Music Night in Memory of Musician An Thuyen: The Pond of Your Hometown Has Returned

(Baonghean.vn) - The stage curtain rose, the whole auditorium fell silent, in the solemn background music, the words of the late musician An Thuyen resounded: "Born during a French sweep, my mother carried me across the river to swim to escape the enemy... That sweep became a very heroic battle of the army and you guys fell... This is a destiny of my life for me to become a soldier, an army general... to continue the path you guys fought on".

"Duong Cam thu khong em" is one of two songs performed by Meritorious Artist Tan Minh at the memorial concert for musician An Thuyen.

Tonight, instead of his mother's arms, his wife, his children, his students... brought musician An Thuyen back to "anchoring his hometown" by the same path he had taken. Those were the songs that he still worked hard on until the end of his life...

At 8pm on June 25, the memorial concert for the late musician An Thuyen began. But before that, a large number of audiences, people who loved and admired his talent and personality, had gathered at the Military Region 4 Cultural House. Each person found their place and… waited.

Because this is the first time An Thuyen’s own music night is held in Nghe An. It is the first time the children of the homeland have met the musician, even though he is not present, but believe that he has returned to the soul of the homeland, in the moon, the river wharf, the banyan tree, the alluvial land, the wind crab…

Comrade Vuong Dinh Hue, Politburo member, Deputy Prime Minister and delegates attended the music night.

Sitting pensively facing the stage, when the images on the slide about An Thuyen had time to flash by, was Politburo member - Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue. But today, he did not come here as a high-ranking leader of the Party and State but as a long-time friend of the musician's family, as singer Bong Mai - musician An Thuyen's daughter shared. Listening to the songs that spanned the years of An Thuyen's life, the old friend could not hide his emotions. Besides, comrades Ho Duc Phoc, Nguyen Dac Vinh, Nguyen Xuan Duong, Le Minh Thong... also shared the same feelings, remembering An Thuyen as friends, brothers from the same homeland.

It has been a year since musician An Thuyen passed away, leaving behind so much sorrow for his family and fans. A memorial concert for the late musician, titled “Neo dau ben que”, was held for relatives, friends and audiences to pay their respects and recall the journeys he had taken. The concert was held in Nghe An – the most affectionate hometown throughout the musician’s life: “In 1982, from this land of Nghe An, we set out to make a career… until my husband – musician An Thuyen became the first general in the music field in peacetime. Today, he returns with songs that have been with him through the years. In his last days, on his desk there was still an unfinished song “Bao gio ve lai ao…”. And today, our family brings him back…” Mrs. Ngo Huyen Lam, wife of the late musician An Thuyen, emotionally spoke the opening words for the concert.

Ms. Ngo Huyen Lam - wife of musician An Thuyen presented flowers to thank the artists and actors participating in the music night.

The audience of tonight's concert includes military friends of musician An Thuyen, People's Artists, Meritorious Artists, singers, musicians, the elderly, the young, and even children who hear the name of musician An Thuyen for the first time. But they seem to feel the emotional, peaceful atmosphere of the concert.

Holding his wife’s hand and leading her through the crowd, Mr. Nguyen Cu (70 years old), from Vinh city, said: “Both my wife and I love the songs of musician An Thuyen. My feelings for the musician are also comradely, because I was also a soldier in the army. It is a pity that he passed away too soon, too suddenly. If he were still alive, he would have contributed more to the country’s art. But people like him will live forever, living in songs…”

Singer Quang Linh was moved by the song "Ca dao em va toi", a composition by musician An Thuyen that made his name.

When the familiar lyrics began to play, everyone turned to the stage, many people whispered and sang along. They knew his songs by heart, like they knew their childhood, the dear memories of the past, the peaceful innocence that seemed to grow up, the more they remembered, the more they loved, the more they cherished.

“Cut the moon in half, cut the moon in half and I will make a small boat, chop a verse in half, break a verse in half and I will make an oar to surf the waves…” The entire auditorium seemed to pause for a moment, then burst into applause… Mrs. Nguyen Thi An (51 years old) was in tears: “I have never met musician An Thuyen, but I have heard many stories about him. The first song of An Thuyen that I knew was Neo doi ben que, when I heard it, I cried, I don’t know why. Later, when I listened to many of his other songs, I also cried. Perhaps, because the lyrics of the song are so real, so real like the countryside, that even a worker like me, or the people in my village, all like to listen to it and are moved.”

With her husband and two young children attending the music night, Ms. Ton Nu Hoai Huong recalled: I am one of the many students of musician An Thuyen. At the age of 13, I went to study at the Military College of Culture and Arts, where he was the principal at that time. My impression of him until now is his kindness and concern for all his students. He would pat each student on the head and ask about them. More than 7 years ago, he visited Nghe An College of Culture and Arts, where I worked after graduating. That was the last time I met him and had dinner with him...

Most of the artists participating in the memorial concert for musician An Thuyen were his students.

Hoai Huong's daughter seemed to have begun to understand, and turned her face to the stage, listening to "Em Chon Luong Nay", "Dem Do Dua Nho Bac", "Chin Bang Tinh Yeu"...

On stage, singers and musicians sang with all their heart, nostalgia and affection for the talented and virtuous musician. Of all An Thuyen's musical repertoire, more than 15 songs were chosen to perform in the concert. These were mainly songs about mother, about the Central region, about the homeland with the shadow of mountains, bamboo villages, rivers, ferry docks... It was not a coincidence, but that was the way back for the musician to "call the dreams", the musician would find the way back.

The closing song of the program was “Neo doi ben que”, as the name of the memorial concert suggests: “Getting on the boat alone, with the river of my childhood… Wandering all over the world, now returning to my hometown river to bathe, Lam river, when will it dry up, muddy in shame and glory, oh people…”

Singer Bong Mai - daughter of the late musician An Thuyen and the program's director expressed her gratitude to everyone who made the memorial concert for her father a success.

On the slide is the image of the late musician An Thuyen, still with a kind face, a gentle smile, mixed in the scenery of the countryside, bamboo banks, water wharves... Once again, the recording of An Thuyen's voice resounds: "A country boy goes to the province, then from the province back to the countryside. That is my musical path, my wish is to bring Nghe culture to blend with Vietnamese culture in general and all the knowledge of humanity to have a voice, to have an An Thuyen in the music scene and still imbued with his Nghe character".

Musician An Thuyen's family and artists thanked the audience when the concert ended.

The Military Region 4 Art Troupe, Meritorious Artist Tan Minh, singers Quang Linh, Thang Loi, Thanh Le, Quynh Trang... and many other artists performed songs by musician An Thuyen as a tribute to a teacher, as a tribute to the soldiers bowing to the army general and as a welcome to a countryman.

One night is worth a lifetime. The music night on June 25th, everyone fulfilled the wish of musician An Thuyen "to bring me back to the person I love", back to his homeland, to the place filled with deep affection that the people of Nghe An have given him. The painful question at the end of his life "When will I be able to return to my hometown pond" has now come true, let him rest in peace and anchor his soul there.

Musician An Thuyen's family: wife Huyen Lam, daughter Bong Mai, son An Hieu... choked up saying thank you. No, not just An Thuyen, but the whole family is reuniting, in their hometown of Nghe An, where they have always belonged, never been strangers.

NPV