Cai luong

Cai Luong is a form of modern folk opera, it famous in Southern Vietnam because it is the convergence of southern Vietnamese folk songs, classical music. It took origin in Southern Vietnam in the early 20th century and blossomed in the 1930s as a theatre of the middle class under the French colony. Listening to cai luong songs, one can feel their beautiful lyrics praising Vietnamese moral values. Hence, as time went by, cai luong has been preserved and become a national theatrical form desired by both Vietnamese people and foreign visitors.

Cai luong is more or less similar to Western operettas, it's for depict the characters’ feelings. It has about 20 main songs, but each have a different emotional tempos, making various versions. The main supporting songs in cai luong is the vong co: a special type of singing with the background music with either the “dan tranh” or the guitar. Cai luong owes much of its success to the sweet voices of the cast, much appreciated by the audiences.

There are mainly two types of Cai luong: ancient cai luong and modern cai luong. it's about the stories of modern Vietnamese society. Its plots refer to romantic love stories blended with family or social relationships. The stories also explore vietnamsese cultural. This type can be somehow described as tragedy but happy ended.

Up to now, although cai luong had passed through the bright period but it still has a lot of loyal listeners. Throughout one hundred years of development, cai luong had a important role in the Vietnamese traditional music.

Should you are fond of tradition and culture, listening and exploring Cai luong is such an ideal way to have good understanding. You can enjoy a cai luong play in the Ho Chi Minh Theatre or on the TV art programs.