Musician An Thuyen: Soul "anchored at the hometown dock"

(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 free moments of this busy principal and director, he spent on the hobby of collecting old gramophones. I imagined his relaxed look, as he stretched his legs on the recliner, eyes closed to listen to an old, peaceful song, letting his soul find a place to "anchor". That "anchor" was the "hometown".

And I pressed 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 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 wind-burning homeland 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’s Steps”, on the occasion of several 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 his homeland for 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 sound of the stream nourishing his soul from the sad and nostalgic folk songs, from the warm and affectionate 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 many people know, "I choose this path" born when he was a 21-year-old soldier in Tuong Duong, to "Ca dao em va toi", "Neo dau ben que", "Dem nghe hat do dua nho Bac"... all make any Nghe people feel moved. And not just Nghe people, which people with the soul of the countryside do not remember, do not love, do not feel deeply for 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 went to the Army Art Department, now the Army University of Culture and Arts, and worked there until his retirement.

“On the first day he 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 Station, 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 as he talked about every time he returned to Vinh, he met musician An Thuyen, and then the nearly 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 he is always willing to help young musicians and always encourages them to compose,” Dan Huyen said.

Now, that heart that has felt, that is heavy with love for the homeland has… stopped beating. But the emotions, the boundless love in the soul of that musician still lingers on the lips of music lovers: “A day is equal to hundreds of 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…”.

TV