Young artists from the 4th Military Region's Performing Arts Troupe create a new version of 'The Song of Unification'.
Singer Nguyen Nam Giang, from the 4th Military Region Performing Arts Troupe, has just released the music video "Song of Unification" to celebrate the April 30th National Day. Nam Giang said that he had been nurturing the project of modernizing revolutionary songs, and "Song of Unification," which he chose for this occasion, has received positive feedback from music lovers.
Stemming from the profound spiritual significance of the phrase "national reunification," and looking forward to the grand celebration.50 years since the liberation of South Vietnam and the reunification of the country.Nam Giang realized that "The Song of Unification" was a joyful, radiant, and proud melody that would be sung by many people during these days. Therefore, he commissioned a young musician, also from Nghe An and working in Hanoi, to create a new arrangement of "The Song of Unification" that suited his voice and also appealed to the current tastes of young people in revolutionary music.
"The Song of Unity," composed by Võ Văn Di, was arranged by flutist Phan Bá Sang, born in 2001 and from Thanh Chương, with a fast tempo in 4/4 time, strongly reflecting the spirited and exuberant folk singing style of Central Vietnam.
The opening of the new arrangement is gentle and soothing, building to a climax in the chorus. It includes subtle touches of the zither, a characteristic instrument of the Vietnamese folk music tradition.
The final highlight of the music video is the singer harmonizing with children, the future generation of the country, and that is precisely the message that singer Nam Giang wants to convey to the younger generation.
Nam Giang said: "When I discussed the matter with the arranger, I also noted that the song itself is already very good, beautiful, and majestic. Therefore, my job is to convey all of that meaning, but the arrangement must ensure a fresh, highly personal element so that the audience doesn't feel bored when listening to the old song."
The author of "The Song of Unification" is musician Vo Van Di (1932-2005), from Nghi Loc, Nghe An province. His daughter shared that the initial inspiration for Vo Van Di to write "The Song of Unification" was the moment he heard the news of the historic victory of April 30, 1975, while on a ship traveling from North to South for a performance.
The song is considered the pinnacle of the composer's career, and even 50 years after the country achieved complete independence and entered a new era, it still resonates in the hearts of the Vietnamese people.
The first artist to perform the song was People's Artist Thu Hien. At that time, composer Vo Van Di lived in the same apartment complex as People's Artist Thu Hien. After composing the song, Vo Van Di immediately gave it to Thu Hien. He once said that Thu Hien sang the song best, conveying the meaning and emotions of the notes and lyrics of "The Song of Unification" most fully. After Thu Hien, many other artists also performed "The Song of Unification" very successfully.
According to VOV's archives, there are two versions of the song: the first performed by People's Artist Thu Hien, and the second by artist Kim Phuc. Later, many other singers also chose to sing "The Song of Unity," such as Quang Linh, Thanh Thanh Hien - Ho Quang, Pham Phuong Thao, Hong Lien, Trong Tan, Bui Thuy - Trang Dung, Dinh Trang, etc.
Singer Nam Giang, whose full name is Nguyen Nam Giang, was born in 1999 and hails from Hung Chinh commune, Vinh City.
Nam Giang graduated from the Military University of Culture and Arts and joined the Military Region 4 Performing Arts Troupe in 2023. He won first prize in the 2019 Sao Mai Nghe An competition and second prize in the 2019 Sao Mai Central Highlands competition. In 2021, he was granted direct admission to the military while still studying at the Military University of Culture and Arts.
Over the past two years, Nam Giang has won two Silver Medals at the 2023 All-Army Professional Performing Arts Festival and was honored as an Outstanding Young Face of Nghe An Province in 2024.
