On a charity trip to Tan Chau – An Giang province, looking at barefooted children running along the riversides to follow her boat, People’s Artist Bach Tuyet smiled and said: “I grew up just like these children. Who knows there could be a future artist or a famous star in this group?”
A childhood, with playful games under the sun, and being nurtured by rich alluvial soil from Cuu Long river and lovely lullaby, has contributed to fulfil her soul to be People’s Artist.
Her peaceful childhood was interrupted on a New Year day in 1955. Bach Tuyet’s mother’s sudden death in a traffic accident was the biggest incident in her life. On the seventh day of the New Year, she and her sister rushed to the hospital. Her mother looked at them for the last time and said: “My girls, live so as your values are worth without parents”. The statement has become the philosophy of living throughout their lives. Difficulties and challenges helped her understand profoundly about reaching the fame as well as becoming a good person before her mother’s soul, with a distress of her father’s remarriage.
She attended Saint-Esprit school where individuals were disciplined to practice moral values and good manner. Christian hymns gave way to her love of art and singing. Nguyen Thi Bach Tuyet, with quite dark skin and opera phonetics, was selected to join a choir.
Instead of becoming a lawyer as she dreamed, the angel’s wings landed her into the world of music, particularly folk opera. She used to sneak out and followed her uncle to music shows. Though being forbidden, every time Bach Tuyet heard the sound of zither she would raise her voice and start singing.
Was she being selected to join the folk art or she chose the traditional Cai Luong? Probably, it is the combination between the artistic soul, the talent yearning for compassion and the praising welcome from the audience.
Bach Tuyet was first taught by the script writer, Dieu Huyen, when she was 16 years old in the Kien Giang ensemble. The writer recognized her talent and adopted her as his daughter. He was the greatest support in her early acting career.
Skipping the role of dancers and supporting roles, she took the leading role in “La Tham Chi Hong” composed by Dieu Huyen. With this first performance, Bach Tuyet presented her name to the ancestors of the folk opera.
In 1963, she left Kien Giang ensemble to join Thong Nhat ensemble of the singer Ut Tra On. Despite critical social changes at that time, she took a leading role in “Tan mot kiep hoa” composed by script writer Trung Nguyen and received Thanh Tam prospect award in 1963.
Within two years performing in folk opera theatre, she reached the success. Later, in Da Ly Huong ensemble, she played the roles such as Le Thi Truong An in “Tuyet Tinh Ca” composed by Hoa Phuong – Ngoc Diep, Tan in “Tan Nuong That” composed by Ha Trieu-Hoa Phuong. Her performances led her to Thanh Tam excellence award. Cai Luong Chi Bao (a precious gem of folk opera)title was given to her by the script writer Hoa Phuong and was widely accepted by journalists at that time.
In 1979, Thanh Nga’s death awoke Vietnamese artists’ hearts. By the union, and with loves and duties, Bach Tuyet decided to return to stage with other seven Duong Van Nga Queens and contributed to the folk opera under audience’s warming love.
Theatrical arts with a new life brought Bach Tuyet to the peak of her acting and singing career in the plays “Duong Van Nga”, “Kieu Nguyet Nga” and then “Doi co Luu” in the 2-84 ensemble. The artists in the 2-84 ensemble were the first “cultural envoy” of Ho Chi Minh theatre in the performance trip in Western countries. It was Bach Tuyet’s greatest period in the Tran Huu Trang ensemble.
During her career, although her performance is rare, her plays and her characters have demonstrated artistic breakthroughs. During her times away from stage, she researched and discovered the performance art to prepare for next successes. Bach Tuyet graduated the Bachelor of Arts – Language Linguistic, Director Certificate in Bulgaria. She then successfully defended her Ph.D thesis, “The adaptation of the traditional theatrical art of Southeast Asian nations with modern living conditions of the audience in the twenty first century”, and received a doctoral degree of art in Britain – Bulgaria.
Above all degrees and fames, Bach Tuyet revealed a great attitude of non-stop learning and hard working manner. Joy, anger, love, and hatred from real life as well as from her characters created a philosophy for Bach Tuyet. It is “Live to give and to be given”.
Solo performance has remarked a new exploration in folk opera in 1990s. “Acting alone” composed by Le Duy Hanh was the first drama with only one performer refreshing the theatrical art in the city. Next, “Queen of two kings” composed by the same script writer was the first folk opera with one actor. The play, in which Bach Tuyet acted different characters, attracted audiences in the country and regions.
Whether Bach Tuyet chose folk opera or folk opera selected her, she has fallen in the love with the traditional performance art and contributed art values. Many Vietnamese generations have admired and are proud of the precious gem of folk opera – Bach Tuyet.