the National Performance Festival, won the Gold Medal), the role of the village official in the play "Mai Thuc Loan", the role of Mr. Giao in "Hat lua que ta"; the role of clown Thin in the play "Tam Cam"...

Not only is Dinh Bao's acting witty, he is also very meticulous in his costumes. He often dresses up his characters himself to be able to convey his intentions, desires and aspirations to the public.

The creator of the four-flower melody

In the early 1970s, the Nghe An Folk Song Troupe was officially established. Passionate about acting, but with his skinny body, he could not take on many roles, at that time artist Dinh Bao joined the Folk Song Troupe in a new role: becoming an adapter and dubbing.

This was the period when the province had a policy of experimenting with the theatricalization of Nghe Tinh folk songs. Dinh Bao, along with famous artists of the time such as Thanh Luu, Vi Phong, Van The, etc., experimented with composing melodies, dubbing melodies, and adapting literary scripts into folk dramas.

He has participated in adapting and dubbing a series of folk song plays such as: "The young king's love story", "The soul of stone", "Still going to battle", "Our hometown's rice seeds", "When the team is away", "The sea is restless", "Power and crime"..., dubbing for: "The young king's love story", "Phan Boi Chau", "Nguyen Bieu", "Nguyen Du", "The beauty teaches her husband"...

Adapting folk opera is a difficult task because it requires both literary and theatrical knowledge, a talent for composing poetry, and a firm grasp of the rules of poetic forms; a firm grasp of the melodies of opera in general, and folk opera in particular, and a grasp of the spirit, consistent actions, main images, and ultimate mission of the play.... Yet with all the passion, dedication, and talent, Dinh Bao and his colleagues have succeeded. His adaptations have elevated him to the status of an author.

Meritorious Artist Dinh Bao talks about the memory of meeting Uncle Ho. Photo NL

In 1985, the Nghe Tinh Folk Song Troupe staged the play “Mai Thuc Loan”. When Mai Thuc Loan was thrown into prison, no one had yet composed lyrics for this group to describe a meeting in prison with so much pain, longing, and worry… The original Nghe Tinh folk songs and even the newly composed ones could not convey the characters’ emotional changes.

People thought of many options, including asking great authors to write lyrics and melodies for this “climax”. That night, Dinh Bao quietly returned home, he borrowed a guitar, transformed himself into the character’s mood to sing mournfully and passionately… The next morning, he tried singing his composition for his friends and colleagues. Everyone was amazed, surprised and burst out: This is it, exactly what “we” need! He named that melody “Tu Hoa”.

This tune is a combination of 4 (four) tunes: Vi, Giam, Tho Trung and Quan Tu Phu Dich in Cheo. When combining the characteristics of these 4 tunes, it describes the process of intense emotional changes of the 2 characters: both painfully having to part, and restraining their pain to advise each other, to promise to wait together for the day they meet again.

Since then, the four-flower melody has had a solid position on the folk stage, when it is necessary to express the character's mood in situations of intense conflict. And almost every Nghe Tinh folk play has four-flower melody appearing. Along with the times of performing everywhere, being recognized by the public, Dinh Bao's four-flower melody has become a unique "brand". And gradually, four-flower melody has become a folk melody...

Dedicated to folk songs

From the time he became an actor, to researching, writing lyrics, and then giving birth to new melodies, until he left the stage lights, artist Dinh Bao always lived with folk songs. He was not only known for the above roles, but also became a person who researched, inspired, and nurtured the source of folk songs. He traveled to the countryside where folk songs still existed to meet, collect, and record them.

He is willing to become a free teacher for those who love folk songs. He accepted to teach folk songs on Nghe An Radio and Television, and taught at Nghe An College of Culture and Arts, at cultural centers, agencies, units, and schools in Ha Tinh province. He is not fussy about pick-up and drop-off, just need an invitation, artist Dinh Bao takes a bus to each remote locality, spreading the burning love of folk songs in his heart...

Hearing the news that the simple artist, who devoted himself to the songs of his homeland, had passed away, many people were shocked by the sudden loss. Someone said that Nghe An folk songs had a big void. Indeed, a big void without that silver hair and small figure…

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