Nghe An musician with immortal song about the land of thousands of flowers

Fate with the land of a thousand flowers

More than 4 years ago, the Dien Chau Literature and Arts Association organized a discussion about musician Hoang Nguyen, with the participation of famous musicians and family members. The delegates' opinions were highly unanimous about the biography and life ofMusician Hoang Nguyen. Thereby, affirming that with nearly 30 songs in circulation, his composing career has brought pride to his hometown Nghe An.

Musician Hoang Nguyen. Photo courtesy

Musician Hoang Nguyen's real name is Cao Cu Phuc (1930 - 1973), from Dien Binh commune (now Minh Chau commune), Dien Chau district. Born and raised in a family with a tradition of medical practice, his mother died so he lived with his paternal family from a young age. Growing up, he followed his father to Quang Tri to continue his studies, then taught and composed music. This is the reason why for decades many people have mistakenly thought that the musician's hometown was in Quang Tri.

Due to the changes in historical events, Cao Cu Phuc studied in Hue and then went toDalatHe taught and composed music, then was exiled to Con Dao; after his release from prison, he continued his teaching and composing music in Saigon. In 1973, musician Hoang Nguyen passed away in Vung Tau due to a car accident at the age of 43, leaving behind grief for his relatives and friends as his career and artistic path were left unfinished.

A corner of Dien Binh commune (now Minh Chau commune), Dien Chau district (Nghe An) - the hometown of musician Hoang Nguyen. Photo: Nguyen The Thang

Musician Hoang Nguyen truly had a chance to visit the Da Lat plateau, which is considered the “Peachland”. At that time, the landscape of Da Lat was still very pristine with mountains, pine forests, lakes, and a magical and poetic beauty, bringing fascination and nostalgia to the souls of travelers.

The weather in Da Lat is always cool, flowers are blooming, the afternoon mist is lingering, easily evoking many feelings, emotions and vibrations in the artist's soul. Perhaps that is why the artist born and raised in Nghe An, the land of Lao wind, was fascinated by the scenery and nature of the land of thousands of flowers, and then his soul vibrated with passionate, passionate music.

Doctor and poet Pham Quoc Ca is a fellow countryman.Dien Chauand has been attached to Da Lat for decades shared: "In admiration and sympathy for a talented, ill-fated artist, I imagine the slender figure of Hoang Nguyen leisurely walking on the misty streets of Da Lat or passionately admiring the cherry blossom season in full bloom...".

The poetic scenery of Da Lat has helped musician Hoang Nguyen compose many good songs. Photo archive

According to poet Pham Quoc Ca, maybe someone does not remember the name Hoang Nguyen but there are many people in Da Lat who do not know and do not know the song "Who goes to the land of peach blossoms". This song is played in festivals, on radio and television, in the Da Lat Flower Festival, in weddings, in cultural exchanges, in grand concerts and even when alone, silently proud of the beauty of the homeland.

Immortal song about Dalat

The late poet and musician Nguyen Trong Tao, also a fellow Dien Chau native, gave a speech at a discussion about musician Hoang Nguyen in 2018. He affirmed: “If we talk about musical composition, Cao Cu Phuc - Hoang Nguyen was a very famous musician in the 50s and 60s of the last century. He not only composed but also taught music, arranged works and discovered and nurtured young musicians…”.

And on his journey of composing, musician Hoang Nguyen was fascinated by the virgin Da Lat in its early days. Therefore, in a short time, two songs about Da Lat were composed by him and became two immortal songs of this land, which are “Who goes to the land of peach blossoms” and “Bai tho hoa dao”.

The beauty of Dalat. Photo archive

These two songs are considered rich in poetry, extremely pure, expressing a romantic and passionate soul amidst the beauty of nature. How can we forget the lyrics of “Who goes to the land of peach blossoms” that have captivated so many hearts: “Whoever goes to the land of peach blossoms stops by the lake to listen to the afternoon fall/Listens to the cold breeze seeping into the soul of the spring afternoon, the clouds drift gently/Pine trees rustle by the quiet stream, their words are as soft as silk/Spring goes through the blue eyes, the heart is filled with poetic thoughts/Listens to the mind's dreams, the peach garden dream is as beautiful as the story of the past...".

The lyrics and melody of the song take the listener to a paradise. There are the sound of pine trees, deserted streams, mist, flower paths, fluttering butterflies… as if they only exist in a fairyland, in the artist’s dream.

Similar to “Who goes to the land of peach blossoms”, the lyrics and melody of “Peach Blossom Poem” are also full of nostalgia and sparkling with virgin beauty and a romantic soul:“One day I stopped to wander/The traveler came here when peach blossoms covered the path/The color of the flowers reflected the shape of the sky/The love of the flowers lingered on the person/The traveler's heart was moved and felt lost….

Musician Hoang Nguyen - a son of Nghe An "spreading fragrance" in the land of thousands of flowers, Da Lat. Photo archive

The dreamy beauty of Da Lat appears in each verse, like a whispering invitation from a paradise. The artistic space of the song is always an attraction, an invitation to the footsteps of travelers on the journey to find beauty. And lovers of lyrical music have the opportunity to harmonize their souls with the world of sounds and colorful shapes of the land of thousands of flowers, Da Lat.

Today, Dalat is stilltourist attractionsfamous throughout the country for its cool climate, poetic scenery and peaceful pace of life. This place is suitable for those who love natural beauty, like to immerse themselves in the scenery and romantic couples or honeymooners.

Although the landscape has changed somewhat compared to the time when musician Hoang Nguyen lived, Da Lat still has an attraction for domestic and international tourists. We think that, among the tens of millions of tourists who come to Da Lat every year, many people come because of the curiosity attracted by the songs "Who goes to the land of peach blossoms" and "Bai tho hoa dao".

Performance program of songs by musician Hoang Nguyen. Photo: Cong Kien

Musician Hoang Nguyen and his songs about Da Lat are very much loved by the people here, especially “Ai len xu hoa dao” which is carved on granite in the city flower garden and is at the top of music discs and collections of good songs about Da Lat. And many people are wishing to have a street named after musician Hoang Nguyen on the streets of Da Lat.

At the same time, music lovers also hope that the talented musician from Nghe An will have the opportunity to be honored in his homeland, worthy of his talent and dedication...