Che Linh: a legend of Vietnamese golden music, after nearly 6 decades of dedication

Singer Che Linh (Luu Van Lien, born 1942), a Cham native of Ninh Thuan, is a symbol of Vietnamese golden music. From his poor days in Phan Rang, he has risen to become the "Four Pillars of Golden Music" with a deep and handsome voice.

Che Linh (real name: Luu Van Lien, Cham name: Jamlen or Cha-len) is one of the legendary singers and musicians, known as the "Four Pillars of Golden Music" of South Vietnam before 1975. His artistic journey spanned more than six decades, overcoming many historical and personal events, leaving a massive legacy in the hearts of the lyrical music-loving public.

Background and difficult early years:

Che Linh was born on April 3, 1942 in the village of Paley Hamu Tanran, near Phan Rang. This place today belongs to Huu Duc village, Phuoc Huu commune, Ninh Phuoc district, Ninh Thuan province. He is the middle child in a Cham ethnic family with three brothers. Life soon met with an incident when his father died early when he was about 4 years old.

As a child, Che Linh attended elementary school in the French program at the village school. It was here that he was instructed by French priests in the basics of music, creating the first foundation for a musical career. He then continued his secondary education at Bo De School in Phan Rang.

At the age of 16-17, with the desire to change his life and look for opportunities to escape poverty, he decided to leave his hometown for Saigon. The first days in the big city were extremely difficult. He recounted that he had to work many different jobs, from working as a hired laborer, babysitting for a Chinese family, to learning music theory at night by himself with an oil lamp. The experiences of coming from a poor, ethnic minority countryside, entering a new environment with an unfamiliar Kinh language have forged a strong will and passion for music in him.

Starting a singing business and affirming its artistic position:

Around 1960, Che Linh began to be determined to pursue a professional singing path. In 1962, he officially joined the Bien Chinh cultural troupe in Bien Hoa, marking the beginning of a brilliant career.

In the early stages, he was lucky to work and receive guidance from many famous musicians such as Bang Giang, Chau Ky, Truc Phuong. Musician Bang Giang was the one who encouraged and guided him when he was working as a stone trucker at Buu Long Mountain (Bien Hoa) but still cherished the dream of singing.

In 1964, Che Linh began recording his debut records with Continental Records. His deep, inspiring voice and lyrical expression style quickly won the hearts of the audience. He quickly became a phenomenon of golden music (Bolero/Lyrical music). With his talent and popularity, he is classified as the "Four Pillars of Golden Music" (along with Duy Khanh, Nhat Truong, and Hung Cuong), affirming his irreplaceable position in the Vietnamese music industry.

Golden period and compositional imprints:

During the 1960s and early 1970s, Che Linh's career reached its peak. He continuously published recordings, performed many live shows and became the most beloved golden singer. His career was not limited to singing but also extended to songwriting. He used two famous pseudonyms, "Tu Nhi" and "Luu Tran Le", to write music.

1972 was a golden milestone when he excellently won the Kim Khanh Award – Gold Medal in the male singing category organized by the Black and White Daily, officially recognized as the leading male singer at that time.

The songs associated with Che Linh's name, whether performed or composed by him, have become immortal, including: "Habits of Life", "Sad City", "Sad Night", "Sad Night", "Pity", "Please Be a Stranger", and "The End of Love". These songs have been deeply imprinted in the memories of many generations of audiences.

After 1975, despite facing many historical and personal events, Che Linh continued to maintain her musical activities, maintain her performance and continue to sing in the Vietnamese community at home and abroad.

Events, life abroad and homecoming:

Che Linh's life is not lacking in ups and downs. After April 30, 1975, he was arrested at Song Mao Station (Beiping) on charges of "reactionary" and held in solitary confinement for 28 months.

After being released from prison, he managed to cross the border to Malaysia and later settled in Toronto, Canada. Overseas, he not only continued his singing career, but also became involved in business, opening studio facilities, and partnering with major music labels to serve the Vietnamese diaspora.

Currently, Che Linh lives with his fourth wife – Mrs. Vuong Nga, about 10 years younger than him. She was the one who worked with him to build a stable family life and take care of his health so that he could devote himself wholeheartedly to art. Although he is in his 80s, he still regularly returns to Vietnam to perform, being warmly welcomed by his hometown audience. He confided that: "Music is the convergence of the mysterious sounds of heaven and earth... If you want to express it, you have to breathe life into it."

The value of art and heritage lasts with time:

Che Linh is an irreplaceable symbol of Vietnamese gold music. Not only because of the long operating time, but also because of the ability to adapt, create and keep the lyrical and melancholic voice but still close to life.

In the group "Four Pillars of Golden Music", Che Linh is a person who is alive and active until now, a living bridge between the past and the present of this music. His voice has turned many songs into immortal "love songs", touching the hearts of many generations of audiences.

The journey from a poor Cham boy, overcoming many challenges to become a famous artist is an inspiring story. At the age of over 80, the secret to staying in shape is to persist in practicing his voice every day after drinking coffee – "for me, breakfast without training is like I forgot to eat". He shared that: "If you go to sing without being complete, the audience will be very sad" – this shows that he always puts respect for the audience first.

Che Linh's legacy is not just albums and songs, but how he has breathed life into music and connected it to the life and history of Vietnamese people around the world.

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