The widow of one of Vietnam’s greatest composers, Van Cao, reminisces about their love and life together.
The spirit of Van Cao, author of Vietnam’s national anthem, seems to still linger in his old villa on Hanoi’s Yet Kieu Street.
Outside, the antediluvian district megaphone remains in its original position, attached to the electrical post that overlooks Cao’s window.
It is said that the composer often played his piano next to the window, and whenever the megaphone started blaring, would smile gently and close the window.
Thirteen years have passed since his death.
But in the villa lives a woman who can remember vividly one of the country’s most important modern composers.
Now 79, Van Cao’s wife, Thuy Bang, lives a quiet life.
Last year she refused all media interviews saying her vision was getting worse.
For most people, the story of how she met the composer of the national anthem remains unknown.
Bang was the second daughter of the owners of Rang Dong Publishing House.
Back in the 1940s, Cao was responsible for publishing Doc Lap (The Independence) newspaper which had been established by Ho Chi Minh before the August revolution in 1945.
The idea was to revolutionize patriots who belonged to the business class.
When the newspaper came above ground, Rang Dong Publishing House volunteered to print it for free to show the owners’ support for the revolution.
Bang said she fell in love with Cao’s first song, Buon Tan Thu (Feeling blue as autumn fades), depicting a woman who was waiting in desperation for her far-away lover.
“I was 17 at the time, full of romantic dreams,” she says.
“I felt moved by just listening to his songs.”
It was at Rang Dong that the national anthem, Tien Quan Ca (Marching song), was first printed.
During those years, it was even reprinted on propaganda posters and put up in front of Hanoi’s Opera House.
The publishing house owned by Bang’s parents also printed a series of other songs supporting the country’s fight for independence.
They married in 1947.
“My husband belonged to the low-income working class,” Bang said.
“My husband’s father and brother were working as artists drawing on bamboo blinds. So Cao had always lived a simple life.”
In 1954 Bang returned to 108 Yet Kieu Street after drifting for nine years in the north (Viet Bac), supporting the revolution.
For Bang, the composer was both a husband and confidant.
Cao passed away in 1995 and she was granted owner-ship of the house on Yet Kieu Street until 2003.
“I am living with his memories – both when we were young and old,” Bang said.
“Cao possessed such a strong individuality. He told me that things would get better in every way – just like the sun would [again] be visible after a gloomy day.”
A VERSATILE MUSICIAN
Van Cao (1923 – 1995) was a musician whose works include Tien Quan Ca (Marching song), which became the national anthem of Vietnam.He is widely considered to be one of the three most prominent figures of modern Vietnamese music along with Pham Duy and Trinh Cong Son.He was also a noted poet and painter.He was born Nguyen Van Cao in Hai Phong and grew up in the northern province of Nam Dinh.In 1992 the American composer Robert Ashley composed a solo piano piece, “Van Cao’s Meditation,” based on the image of Van Cao playing his piano.
The spirit of Van Cao, author of Vietnam’s national anthem, seems to still linger in his old villa on Hanoi’s Yet Kieu Street.
Outside, the antediluvian district megaphone remains in its original position, attached to the electrical post that overlooks Cao’s window.
It is said that the composer often played his piano next to the window, and whenever the megaphone started blaring, would smile gently and close the window.
Thirteen years have passed since his death.
But in the villa lives a woman who can remember vividly one of the country’s most important modern composers.
Now 79, Van Cao’s wife, Thuy Bang, lives a quiet life.
Last year she refused all media interviews saying her vision was getting worse.
For most people, the story of how she met the composer of the national anthem remains unknown.
Bang was the second daughter of the owners of Rang Dong Publishing House.
Back in the 1940s, Cao was responsible for publishing Doc Lap (The Independence) newspaper which had been established by Ho Chi Minh before the August revolution in 1945.
The idea was to revolutionize patriots who belonged to the business class.
When the newspaper came above ground, Rang Dong Publishing House volunteered to print it for free to show the owners’ support for the revolution.
Bang said she fell in love with Cao’s first song, Buon Tan Thu (Feeling blue as autumn fades), depicting a woman who was waiting in desperation for her far-away lover.
“I was 17 at the time, full of romantic dreams,” she says.
“I felt moved by just listening to his songs.”
It was at Rang Dong that the national anthem, Tien Quan Ca (Marching song), was first printed.
During those years, it was even reprinted on propaganda posters and put up in front of Hanoi’s Opera House.
The publishing house owned by Bang’s parents also printed a series of other songs supporting the country’s fight for independence.
They married in 1947.
“My husband belonged to the low-income working class,” Bang said.
“My husband’s father and brother were working as artists drawing on bamboo blinds. So Cao had always lived a simple life.”
In 1954 Bang returned to 108 Yet Kieu Street after drifting for nine years in the north (Viet Bac), supporting the revolution.
For Bang, the composer was both a husband and confidant.
Cao passed away in 1995 and she was granted owner-ship of the house on Yet Kieu Street until 2003.
“I am living with his memories – both when we were young and old,” Bang said.
“Cao possessed such a strong individuality. He told me that things would get better in every way – just like the sun would [again] be visible after a gloomy day.”
A VERSATILE MUSICIAN
Van Cao (1923 – 1995) was a musician whose works include Tien Quan Ca (Marching song), which became the national anthem of Vietnam.He is widely considered to be one of the three most prominent figures of modern Vietnamese music along with Pham Duy and Trinh Cong Son.He was also a noted poet and painter.He was born Nguyen Van Cao in Hai Phong and grew up in the northern province of Nam Dinh.In 1992 the American composer Robert Ashley composed a solo piano piece, “Van Cao’s Meditation,” based on the image of Van Cao playing his piano.
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