Musician An Thuyen: Soul "anchored in the hometown"

(Baonghean) - Hearing the news that musician An Thuyen passed away this afternoon after a heart attack, I couldn't believe my ears.

I remember the last time I met him, he was still full of enthusiasm and excitement telling me about the days of traveling to collect wallets and giặm mot along the villages along the Lam River. At that time, he was a young man working at the Nghe An Department of Culture. I remember the time I stood at Bao Son Hotel (Hanoi), looking into his office, when he had just left the "chair" of Principal of the Military University of Culture and Arts to retire and was invited here to be the Artistic Director of Bao Son Theater. At that time, it seemed like he was busy with a series of music projects. In that room, I only saw records and old gramophones lying quietly. It turned out that the leisurely moments of this busy principal and director, he spent them on the hobby of collecting old gramophones. I imagined his relaxed look, stretching his legs on the recliner, closing his eyes to listen to an old, gentle song, letting his soul find a "mooring place". That "mooring place" is the "hometown".

And I picked up the phone to call musician Dan Huyen, a fellow countryman, a close friend of musician An Thuyen. I heard the old musician's voice choked up: "Another sad news, after musicians Phan Huynh Dieu and Phan Nhan, An Thuyen has also passed away. He was also my fellow countryman from Nghe An, someone who was as close to me as a blood brother."

Musician Dan Huyen told me with emotion about a day in the distant past, in 1986 or 1987, when he and An Thuyen visited their hometown Quynh Thang (Quynh Luu). It was from this arid and hot land of Lao wind that the musician grew up with love and desire. His father used to work as a forest ranger secretary for the French in Quang Ninh, then returned to his hometown to become the commune chairman. He was the one who set up the "family theater troupe", where he was both a director and an actor and also played the guitar. The musician's eldest brother was also talented, often drawing backgrounds and playing the erhu for the troupe. An Thuyen also showed his musical talent from a young age. At the age of 11, he was good at playing the guitar, the flute, and traditional instruments for the family's "theater troupe". Only a few years later, An Thuyen was recognized by everyone around him for his songwriting talent with the song “Following the Hero”, on the occasion of a few An Thuyen villagers receiving the title of Hero of the People’s Armed Forces. With this song, An Thuyen was awarded a notebook and a Chinese gold pen, and was also praised by the Secretary of the District Party Committee. That was an unforgettable memory of the homeland of musician An Thuyen during his long life away from home.

Musician Dan Huyen said that in 1986 and 1987, An Thuyen's hometown of Quynh Thang was still very poor. Later, An Thuyen recounted his childhood many times with cassava and sweet potatoes. But surely in the poverty and hardship of that life, the musician still heard the cool stream's babbling sound nourishing his soul from the sad and nostalgic verses, from the warm love of the people of Nghe An, from the sacrifice and great love of his parents, brothers and sisters in the family. All of these things filled and supported the musician's sensitive heart, so that later, in his compositions, there was always a heavy love for the two words "homeland". From the first songs that were well-known to many people, “I chose this path” which was born when he was a 21-year-old soldier in Tuong Duong, to “Ca dao em va toi”, “Neo doi wharf que”, “Dem nghe hat do dua nho Bac”… all made any Nghe people moved. And not just Nghe people, which people with the soul of the countryside do not remember, do not love, do not feel heavy-hearted about those songs?

In 1967, An Thuyen started working at the Nghe An Department of Culture. In 1975, he joined the army and in 1977, he became a musician of the Military Region IV Art Troupe. In 1981, he was sent to study at the Hanoi Conservatory of Music. After graduating, he returned to the Army Art Department, now the Army University of Culture and Arts, and worked there until his retirement.

“On the first day I arrived in Hanoi, An Thuyen stayed at my house,” musician Dan Huyen recalled. “I will always remember that image, when every morning An Thuyen took me by bike to my workplace at the Voice of Vietnam Radio, then to study at the Conservatory. Every afternoon, he picked me up and took me home. We treated each other like blood relatives.” Dan Huyen’s voice dropped when he talked about every time he returned to Vinh, he met musician An Thuyen, then for nearly a month An Thuyen stayed with his family when he first arrived in Hanoi, the hasty but extremely joyful meetings at the radio station to chat about his hometown in Nghe An, the sessions of singing newly composed songs to each other, encouraging and giving each other feedback to perfect the melodies and lyrics… “An Thuyen is a cheerful, compassionate person, always willing to help others. He is very respectful to older people, and with young musicians, he is willing to help and always encourages them to compose,” Dan Huyen said.

Now the heart that has felt, that heavy love for the homeland has…stopped beating. But the emotions and boundless love in the soul of that musician still linger on the lips of music lovers: “One day is equal to several hundred years, my friend”, “When will the Lam River dry up, clear and muddy - glory and shame, my friend…” “Where do you anchor, my soul anchors at the homeland…”.

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