Prof. Dr. To Ngoc Thanh spent his whole life searching for the treasure trove of gold in folk culture

Ms. Trinh – Professor To Ngoc Thanh’s wife confirmed to VietNamNet that he passed away on the morning of April 24. Upon hearing the news, many students expressed their condolences for a rare talent like him.

Prof. Dr. To Ngoc Thanh is the eldest son of famous artist To Ngoc Van. From a young age, he was oriented towards painting but loved listening to music.

He once said that his father lived in an old-fashioned way, believing that the eldest son must continue his career in order to continue the family tradition. When studying at school, famous artist To Ngoc Van always reminded To Ngoc Thanh that if he was not first in the class, he would not sign the contact book.

From a young age, To Ngoc Thanh inherited her parents’ intelligent genes and studied at a Western school, so she was able to pass the grade level and only attended 2 years of elementary school.

To Ngoc Thanh was taught drawing by his father when he was 6 years old, but he did not like it and loved music more. He often sneaked away from home to listen to Xam singing at the beginning of Kham Thien street (Hanoi) or went to the house of musician Nguyen Xuan Khoat – his father’s friend to overhear A Dao singing.

To Ngoc Thanh often goes to Bo Ho and listens to the sounds of flute sellers. He then saved 15 cents to buy a flute and taught himself to play. Afraid of the noise while his father drew, To Ngoc Thanh had to go to the flower garden to practice.

At the age of 12, he honestly confided to his father that he did not like learning to draw. Famous painter To Ngoc Van said at that time that he would no longer force his son to study because “if you don’t have talent in art, don’t stand there and fill someone else’s place.” For the rest of To Ngoc Thanh’s life, he used that saying as a motto to live by.

In 1956, To Ngoc Thanh studied the first course of the Composition Department of the Vietnam Music Intermediate School, the predecessor of the Hanoi Conservatory of Music (now the Vietnam National Academy of Music). Music schools at that time only taught Western classical music. He did not like those things but only wanted to learn about Vietnamese folk music.

Because of his love, To Ngoc Thanh traveled all over the region, from the Northwest, Viet Bac to the Central Highlands to live with the people and understand the music they possess.

He believes that doing research without speaking the ethnic language, living with them, or understanding them is very difficult to succeed. Therefore, To Ngoc Thanh learned the language of the people to communicate with them, absolutely not studying documents or papers. He spent at least 3 years living with local people. To Ngoc Thanh spent most of her life living with ethnic minorities rather than at home.

Through field trips, collecting, and researching folk culture, Professor To Ngoc Thanh has produced many excellent research works, widely published domestically and internationally.

Typical examples include: Construction Northwest Thai folk music (1969); Work Muong folk music (1971); Folk music of South Asian ethnic groups in Vietnam (1979); Learn traditional music – co-written with musician Hong Thao (1982); Fonclo Bahnaedited by Mr. (1988); Musical instruments of Vietnamese ethnic minorities (1995); Documents of Vietnamese royal music (2000); Notes on culture and music – a massive work, more than 900 pages thick, with 43 extensive and profound research articles on culture and 30 profound research articles on music.

Prof. Dr. To Ngoc Thanh was awarded the Second-class Independence Medal (2019), Second-class Resistance Medal against the French, First-class Resistance Medal against the US, First-class Labor Medal (2001) and many others. Medals of all kinds. He received the State Award for Literature and Arts in 2001.

Always clearly determined that “a thousand miles begins from under one’s feet”, every thing Professor Dr. To Ngoc Thanh does is steadfast in the will to preserve and promote Vietnamese folk and ethnic culture. Mind, Virtue and Forbearance in his life’s journey, flowed like a river, pure from the source, through many waterfalls and rapids, to the sea, both deep and fierce, with white waves, inconsolable. …

“I always respect my teacher – Professor. Dr. To Ngoc Thanh for his vision and understanding of issues of national cultural heritage. He is not only a teacher but also like a father, uncle, and long-time friend. I can share and argue with my master about everything without ever having a gap between teacher and student,” said the researcher. Bui Trong Hien expressed.

Mr. Hien is the person who recorded the musical scales of the Central Highlands gongs, contributing significantly to the documentation to turn the gong space into a world cultural heritage. He also said that the method of recording this scale was suggested to him by Professor To Ngoc Thanh to honor gong music.