Trinh Cong Son's music and jazz music are easily blended together
How do you evaluate the music project that brings Trinh Cong Son's music to the jazz music genre and has English localization?
- This is a very elaborate project and has been implemented by the team seriously and long-term. The process was long and required a lot of effort. When translating Trinh's music into English, the difficulty is not only translating the lyrics to the correct meaning, but also having to see whether each word can "fall" right on the note or not. That requires great meticulousness and sophistication. I really feel the dedication and careful investment of the crew.
Are young artists singing in the right note and spirit of Trinh music when switching to jazz style, ma'am?
- I find the guys singing very well. But with the jazz genre, sometimes there is no need to be too metaphorical because the " masterpiece" is the soul of jazz. The young people now sing very well. It was difficult for Trinh to sing, but it was even more difficult to sing in English. The translator must have a deep understanding of the musical idea, while the harmonician must create jazz in it. I am very happy that you performed very well today.
In your opinion, what is the most difficult thing about switching Trinh's music to jazz music style?
- In my opinion, the most difficult thing is still translating words into English. As the crew members shared, after the transition, someone else sang it to see if that word was in that note or not. I know the team has to practice a lot, this is an effort of the young people that I have seen.
When invited to be a consultant for the project, did you set specific standards?
- I have never set any rigid regulations or standards. Music and art must be free to fly. However, our family has always been watching.
In addition to English, will Trinh's music in this project be translated into other languages such as Japanese or Korean?
- In fact, Trinh Cong Son's music has been translated into Japanese and Korean for a long time. Since 1970, the song "Old Diem" was translated into Japanese and became a gold record in Japan. Trinh's music album released in Japan sold more than 2 million copies - a very impressive number at that time.
As for this project, the English translation will be done by Quynh Pham's group. I believe that in the future, there will be many other languages, which can be translated into Chinese for example. That is very much to look forward to.
What do you think about the compatible between Trinh music and jazz music?
- In my opinion, Trinh and jazz music have a connection of closeness, easily blending together, so it is easy to bring listeners emotions, nature. For the family, Mr. Son's music being successfully translated and well received is a great happiness.
In this project, most of the artists are Gen Z. Are you worried about the young singer breaking Trinh's musical style?
- It is true that Trinh Cong Son's music has been discovered by young people in many different genres. For me, bringing Trinh music to jazz music style is a genre I think is the most difficult ever. I am very happy that Mr. Son's music has reached a new threshold that is very difficult.
Trinh Cong Son is a gentle, but strict brother
Many people think that Trinh's music is very lyrical. Do you think that during his time, musician Trinh Cong Son was a good person for writing? Severe, difficult?
- As a younger brother, I don't dare say whether my brother is "good" or not, because that is what the public feels most clearly. Mr. Son is a very strict and demanding brother, but at the same time, he is also extremely gentle. Sometimes the youngest child in the house does not have to wait for him to scream but is still afraid of that severity.
Which is your most memorable memory of musician Trinh Cong Son?
- As for memories, it's not over yet, but it's hard to start. To me, Mr. Son is a very special brother. His father died when he was only 16 years old, so he was forced to mature early. He always cares for them, especially his younger sisters. Because he was afraid that his younger siblings would damage him, he was often strict, sometimes to the point of making others find him difficult. But when we grew up, he felt so sorry for us and also said that maybe in the past he was so worried that it would be difficult.
Thank you!
