Life after serious illness for People's Artist Thanh Hoa at age nearly 80

Speaking to VietNamNet reporters, People's Artist Thanh Hoa said she no longer craves the spotlight or the applause of the audience like in her vibrant youth, but sings as a sincere and profound thank you to the audience who have followed her for more than half a century.

"I sing not to seek fame, but to thank the audience. For the past 60 years, they still know who I am. Thinking of the audience, I feel a fire burning inside me," People's Artist Thanh Hoa shared.

With her warm, soothing voice, People's Artist Thanh Hoa recounted her nearly 60-year journey with the Voice of Vietnam Radio. Throughout her career, she recorded nearly 1,000 songs, including over 400 solo performances that were regularly broadcast weekly. In just 34 years of official service, she averaged one new song per week – a dream number for any artist. But what makes People's Artist Thanh Hoa most proud isn't the quantity, but the places she's traveled to perform.

"From soldiers, police officers, teachers, farmers, welders, miners, doctors... it seems I've sung for almost every profession," People's Artist Thanh Hoa confided.

The journeys along the Truong Son mountain range, the performances in the forests, on islands, and in remote areas are experiences that have forged the "artist-soldier" spirit in her.

"I call myself a singing warrior – a simple yet proud definition. I've been to Meo Vac and Cong Troi (Ha Giang), and witnessed images of children enduring the biting cold in the mountains. Once, I was sitting in a car and still shivering, yet people were still wading in the water to harvest rice. Those images have stayed with me my whole life, and I sing with everything I feel from them," she confided.

Audio recordingThe ship passed through the mountains.It is also a memento that she cherishes like a treasure. Every time she sings it, so many memories flood back, both happy days and private, somber moments. Her first husband, musician Phan Lac Hoa, is the author of that song.

People's Artist Thanh Hoa said that at her age, she no longer longs for praise or needs to be recognized as a star. She sings out of a sense of responsibility as someone who is loved and appreciated: "As long as the audience remembers and anticipates my performances, I will continue to sing."

There were times when she felt pressured and lonely, and she even considered giving up the spotlight. But the flame of art never died out: "It still burns within me with passion, responsibility, and the love of the audience." Even when she had a fever of 39 degrees Celsius because her child was sick and had to be hospitalized, she still went on stage, because "the tickets have already been sold, I can't not sing," People's Artist Thanh Hoa shared in the program.The melody connects.There was a time when she sang and cried at the same time, her heart burning with sorrow for her child, but it was her profession, her love.

As an artist, a mother, and sometimes even a father, she understands the loneliness behind the scenes. "Sometimes, on New Year's Eve, people gather with their families, while I'm still singing by the lake. I used to wonder why I was so strong, daring to sing with such power on stage, but then returning home to take care of my children alone, worrying about every meal and every pill," she recounted.

People's Artist Thanh Hoa said that artists' private lives have their low points. Husbands of famous artists often find it difficult to accept life without their wives. They need love and care, but their wives are out singing, returning home at midnight exhausted. If they are not in the same profession and don't understand each other, it's very difficult to support each other. She hopes the public understands that behind every moment of triumph on stage are silent sacrifices, and that it's not necessarily the case that artists with "makeup and lipstick" have troubled marriages.

Looking back, People's Artist Thanh Hoa admits that there was a time when she thought she was wrong to let her whole family pursue singing. But now, she considers it destiny. Her second husband, Meritorious Artist Ton That Loi, is a circus performer. Her son and grandson also follow in her footsteps in performing arts. She is proud that three generations of her family have stood on stage together, passing on the passion of art to the audience.

For People's Artist Thanh Hoa, artists are not just performers but companions to all walks of life: "For our generation, People's Artists like Thu Hien, Quang Tho, and Trung Duc, I think we should have added another word to complete the title, which is 'artists of the people' to be truly fitting."