Reformed theater (cai luong) actor Tan Tai was gone at 6:00am Thursday at the age of 73 at his private house in Ho Chi Minh City after a long time suffering from bile duct infections.
Le Tan Tai – his full name – was born in 1938 at Vinh Trach Commune, Nui Sap District, Long Xuyen Town, An Giang Province.
Best known for his melodious and sweet voice for a man, Tan Tai had been a teacher before choosing reformed theater acting as his career.
He started by joining the Buom Vang (Yellow Butterfly) troupe in 1959. After 4 years, Tan Tai became its main actor and then won a gold medal in a prestigious cai luong competition named ‘Thanh Tam Awards’ thanks to his leading role as Diep Nhut Lang in a play called Cat Dung Phuong Tu performed in 1963.
He was also the main actor for other renowned theater companies in former Saigon like Thu Do, Da Ly Huong, and Kim Chung. Some of the classic plays starring Tan Tai include Khoi Song Tieu Suong, Bong Hong Sa Mac, Co Gai Do Long, Anh Hung Xa Dieu, Tieng Vong Ba Deo, Vo Tong Sat Tau, Suong Mu Tren Non Cao, to name but a few.
He was crowned ‘the Emperor of plastic discs’ after recording more than 400 discs of cai luong plays and thousands of nostalgic songs in the 1960s. His recordings sold like hot cakes and he even earned up to 1 gold tael (a record high at the moment) for each of the discs released then.
Recently, he took part in several cai luong performances and organized his first live show in January 2009 entitled ‘Dem tri an’ (A Night for Gratitude) at the Hung Dao theater in the southern metropolitan to mark his 50 years being part of the Vietnamese artistic form.
His children include Tan Beo and Tan Bo who are now among the most favorite comedians in Vietnam.
Tan Tai’s funeral will be held at his private house at 109 Nguyen Duy Street, Ward 9, District 8.
He will be buried at the Chua Nghe Si cemetery in Go Vap District , Ho Chi Minh City at 8:00 am on January 31.
