Teacher Bich Nga's tears when her husband, musician Tran Tien, is being treated for stage 4 cancer

I thought I was going to collapse after 30 radiation treatments.

Musician Tran Tien and his crew just announced a Live concert.Tran Tien - Half a century of wanderingThis project has special meaning, marking his 5-decade singing career and also his return after a long period of treatment for nasopharyngeal cancer.

U80, musician Tran Tien has a fresh demeanor. Wearing his familiar beret, he still retains the humor, joking, and self-mocking look of a Vietnamese music troubadour.

The musician said that until now, programs about him were usually organized by show organizers or colleagues who loved him. He was very shy about doing solo concerts because it would be like showing off and ostentatious. “I have never wanted to glorify myself through shows. That is the nature of a showbiz person, I am not in showbiz,” he said.

Although the concert was a commemorative event, he said it was not his last. The musician hoped to stand on many stages and meet audiences until the day he actually passed away.

"I can live 200 years more, and I can also leave tonight. Everyone will leave, the important thing is to always live in people's minds," Tran Tien confided.

The musician is not pessimistic or complaining despite having stage 4 cancer.

At the age of seventy, Tran Tien said death is not scary, but what haunts him is seeing young people in similar circumstances leave this life early. The days lying in a hospital bed gave him valuable experiences about the impermanence of human life.

"I have nasopharyngeal cancer. The nasopharynx is what I use to earn money to support my wife and children, but it's cancer, and it's stage 4. There are people 20 years younger than me who couldn't stand the radiation and died in front of me," he said.

Tran Tien admitted that witnessing those images made him “collapse”. By the 30th radiation treatment, he was completely unable to get up. His mind and body were both exhausted.

“It was then that melodies came to me, telling me that"Where is Tran Tien? Wake up, don't be a coward!"So I wrote the article "Don't give up", he said. The musician then accompanied himself on the guitar and sang his new composition in front of everyone.

Tran Tien plays and sings "Don't fall down"

Tran Tien jokingly said that he composed countless songs in his life. During his illness, he immersed himself in writing songs, both in the hospital and at home. The songs he wrote were only for himself, not for commercial purposes.

He said music has supported him since he was a young soldier. Now, it has once again brought him across the line between life and death. That has helped him overcome his fate, have faith in life, and continue to sing and compose.

Whether the stage has tens of thousands of people or just a few, he still sings and tells his own story: "If an artist dies, he will die with his guitar like a cowboy on horseback."

Tran Tien overcomes illness thanks to his will to live

Musician Tran Tien and his wife - teacher Bich Nga.

Present at the event, teacher Tran Thi Bich Nga sat quietly in a corner watching her husband play and sing and interact with everyone. Sharing with VietNamNet, Ms. Nga said she was happy to see that the musician still had the opportunity to stand on stage and meet the audience.

According to her, the musician's health has been stable for the past year. He can eat, sleep, and is optimistic. Every day, he maintains the habit of exercising, practicing his voice, composing, and relaxing his mind through meditation.

Tran Tien's wife said he got sick in 2020 - the time when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. Tran Tien was supported by familiar doctors to be treated at the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital. The treatment process took 5 weeks, which was also a difficult time for the whole family.

Every Monday and Tuesday, his wife and daughter take Tran Tien to the radiation treatment room. Witnessing her husband's pain despite his strong will to live, the mother and daughter outside can only shed tears and encourage each other to overcome.

Mrs. Nga just hopes that musician Tran Tien is healthy and happy with his family and audience.

“I understand and feel the pain Mr. Tien has to go through. That makes him pessimistic at times, wanting to give up, but he quickly regains his spirit to continue the fight. Perhaps it is his desire to live and his love of life that helps him stand up again,” Ms. Nga said.

Tran Tien recovered quickly after the treatment. He was discharged from the hospital to be monitored at home. Every 6 months, he returned to the hospital for tests as prescribed.

Tran Tien and his wife have lived in Vung Tau for many years. Mrs. Nga said that the fresh, cool climate of the coastal area is good for his health. The musician and his wife enjoy a leisurely, peaceful life in their white house. They go to the beach together, visit monasteries and meditation centers.

"As his wife, I just wish him peace, health, and happiness with his family and audience. I believe that is also Mr. Tien's wish for the rest of his life," said Ms. Nga./.