Tran Lap

Tran Lap (1974-2016) was a famous Vietnamese rock musician.

Born as Tran Quyet Lap on December 12, 1974 in Hanoi, he grew up in an impoverished household.  He attended the Hanoi Music Conservatory from 1993 until 1997.  In 2001, Tran Lap graduated from the University of Hanoi with a bachelor's of arts degree in economics.

In 1994, Tran Lap and a few of his friends formed the rock group, Buc Tuong.  The group became the most successful Vietnamese rock group to date.  During the 12 years as lead singer of Buc Tuong, Tran Lap had written more than 30 of the group's hit songs.  Their most popular hit song written by Tran Lap was Duong Den Dinh Vinh Quang.  Buc Tuong split up in 2006.

In addition to his career as a professional musician, Tran Lap has hosted many popular television shows in Vietnam.  During the first season of the wildly popular television show, Giong Hat Viet, Tran Lap served on the panel of judges alongside Ho Ngoc Ha, Dam Vinh Hung and Thu Minh.

On April 11, 2015, Tran Lap was hospitalized with colon cancer.  Seven months later, he was diagnosed with rectal cancer on November 4 and rushed into immediate emergency surgery just three days later.  Unfortunately, the cancer had already spread throughout his body.  As his health was deteriorating, he was admitted to Viet Duc Hospital in Hanoi at the beginning of March in 2016.  On March 17, 2016 Tran Lap took his last breath at his residence in Hanoi just hours after being discharged from the hospital.  He is survived by his wife of 12 years and two young children, a son named Binh Minh and a daughter named Minh Tu.  Trap Lap was only 42 years old.