After the generation of Le Thuy, Minh Vuong, Minh Phung..., the names Vu Linh, Kim Tu Long, Linh Tam, Ngoc Huyen, Thanh Tam, Tai Linh... continued to bring Cai Luong to the most brilliant and glorious period, from the late 1980s to the end of the 1990s of the last century. Among them, the male star lineup has the brilliance of Vu Linh, Kim Tu Long, Linh Tam.
After NSƯT Vu Linh passed away, his name was often mentioned in court sessions for property disputes between relatives. Many fans who loved Vu Linh felt heartbroken.
In his most glorious period, Vu Linh was a true star of Cai Luong stage. He appeared in classic plays. Vu Linh and his generation helped Cai Luong become sought-after, with a large audience waiting for each play.
Vu Linh's real name is Vo Van Ngoan, born in 1958. In 1988, Vu Linh returned to Tran Huu Trang Cai Luong Theater and from here, he entered the most glorious stage of his career.
Speaking in modern language, Vu Linh is the name that guarantees the success of each Cai Luong play. If Cai Luong is released in theaters, Vu Linh is the "box office king". Vu Linh is loved through many prominent plays such as: Hon vong phu, Giu ao bui doi, Buc ngon do Dai Viet, Co dao hat, Luong Son Ba - Chuc Anh Dai...
While shining on the Cai Luong stage, Vu Linh "encroached" filming DVDs of neo-classical music tapes and the Rain and Dust series with Tai Linh, Huong Lan, Ngoc Huyen, Kim Tu Long.
The new music DVD "Mua bui" reached its peak in the years 1994-1996. At that time, there was no digital music, no CDs, and "Mua bui" DVDs dominated the market, from cities to rural areas. Everyone watched and listened to "Mua bui".
Along with Vu Linh, Kim Tu Long is a bright star.
Meritorious Artist's real name is Hoang Kim Long, born in 1966. Kim Tu Long was an actor of famous troupes such as Cai Luong Tran Huu Trang, Huynh Long troupe, Minh To troupe, Song Be... In the most glorious time of his career, Kim Tu Long could be compared to Vu Linh in terms of hotness, density of name recognition throughout provinces and cities, entering the field from Cai Luong to new music, participating in performances on big stages, and participating in the DVD "Mua Bui"...
Currently, at the age of 60, Meritorious Artist Kim Tu Long is still diligently participating in art programs and competitions, especially Vong Co and Cai Luong.
In his generation, Kim Tu Long is the name that shines the longest and operates most persistently.
In the most recent interview in 2025, Kim Tu Long shared that his cat-xe (performance fee) ranges from tens of millions of VND, depending on the show. After 2 broken marriages, Kim Tu Long currently lives with his 3rd wife, NSUT Trinh Trinh.
Besides Vu Linh, Kim Tu Long..., the male Cai Luong stars of that time also included artist Linh Tam.
Artist Linh Tam was born in 1962. From the age of 7, he was taught by his uncle, a musician, to get acquainted with Don ca tai tu.
Linh Tam once shared that at his peak, he was paid a cat-xe of up to 5 gold taels for one night of singing. Linh Tam always feels lucky to be born in the golden age of cải lương. Wherever he goes, he is recognized, loved, and surrounded by the audience.
After Cai Luong declined, Linh Tam moved to the US to live. In recent years, he has frequently returned to Vietnam to participate in some shows. Linh Tam shared that he really hopes Cai Luong - the national stage - will return to its glorious days as before, and be loved by audiences from all over the country.
