I had the chance to meet and get to know musicians Nguyen Tai Tue, Nguyen Trong Tao, An Thuyen and was fortunate to be loved by them.
Regret the opportunity foreverMusician An Thuyen, when we suggested making a music night about him, he just said softly: Please prioritize making it for older musicians first. I still have many opportunities. Then, he passed away suddenly when he still had many unfinished musical plans. To make up for that regret, on the 1st anniversary of the musician's death, NTV colleagues expressed their love for him by completing the documentary: Musician An Thuyen - The person who keeps the soul of Nghe An's homeland. The website of Nghe An Provincial People's Representative also posted the content of this documentary.
WithMusician Nguyen Tai Tue, I had the opportunity to share with readers an article about his life and writing career, published in Nghe An newspaper's Lunar New Year 2021 issue and posted on the website of Nghe An Provincial People's Delegates.
A memorable memory, when I finished writing the article and sent it to him, he was very happy and only suggested changing the 4 words "probing the melody" at the end of the article. His wife, Vu Thi Cam Tu, recounted: When reading the article in the Nghe An Tet issue, he jokingly told her and the children: The content of the article understood me so well. Now I can lie to my old age. Like a premonition, about 3 months later he passed away at the age of 87.
Previously, in August 2018, Nghe An Radio and Television Station organized a Nguyen Tai Tue music night. Immediately after the resounding music night, he sent a letter to the program organizers expressing his joy when:“To be warmly and lovingly welcomed and especially to be informed about my background and musical career to all those I miss and love the most.”It is also the great happiness of the program's producers to understand more about his tumultuous life, to share some of the "occasional joys, immense sadness" in the soul of the talented and virtuous musician Nguyen Tai Tue.
Musician Nguyen Tai Tue often said: I love my hometown as much as those who love their hometown the most. Recently, Mrs. Cam Tu added: One day, seeing him sitting absent-mindedly, tears streaming down, she asked what happened? He said: I miss my hometown so much. She said: I thought something was wrong, we'll go back to our hometown tomorrow. So in a moment, he had finished packing his belongings, waiting for tomorrow morning to leave. Understanding a part of the life, the longing of "more than 63 years of wandering in a foreign land" in the soul of musician Nguyen Tai Tue, we understand and feel more fully the stirring power of the songs he wrote: "Far away", "Dreaming of the homeland", "Xon xao ben nuoc"... which have become immortal over time.
With musician Nguyen Trong TaoHis legacy is many poetry collections and epic poems that have won literary awards, such as: “Rhymes for adults”, “Refuge”, “The world without moon”, “The road of the stars”…; he is the author of thousands of book covers and illustrations; songs that almost every Vietnamese person loves such as “Quan ho village of my hometown”, “Song que song”, “Doi mat do ngang”… Nguyen Trong Tao composes like a play of a multi-talented, ageless artist. As a famous person, wherever he goes, he is respected by many people, but he always shares and devotes himself to his young friends like us.
When NTV invited him to be an art advisor for the television show “Doi bo vi, giam”, he happily accepted and spent time discussing the content and choosing the songs in detail. On the day of the event, he could not return, but as soon as the program ended, on his Facebook, he gave words of praise:“The proverbs and folk songs bridge the hearts. Since the division of the province, this has been a thoughtful and visionary television program, not only connecting people’s hearts, but also connecting social integration through art… To be able to do so is a feat and requires a lot of creativity.”For those who make the program "Doi bo vi, giam", that is the biggest reward, the most memorable happiness.
Perhaps musician Nguyen Trong Tao is most open when drinking with friends. And many people, including me, are most afraid of him when he drinks from 7pm to 3-4am the next morning. In those parties, he is always the most engaging talker, the most emotional singer and the most resilient drinker. Even when the entire Nghe An Radio and Television crew and directors from Hanoi were rushing to air his music night “Khuc hat song que”, he still wandered around drinking with friends, not paying much attention to preparing for the best music night possible. The day he had just had a stroke and then got cancer, in a meeting in his hometown, he could only use water to toast his friends and brothers. I felt so sorry for him, but I didn’t know what to say to share with him at that time.
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Born from the land of Lao wind and hot sand of Nghe An, nurtured by the cool milk of the Vi and Giam source, the musicians have left behind many songs with the folk melodies of Nghe - Tinh, further illuminating the eternal cultural values of their ancestors. Not only that, from the Lam River, Bung River, Mai Giang River... of their childhood,“They came to the Red River, the Mekong River… and became talented people, the pride of the country”.As Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen The Ky - Chairman of the Central Council for Literature and Art Theory and Criticism summarized. The songs that have contributed to shaping the image of the Fatherland will forever soar and deepen over time, such as: "Singing in the middle of Pac Bo forest" (Nguyen Tai Tue); "Standing posture of Ben Tre" (Nguyen Van Ty); "The sea sings this afternoon" (Hong Dang); "Quan ho village of my hometown" (Nguyen Trong Tao); "I choose this path" (An Thuyen)... And many famous songs by famous musicians for their talent, personality, and love of life will be sung high and echo forever with the country's mountains and rivers, through the music night "Mach nguon vi, giam" held for the first time.
We appreciate the dedication of former Minister of Information and Communications Le Doan Hop, the Nghe An Association in Hanoi, the colleagues of Nghe An Radio and Television Station and many people who have made great efforts to have the art program "The source of Vi and Giam" to pay tribute to the musicians of the homeland. A program that is expected to further arouse solidarity, brighten the pride, love for the homeland and the desire to contribute and develop in every Nghe An person, in every Vietnamese person today.
Let's wait and enjoy the program "Mach nguon vi, giam", at 8:00 p.m. on May 14, 2023, held at the Vietnam - Soviet Labor Culture Palace, Hanoi; broadcast live by NTV, Hanoi Radio and Television Station, People's Television, VTC and more than 35 Radio and Television Stations nationwide.
