Meritorious Artist Le Tu: "Ci Luong prodigy", once ate a lack of rice, worked part-time to stay with the profession

Le Tu is a new generation of cai luong artist, after the golden age of cai luong, and an artist specializing in singing neo-classical relationships. He was awarded the title of Distinguished Artist by the State (2015).

Meritorious Artist Le Tu was born in 1975 in Dong Thap, in a family where both sides are amateurs in the garden. When he was 7-8 years old, his grandfather and grandfather went to play Don Ca Tai Tu in the village, often taking Le Tu along and teaching him to sing. He absorbed very quickly and was considered by many as a "reformed prodigy" in Lai Vung. With everyone's advice, his mother decided to take Le Tu to Ho Chi Minh City to study methodically.

In 1992, Le Tu reached his dream when he passed the entrance exam to the high school system - the Cai Luong Actor department of NTSK II (now College of Theater and Cinema). The day he left his hometown to go to Ho Chi Minh City to attend school, Tu's luggage was a thoughtful but funny advice from his mother: "You try to study well to become famous. If you don't finish your studies, you will always go to work to live there. The family will not feed anymore.".

Talking about the early days of pursuing art, Le Tu admitted, like many others, he encountered many difficulties. At first, even though he knew that the male artist was a talented person, because at that time, his physique was small, many people advised him to return to finish high school. They think that the physical barrier will make it difficult for him to become a double in the stage situation of "crowded land".

However, her mother's words were a source of encouragement for Tu a lot when student life was difficult and in the difficult and difficult days of graduating from school. That makes Le Tu more motivated to try. The vocalist Going to the West also revealed that after a while, his physique gradually improved and he considered it "successful puberty in Saigon".

The male artist often eats short meals in front of the school gate or holds his breath with a packet of noodles on days when he has no money. Later, he also took advantage of after school to work part-time in the evening such as carrying water at cafes, singing at venues, and parties to make ends meet.

Because the time when Le Tu graduated (1995) was also the time when the Cai Luong stage faced many difficulties. At that time, Le Tu was very depressed because the desire to sing was still alive in the heart of the young artist, but he could not find a singing group to "join the army". He and his peers had to do many things such as: hanging posters, doing mobile communication in the District, the District, singing at NS... Generally, doing all that could be done just for the purpose of "getting short and raising long" with the hope of being able to stick to the job.

In 1998, present at the National Festival of Young Theater Talents in Da Nang, Tu won the special prize "The youngest contestant" with the role of Tu Hai in the excerpt Vuong Thuy Kieu. Then with what has been achieved as well as the encouragement of teachers. In 2000, Tu continued to study at the College of Actors.

While studying at the school, Tu came to the Tran Huu Trang Prospect Award. And once again with the role of Luc Van Tien, Tu achieved an almost perfect score to get straight into the final round.

After that, Tu was sent by the school to France to perform in the cooperation program between the school and the Vietnamese community in France. The deepest impression that Le Tu got during this trip abroad was the audience's affection for the national art.

Studying together, graduating from school together, singing shows together, having the same passion for reforming, and sympathizing far away from home, so the friendship between Tu and Ha Nhu gradually turned into love, but it seems that no one dared to ask. In 1997, during a tour in France, Tu suddenly caught a cold. The initial attachment of Tu and Ha Nhu happened like that.

During difficult times, he and artist Ha Nhu were fortunate to be invited to participate in a contemporary dance performance combined with Don Ca Tai Tu, touring in many European countries. After the trip, he bought a motorbike but did not return to any singing group. His main job at that time was performing at artists' bars, his income was quite precarious. Seeing this, his girlfriend advised him to change his job, but partly because his passion for reform was too great, partly because he was the expectation and desire of his relatives in his hometown, so Le Tu once again decided to continue on the path he had chosen from the beginning.

In 2000, the two decided to "pour rice to cook rice together", so far it has been 23 years. In short, the reward that Le Tu achieved is his current position and artistic life with his family.

In 2002, Tu graduated from the College of Theater and Cinema and was retained by the school as a lecturer in performance engineering. Along with teaching, Le Tu is currently collaborating with the group "Lighting up faith" as well as regularly performing at some stages. On this stage, he was able to fulfill his wish to perform the whole cai luong tuong, not just the excerpts. With Le Tu, he doesn't mind the main or supporting role, because for him, each character has a destiny, the important thing is how much his investment and care is for that role so that the audience can remember it after watching. What makes him and all friends and colleagues in the group feel happy is that the group has gradually gained their own dear audience.

After more than 30 years of artistic activities, Le Tu said that it is fortunate that in the present, he is still able to devote and perform to serve the audience. The male artist thought that he had to work hard in his profession, but he did not put too much importance on the title. Artist Ha Nhu's husband expressed: "I keep striving, wherever I go or go there. I don't try to follow to achieve it. When I achieve Meritorious Artist, I have already grown. As Uncle Diep Lang once said: "Getting famous too quickly but the profession can't keep up." I see that situation now a lot. So I consider it a charm, when it comes, it is important that in the profession, I am recognized by the audience."

Tu is loved by the audience, loved by his colleagues and students, and his family is warm and happy, and the family economy is quite stable. Now that the singing profession has a stable life and a happy family like Tu, what else do you want?" - Meritorious Artist Le Tu shared.