Composer Le Ham - leaving behind so much love and longing.

My uncle Le Ham - the musician Le Ham - is no longer with us. From now on, I will no longer receive messages from him like: "Vinh, go to bed early! Vinh, why are you up so early? It's hot today, Vinh!"

Then he encouraged me when he saw me posting beautiful pictures on Facebook. He shared with me his favorite songs, articles, television programs about him, and the little joys of everyday life. It wasn't just me; many people he cared about also received similar messages of encouragement. A 90-year-old man, a famous musician… yet his youthfulness, modernity, simplicity, and warmth were always present.

He was intelligent and quick-witted, making conversations with him incredibly enjoyable. Every time I met him, I always left feeling grateful, because somewhere in every word, every fragment of memory of that musician, something like the happiness of being alive, and being alive in the warmest, most intimate place, subtly seeped into my soul without me even realizing it.

I vividly remember his radiant smile during our meetings, whether he was healthy or hospitalized. Though our conversations touched upon countless topics, they always ultimately revolved around music. About the small village of Diễn Hồng, Diễn Châu, where young Hàm, at the age of three, would listen to his mother recite verses from the Tale of Kiều. About the makeshift stage of the village's performing arts group. About the flute made from a papaya leaf stem that young Hàm always carried with him. Perhaps it was this first, simple, rustic musical instrument that guided the soul of musician Lê Hàm through the years of his life, connecting him with music, and transforming it from a mere passion into his life's work. About his pride in his son, who followed in his footsteps, becoming a musician and the head of the Military Arts Troupe of Military Region 4, a son who spent his childhood playing with his parents on tour and sleeping soundly on the stage floor…

From his early fascination with his mother's recitation of the Tale of Kieu, the melodies of the neighborhood's performing arts group, and the clear, melodious, yet simple and endearing sounds emanating from his self-made flute, Le Ham gradually embarked on a professional musical career. In 1948, Le Ham joined the Military Cadet School of Military Region 4 and later became a performing artist for the Military Region 4 Army. In 1951, he joined the Cultural Department of Military Region 4 and continued his studies at the Composition Department of the Vietnam Music School. These years of study and work in the musical environment were crucial stepping stones, helping him develop his compositional techniques and enrich his musical language.

He told me, "Vinh is a young city, a city under construction. That dawn is the beginning of a new journey, and I hope Vinh will also shine brightly like the sunrise." That's why he named his song "Vinh - City of Dawn." The inspiration for the song came from a romantic memory with a young female volunteer he accidentally met while cycling from Ha Tinh to Vinh. She asked for a ride:"Where are you going? Are you going back to Thanh Vinh, my hometown?"He nodded. Sitting behind him, she chattered incessantly about her hometown and asked him questions. When they reached Ben Thuy, she asked to stop so she could turn onto the road leading to her house, then greeted him:"Hello, remember I'll pick you up tomorrow and take you back to Thanh Vinh."

That personal memory, with its warm greeting, helped him compose the first melody of the song:“I welcome you back to Vinh, my hometown/ Listening to the sea breeze lull the gentle Lam River/ Familiar people live happily together in love/ Here are the construction sites of the city at dawn/ The heartfelt song of a girl from Vinh...”.

Along with that story, images of a fierce war, a devastated Vinh city, the city's people standing on the ruins to rebuild their homeland, the image of soldiers in green and red uniforms marching in step to the sound of trumpets that Le Ham saw in the old days, following his mother's arduous work selling wholesale cloth in the Cua Ta alley of Vinh city... all became the inspiration for him to write "Vinh - City of Dawn".

Besides this work, he also has many songs about Vinh such as "From the Red City, We Set Off," "Beloved Vinh City," etc. Writing about Nghe An province with its many affections, another outstanding work is "The Mother of Lang Sen Village," a song that has touched the hearts of many generations. The song not only praises the contributions of Vietnamese mothers but also reflects the deep respect and affection of the composer for President Ho Chi Minh and his homeland. Le Ham used music to capture the great yet simple image of a mother, with simple yet meaningful verses.

Composer Lê Hàm was also a "cultural soldier" during the war, witnessing countless hardships on the front lines against the enemy. He served our soldiers at the Vĩnh Linh front line, on the north bank of the Bến Hải River, and later conducted the orchestra of the Hà Tĩnh People's Performing Arts Troupe during the most intense years of the war. He performed on makeshift stages erected after enemy bombing raids. The sounds of his music and singing echoed across the smoke-filled battlefields. His experiences from those days gave him a profound understanding of the power of music in motivating soldiers and the people.

Many of his songs, such as "Girls of the La River," "The Glorious Victory of Ha Tinh," and "The Soldiers of the Ferry," were born from these experiences and have become a source of inspiration for generations in the struggle for independence and freedom. The song "Girls of the La River" even brought tears to his eyes when he heard it again on the Voice of Vietnam radio. The entire nation, from the poorest people to young mothers still cradling their babies, struggled to lull their children to sleep, tearing off the hem of their clothes still smelling of milk to clear the way for our vehicles to pass, yearning for the day of complete victory.

Le Ham is not only famous for his rich musical works but also for his dedication to preserving and promoting folk cultural heritage. He devoted much time to researching and collecting folk melodies of Nghe An province, but what is noteworthy is that he did not stop at simply preserving them but also innovated and developed them in a modern style. As he once shared, being too rigid about traditional melodies without development can make a work monotonous and unappealing. Therefore, in his compositions, although he rarely uses elements of folk melodies, he still maintains freshness and depth, reflecting a spirit of innovation and creativity in music.

He has been honored with numerous prestigious awards, including the 2022 State Award for his collection of works: "The Mother of Lang Sen Village," "Girl of the La River," and "Vietnam in Our Hearts." These awards are not only recognition of his talent and contributions but also a testament to the lasting influence of the musical works he has created.

I remember when I learned he had received the State Award, the musician was in the hospital. Leaders from the Nghe An Union of Literature and Arts Associations and Song Lam Magazine came to the hospital to visit and congratulate him. When they arrived at his room, the musician sat up abruptly, smiling as he received the flowers and enthusiastically recounted stories, thanked them, and asked to have his picture taken. He still had the oxygen mask on his face. But he said: "It's alright, I'm still very happy, go ahead and take the picture!"

Now, composer Le Ham can no longer see "the moon hanging over the white peak of Quyet Mountain," no longer hear "the gentle waves of music as Vinh lights up," "the sweet, affectionate voice of the Central region," "the singing and folk songs echoing across the blue sky." Now, on the doorstep of his small house in Truong Thi ward, he will no longer greet me with a radiant smile. No more of those times he leaned on his cane to go to the Provincial Union of Literature and Arts "because he missed his grandchildren" and came to remember the sad and happy times in this place. No more of the messages "Vinh, go to bed early," "It's hot today, Vinh!"... But I know that not only on Vinh City Radio, but somewhere amidst the murmuring waves of the Lam River, amidst the scorching Lao wind, amidst the hustle and bustle of the city, somewhere in the hearts of his friends, colleagues, and the people of Vinh, and even those from other places who loved Le Ham, the melodies he wrote about Vinh, about Nghe An, about the country and people of Vietnam, still resonate. I know that music can break the boundaries set by the brevity of human life. And therefore, the lyrics and melodies of musicians deeply devoted to their homeland, like him, will endure through the years, remaining forever "pure," "resonant," and radiant like "the sun shining at dawn."