Meritorious Artist Vu Tien Lam and the story of That Soldier

PV: After winning the second prize of the national Sao Mai contest in 2001 with the song “That Soldier” - a composition by musician Hoang Van, many music lovers got to know you - the soldier artist Vu Tien Lam. Can you reveal what brought you to the music industry?

Meritorious Artist Tien Lam:I was born into a large family, and since childhood we lived with hunger and poverty with our parents in the coastal area of ​​Dien Doai, Dien Chau, but for some reason many of my brothers and sisters loved art so much. They were the ones who ignited my passion for art and also the ones who guided me to that horizon.

Meritorious Artist Tien Lam performs in a program. Photo: NVCC

My brother Vu Tien Vinh - Former Vice Principal of the Provincial College of Culture and Arts - was the one who taught me the first notes of music. He was the one who made me love the sounds of musical instruments, and also the one who discovered that I had a tenor voice and nurtured and guided me. And my sister-in-law - Meritorious Artist Ngoc Ha was also the one who helped me see the beauty of folk music through her own voice.

At the age of 11, I studied the monochord, specializing in traditional instruments for 7 years, then switched to the guitar for 4 years, with the intention of becoming a musician. But as you can see, due to my affinity with vocal music, my life had another Tien Lam singing revolutionary love songs. Although vocal music is only a destination, I always silently thank the years of studying the instrument, it is the solid knowledge of musical instruments that helped me to calibrate the sound well.

PV: After being recruited into the Military Region 4 Art Troupe, you were always the lead singer along with famous singers of the same time. People also thought about your future - a soldier artist with many awards in the future. Can you tell us about this rather long journey of yours?

Meritorious Artist Tien Lam:I must say that I studied music the longest compared to other military singers of the same era. After graduating as a musician, I studied vocal music at intermediate and college levels, and it wasn't until I was 32 years old, in 2005, that I graduated from university with a major in vocal music. During my time working at the Youth Union and studying at the National Academy of Music, I was often assigned soaring tenor songs with a strong revolutionary spirit such as "Chien si song Lo" by Hoang Van, "Tinh ca" by Hoang Viet, "Dat nuoc tron ​​niep vui" by Hoang Ha... And I performed, I sang with the devoted joy of a soldier who was honored to stand on stage and sing for his comrades.

According to Tien Lam, being able to sing is already a happiness. Photo: NVCC

Time passed happily like that, until 2001, when I was encouraged by my superiors, teachers and friends to compete in Sao Mai - the most prestigious competition honoring Vietnamese singing voices. Luckily, in the provincial and regional competitions, I won first prize. In the final round, I was named second overall with the song series "Chien si song Lo" and "Nguoi chien si ay" by Hoang Van.

I must say that during this period, wherever I went, people asked me to sing "That Soldier", which made me extremely happy. People kept asking me about possessing this or that technique, but I think singing with all my heart and the heart of a soldier is the most important. Singing with the heart will touch the heart.

After the Sao Mai contest, I should have had a big career change, but perhaps my mission was to be born in the countryside and dedicate myself to my homeland, so I could not join a big band at that time to become famous as many people said. Well, that was fate, it was karma. Being able to sing in the Art Troupe of Military Region 4, singing in my hometown and occasionally being invited to big programs of the Central Government was happiness.

PV: People call you the simplest artist among the simplest artists, or some people simply call you a farmer artist. Are you sad about this opinion?

Meritorious Artist Tien Lam:Absolutely not, that's the most honest summary of me... To me, I am what I am, music is something that can't be tried hard enough. I'm like that as a person, even if I tried I would just be the real Tien Lam.

Throughout my singing career, I have always believed that life is very fair. I am not as famous as many people expected, but on the contrary, I have a happy family, a virtuous wife; I have a stable job, and can live according to my passion, and use my passion to feed it.

Later on, as a lecturer, in addition to training students in techniques, discovering and cultivating good voices, I always kept in mind that if I wanted to teach students and young singers to achieve many achievements, I must first teach them about the aesthetic value of music, cultivate their souls, and then vocal techniques. As you think, so you will sing. That is, when you have a beautiful soul and a positive lifestyle, your singing will be graceful and full of beauty.

Moreover, with singing, it's very strange, if you have talent but don't practice, your voice will easily fade away, so we say that a singer's success depends on 80% of practice. Because there are many people who sing well, have natural talent but they can't compete, simply because they don't practice. I just think that simply. And I don't allow myself to stop practicing, every day I practice my voice, play the instrument, every day I feel like I'm living a beautiful life.

PV: I see you appear often on national television in big programs, such as the 75th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs Day, the 75th anniversary of the founding of the country, the 110th anniversary of General Vo Nguyen Giap's birth, and the National Cultural Conference. It seems that your fame is still intact as when you first entered the Sao Mai contest, but I rarely see you on the Nghe An stage. Can you share about this?

Meritorious Artist Tien Lam:As soon as I emerged from major competitions like Sao Mai or other national and military professional festivals, I was invited to perform by the National Radio and the Organizing Committee of major events. I think it was because I was suited to many revolutionary songs with tenor qualities and passionate love songs. Moreover, I worked in a military environment, so when I sang revolutionary songs, I was able to convey the essence of the musical work. So it was understandable that the radio stations and the Organizing Committees were familiar with naming a highly disciplined military singer who sang quite well.

As for performing on Nghe An stage, perhaps I have not had the chance???

PV: Can you say something about the career of a soldier singer?

Meritorious Artist Tien Lam:When we have the five-pointed gold star on our shoulders, we are always aware that we will fight with all our might with the spirit of courage and sacrifice. Fighting here is not only fighting in front of the enemy's guns but also fighting in everyday life with temptations, traps or self-satisfaction. Fighting here can also be understood as we must always maintain the spirit of a simple, loyal soldier like "That soldier, whoever has met him, can never forget, can never forget...!!!

PV: Thank you for the conversation!