Lo The Anh - Voice of the mountains and forests

That was when the poor boy often listened to cassette tapes of love songs over and over again and sang along until he was fluent. “At that time, my hometown was very poor, the whole neighborhood couldn’t find a radio or TV, let alone a computer. However, not far from my house, there was an uncle who had just returned to the village from the army. He brought a guitar with him and every day he played sad love songs. I was drawn in and fascinated without realizing it,” The Anh said.

Lo The Anh is considered to have a bright, strong voice, full of the mountains and forests. Photo: NVCC

The Anh also said that he did not understand why he could play the guitar when he did not understand anything about music theory, nor did he understand why he did not have any textbooks to study but could soon accompany and sing the melodies that he learned through cassettes and the guidance of his neighbor. "Perhaps music was my destiny early on, but at that time I still did not know that I would follow this path in the future."

Although no one in his family was in the arts, Thế Anh soon received the approval and support of his parents and siblings when he chose music as his career path. Photo: NVCC

However, as he grew older, The Anh got closer to his musical path through school stages. “My voice at that time was not good, I did not have strong high notes, and I had not yet defined my musical style. However, I soon thought that I would take the entrance exam to a professional music school despite many difficulties,” The Anh shared.

Right after graduating from high school, although no one in his family was in the arts, Thế Anh soon received the approval of his parents and siblings when choosing music as his future career path. Therefore, he took the entrance exam to the Provincial College of Culture and Arts, majoring in Vocal Music to continue his dream of becoming a singer. Studying this major, Thế Anh initially thought it would be a favorable land for those who "have a voice" and have dreams. "But all dreams must be written through hard work and practice. Because, from the time I had not yet formed my singing style, I sang whatever music I heard, when I entered school I was guided by teachers, and practice was also difficult from then on", Thế Anh shared.

The more he studied, the more passionate he became, and once he became passionate, he wanted to perfect his vocal range and the charisma of a singer when standing on stage. “In addition to his voice, the charisma of a singer will make the audience interact more, and the singer will bring a clearer message to the audience through the work he performs.” And perhaps The Anh is loved a lot thanks to that interaction, when he knows how to express his feelings through his musical works.

Thế Anh is often assigned songs with a strong mountain and forest style, or songs written on a pop music background. Photo: NVCC

After graduating from the Provincial College of Culture and Arts, The Anh was accepted into the Provincial Ethnic Song and Dance Troupe (now the Provincial Traditional Arts Center) and quickly established himself with his strong, high-pitched voice. He was often assigned songs with a strong mountain and forest style, or songs written on a pop music background. “I don’t know why I sing songs with the breath of the mountains and forests so beautifully. Every time I stand on stage in my ethnic costume, I feel like I’m home, expressing all my joys, angers, loves, and hates through the melodies and lyrics.”

The Anh and the dance troupe on stage.

Indeed, with songs like “Chiec Khan Pieu” (composed by Doan Nho) or “Em gai Mong den cho” (Mong girl going to the market) by Quoc Chung, The Anh received a lot of love from the audience. “My advantage is that I can play and sing any pop song when the audience requests it, so I am always asked to sing this or that song again. The most interesting thing is that even the songs I compose are wanted to be listened to over and over again,” The Anh said.

With the desire to express his feelings through his musical works, Thế Anh boldly tried his hand at composing. Up to now, he has had dozens of songs that have been warmly received by the audience. The songs composed in response to the anti-epidemic movement were written on the electronic music background EDM, with the addition of Rap, which many audiences enjoyed.

Recently, the song "Traffic Bell" written by The Anh won second prize in the "2021 Traffic Safety Songwriting Campaign in Nghe An Province" organized by the Department of Culture and Sports of Nghe An in collaboration with the Vietnam Musicians Association. The jury highly appreciated the way the problem was raised as well as the cheerful melody that touches the heart, the tight but easy-to-play structure. In addition, many songs about love, homeland and people of Nghe An were tried by The Anh and received many spiritual gifts from the audience. Among them, we must mention the song "Yen Hoa, my hometown" that he wrote for his beloved homeland. “The song was not written on a pop music background, nor did it use modern arrangements, but it was sung from the heart, so I received a lot of love from the public, especially the people of my hometown. After a short time, this song had nearly 200,000 views on Youtube. This is a great spiritual gift that I have received in my musical journey.”

The Anh confided that, on the future musical path, he still wants to live in a professional environment. “No matter where I go, I am still a child of the mountains and forests, wherever I am, the blood of the Thai ethnic group still flows in my veins, so being able to express myself, being the most true to myself is what I always aim for. And the Provincial Traditional Arts Center is the home for me to realize my dreams!”, Lo The Anh confided.