People's Artist Pham Phuong Thao: Love for homeland is the foundation for all success

Success and efforts

PV:Hello Phuong Thao, I understand that you have many projects that will be completed in 2025?

People's Artist Pham Phuong Thao:2024 is going to be a very busy year forPhuong ThaoI have to complete many music projects and also complete many items in my rather large housing project.

In addition, I am also a member of the Jury of the National Music and Dance Festival, which is also an important milestone marking my maturity and recognition after more than 26 years of singing. More importantly, in the Professional Music and Dance Festival Cluster 2 held in Binh Duong province, a composition by Phuong Thao performed by singer Thanh Hai - Provincial Traditional Arts Center won a Gold Medal. This is also an honor for the composer, and a significant recognition in the second field that Thao is extremely attentive to, which is composition.

Talking about the work that must be completed in 2025 is very urgent. For Thao, singing still takes up a considerable amount of time. Besides, many other music projects will have to be completed this year such as releasing MVs, releasing new compositions... Regarding work outside of her expertise, Thao has to complete a housing project that can be said to be quite special. I pray that I will have good health and good support from my brothers, friends, and colleagues so that I will always have abundant energy.

PV:To have the sweet results like today, Thao must have had a process of constant efforts?

People's Artist Pham Phuong Thao:Yes, it is the effort to be able to have a place in the music life, to complete the goals set by myself, such as having prestigious Gold Medals, winning awards in singing talent competitions such as Sao Mai TV. Looking back on that journey, if I say there was no luck, it is not true, because in every step of my journey, I received the attention and help of teachers, family, and friends to be able to have the best results.

I was a poor kid from Nghi Trung commune, Nghi Loc district. Since I was little, I dreamed of becoming a Literature teacher. I never dreamed of a path paved with roses and bright stage lights, even though I loved singing, especially sweet melodies of my homeland. However, I don't know if I had a destiny with singing or not, but during a recruitment trip, the leader of the Provincial Ethnic Song and Dance Troupe heard my natural voice and invited me to join the troupe. At that time, I went to the recruitment with the mindset of just taking the exam for fun, not thinking that I would pass, even though when I sang for my friends, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters and family, everyone cheered me on, "If you have a voice as sweet as sugarcane, it would be a waste not to join the art troupe." I returned to the troupe with the simple dream of performing everywhere in the future, showing off my voice to the world, without thinking about fame. However, when the troupe only had 2 places to go to school, I got 1.

When I went to Hanoi to study at the Military College of Culture and Arts, I only received financial support for my studies, and had to pay for my meals and other living expenses myself. My family was poor, with many children, and my parents were farmers. To have a small amount of money for me to live on every month, my mother had to borrow money and wait for the harvest season to gradually pay it off. For as many years as I went to school, my mother was on the local debt list. But my mother never complained, and always encouraged me to try my best. At that time, I only wished that I would become a little better off so that I could have money to help my family reduce poverty.

When I entered the Military College of Culture and Arts and later on, I was fortunate to receive the guidance of Mr. An Thuyen. He was the one who gave me the motivation on my career path, showed me the good and the beauty of this life with the mindset of an artist, of a singer. He also guided me through important steps in my career, and at each step, I always had him following me, encouraging and motivating me. Perhaps it was thanks to that support that I was more determined and made more efforts to achieve success. Among them, we must mention the first successes such as Third Prize - Good Voice of Hanoi in 1998, Third Prize - Sao Mai, Voice of Television in 2003. It was thanks to this initial success that I was noticed by the audience, invited by many show producers to sing in events, from there success also began to knock on the door, my career had some sublimation notes.

It is not true to say that there is only support without effort. I am a determined girl. Whenever I face difficulties, I never give up, I do not think about failure, I do not allow myself to give up. I move forward with the mindset that I have made it this far, I cannot stop. I do it not only for myself but also for those who follow me, those who believe and expect from me.

Composing is also a destiny

P.V:Considered a multi-talented artist, artist Pham Phuong Thao not only has achievements in her careerperformance on stage, through works in released albums that are very popular such as: A song of the heartHa Tinh people, Lullaby of the Country, Dream of the Homeland, A Little Love I Send, … Istill seeThere are also impressive self-composed works such as: The Glorious Returner, The Art Girl... and more.appearancein poetry like the poetry collection "Going through spring". ThaoCan you say more about the creative field?

People's Artist Pham Phuong Thao:From 1998 to 2002 I finished college, from 2007 to 2009 I finished university and then joined the Vietnam National Music and Dance Theater. Since then, in addition to cultivating and upgrading my voice to achieve more success, I have always cherished the idea of ​​singing my own compositions. A work written and sung by me will resonate with emotions, and I will also be able to best express what I put into the song. From then on, thoseNghe An girl, He returned home in glory, My hometown boy, If you love each other, then come back, Ten fragrant lotus flowers,The moon shines alone,Fragile you, flying in the Lam riverwas born. And many of these songs were performed by me and were warmly received by the audience, typicallyArt GirlWhen I sang in the program Con duong am nhac of Vietnam Television, many people said that this was my most unique performance. This made me extremely happy. Happy because my own compositions gave me wings, sublimation and recognition from people in the industry as well as the audience.

After that time other songs likeMy hometown boy, He returned home with honor, Flying in the middle of the Lam Riverperformed by many singers and has achieved considerable success. For example:"He returns home in glory"won the Gold Medal at the 2018 National Music and Dance Festival.My hometown boysuccessfully performed by the trio of Nghe An Province Traditional Arts Center at the 2018 National Music and Dance Festival;Flying in the middle of Lam River- Gold Medal of the 2024 Music and Dance Festival performed by singer Thanh Hai of Nghe An Province Traditional Arts Center. That is the joy and pride that is not easy to achieve for a performing artist.

As for poetry, as you know, I have had a bit of talent for poetry since I was a child, I always contemplated life with a positive and multi-dimensional perspective. However, being sensitive to things and events is unavoidable, at that time poetry spoke up and the poems were published in the poetry collection ""Go through youth"are my very real, very feminine feelings, a girl who gives life beautiful melodies.

P.V:A noble title for a young artist is not only recognition from the management agency and the public, but also a prestigious laurel wreath adorning their career. Thatthat is the thingmake young people have better orientation, more abundant motivation to strive to affirm their worthiness of what has been given. Are these your feelings when you received the good news of being the youngest People's Artist at the time of being honored?

People's Artist Pham Phuong Thao:In 2016, when receiving the title of Meritorious Artist, Phuong Thao was also the youngest artist - just over 30 years old. Before the noble titles, my feelings were emotional and grateful. Although I was very young and the title was very noble, I did not feel pressured. In fact, Thao was supported by the audience, cared for by the agency and colleagues, created conditions for her to work for enough years, then competed to strive and train, won awards and medals, and presented to the State according to regulations. Our generation sees previous generations such as People's Artist Thu Hien, Thai Bao, Meritorious Artist Trung Duc as shining examples to follow, both in their efforts and their will to fight for the path they have chosen. Therefore, achieving this noble title makes us more aware of our mission and goals in life.

The day I received the glorious laurel wreath of the People's Artist title, my parents came to celebrate with their daughter. From the bottom of their eyes, I clearly felt how proud they were. And they also felt how grateful and thankful I am to heaven and earth that my parents are still healthy, always accompanying their daughter on every journey. This achievement is thanks to the great efforts of my parents, with their encouragement and care, I have the mature form I have today.

P.V: People often say that the homeland is the birthplace and nurtures the souls of many poets, writers and artists. I once heard you answer the press that your homeland is the source of your inspiration in writing as well as in performing arts. Can you elaborate on this?

People's Artist Pham Phuong Thao:To me, homeland is two extremely sacred words. Homeland is where I have a family, a father, a mother, a place that has nurtured me since I was born, giving me my first feelings about life. It is those first feelings about the place where I was born and raised that have given me the rich spiritual and physical baggage I have today. Therefore, when performing songs, the melodies about my homeland always give me a fullness of emotions, making me most passionate. From that, my compositions always have their own temperament. Therefore, even though the song has the elements of tuong, xam, ca tru, it still has the sound and temperament of Nghe people. If anyone asks me what I am most proud of, I always say that it is my family and homeland.

P.VThank you People's Artist Pham Phuong Thao!