Doodles honoring musician Trinh Cong Son

Google Doodles honoring musician Trinh Cong Son. Photo: GOOGLE

Google honors Trinh Cong Son

Musician Trinh Cong Son became the first person to appear on the Vietnamese home page of the world's most popular search engine, Google.com, on the occasion of his would-be 80th birthday. On February 28, fans of Trinh music must have been very happy when seeing the image of the talented Hue musician on the Google search page. This is the first time Google Doodles honored a Vietnamese person.

Google marks the musician's would-be 80th birthday with a new interactive Doodle. Before February 28, images of Doodle’s work to commemorate composer Trinh Cong Son were still kept secret by Google.

“This is a meaningful birthday present for my brother Son and our family, as well as a common joy for Trinh's music fans. Choosing Son is Google's independent research process. That symbol remains a secret until the end, but it of course, will be very ... Trinh Cong Son," said  Ms. Trinh Vinh Trinh, sister of musician Trinh Cong Son.

Being honored by Google proves the popularity of Trinh Cong Son's music with the international community. According to representatives from Google, Trinh Cong Son's music is rich in philosophy and profoundness, with its own uniqueness in thoughts and lyrics, expressing great love for the people and the homeland of Vietnam, praising peace, as well as passionate and deep love songs...

With important contributions as well as his influence on Vietnamese popular culture and the international community, Google Doodles had chosen to honor him and his legacy on the Google homepage.  Leaving a legacy of more than 600 songs to the Vietnamese music community, of which more than 236 songs are widely popular, the name of Trinh Cong Son has become a legend in the Vietnamese music scene.

Musician Trinh Cong Son and his sister - singer Trinh Vinh Trinh. Photo: provided by singer Trinh Vinh Trinh

Symbol of Vietnamese culture

Trinh Cong Son is also an internationally influential Vietnamese musician. He was mentioned by the press and the international community as "Bob Dylan of Vietnam" (according to BBC), "The most beloved musician in Vietnam" (according to The Washington Post).

In addition, Trinh's music also made a special impression in Japan. Trinh Cong Son is the first Vietnamese musician to have a music product released in Japan with many songs, including "Diem xua" and "Ca dao me".

More than 2 million albums sold in Japan over the years is a testament to this success. His songs were also translated into Japanese and performed and recorded by leading Japanese artists, such as Tokiko Kato, Yoshimi Tendo, Aya Shimazu and frequently sung in Kohaku Uta Gassen, NHK's annual Japanese New Year's Eve music show for millions of viewers.

The songs of musician Trinh Cong Son have become a featured part that is indispensable when introducing about Vietnamese music and culture to the international audience. Ms. Trinh Vinh Trinh said that Kansai Gakuin University, a famous Japanese university, decided to choose the song "Diem xua" by musician Trinh Cong Son to include in the school's education program on Vietnamese culture.

This is the first time that a piece of work from an Asian country has been included in Japan's higher education program. In addition to a book about "Diem xua", Kansai University also has a DVD for students to study.

Another piece of good news for Trinh's music lovers is that this year, Galaxy film studio will start shooting a film about Trinh Cong Son, directed by young director Phan Nhat Minh. The film will be filmed in 2 years, including the parts of searching for Trinh Cong Son's image in Hue with scenes of Diem xua, the Trinh attic, the flamboyant flower road ... The film will premiere on the occasion of the anniversary of Trinh Cong Son’s death in 2021.

By MINH HIEN