The artist recently visited Hong Nga at her private residence in TP HCM with his wife, Thu Thuy. Bao Quoc was heartbroken that Hong Nga, at 80, remembered nothing of her colleague due to memory loss. He lingered, attempting to reminisce about past stories, but she only shook her head. A small comfort for Bao Quoc was that her health remained stable, despite weak legs, requiring assistance for daily activities like eating and moving.

"I am sad and feel for her. In the past, we were artists with unparalleled chemistry, working together to bring laughter to audiences," Bao Quoc said.

Artist Hong Nga, 80 years old, and comedian Bao Quoc, 77 years old, reunite. Photo provided by subject

The two artists shared a bond for decades on both cai luong and spoken drama stages. In the 2000s, their comedy play "Sui gia dai chien" captivated audiences and still attracts millions of views on YouTube today. Bao Quoc admires Hong Nga for her versatile acting style, capable of portraying diverse roles such as elderly women, villains, and comedic characters. Although renowned for antagonist roles, whenever she embodied a poor, long-suffering mother, Hong Nga moved audiences to tears for the character's fate.

In recent years, artist Hong Nga has gradually withdrawn from the stage. According to Nguyen Thi Bay, a close acquaintance, the actress's memory has worsened, often leading her to not recognize those around her. Daily, family members assist her with movement using a wheelchair. The family provides a suitable diet of soft, easily digestible food for the artist. Her son and daughter-in-law live nearby and frequently visit to care for her.

Occasionally, colleagues visit to encourage her in her illness. Artist Phi Phung recounted that during a meeting in 2025, Hong Nga still remembered parts of the golden age of cai luong. Hearing a familiar folk song or lyrical tune on television, she would sing along, even if she no longer remembered the exact lyrics. One of the songs Hong Nga often hums is "Dem dong," composed by musician Nguyen Van Thuong.

Artists Bao Quoc and Hong Nga in the classic play "Hoa moc lan". Photo provided by subject

Artist Hong Nga, whose real name is Dinh Thi Nga, is a veteran actress of the southern stage. As a child, she worked carrying water for hire in district 4. After meeting musician Tam Den in Cau Dua, he adopted her and taught her to sing various types of ba Nam, sau Bac, and vong co songs. When she first started singing, she felt self-conscious about her less-than-striking appearance. After confiding in musician Tam Den, she was advised to perform wholeheartedly and pay less attention to her surroundings.

A few years later, she joined the Thong Nhat troupe, owned by artist Ut Tra On. Leveraging her acting strengths, she transitioned to playing elderly female roles. On stage, she transformed into the mother in the play "Yen Ly Son," co-starring with Ut Tra On as the son. The play was a resounding success, and subsequently, Hong Nga's name became associated with a series of mother and grandmother roles. From Ba Hai Huong in "Doi Co Luu," to the wife of Ong Co district 9 in "Tuyet Tinh Ca," and Ba Tu Hau in "Tieng Ho Song Hau," Hong Nga moved generations of audiences to tears. For a period, she specialized in playing mother roles on stage for artists of the same generation like Bach Tuyet, Le Thuy, Thanh Sang, and later Vu Linh, Tai Linh, and Thoai My.

Excerpt from "Anh sang phu du" – artist Hong Nga performing with Tu Suong in 2022, before leaving the stage. Video: Mai Nhat

Meritorious Artist Bao Quoc, from Tay Ninh, is the son of Lu Hoa Nghia, known by his stage name Nam Nghia, a famous cai luong artist in the South. His mother was Nguyen Thi Tho (also known as "bau" Tho), the owner of the Thanh Minh cai luong troupe, one of the five most famous theater troupes in Saigon at the time. He won the Thanh Tam gold medal in 1967, a prestigious award in the cai luong art form. Beyond singing, he was a leading figure on the southern comedy stage, earning the title "First Comedian" as voted by San Khau newspaper from 1991 to 2001.

Mai Nhat