Lo The Anh - The Voice of the Mountains and Forests

That's when the poor boy would repeatedly listen to cassette tapes of love songs and sing along until he mastered them. "Back then, my village was very poor; there wasn't a single radio or television in the whole neighborhood, let alone a computer. But not far from my house, there was an uncle who had just returned from the army. He brought his guitar with him, and every day he would play sad love songs. I was captivated, mesmerized without even realizing it," Thế Anh recounted.

Lô Thế Anh is considered to have a bright, strong voice, imbued with the essence of the mountainous region. Photo: Provided by the artist.

The Anh also recounted that he didn't understand why he could play the guitar when he knew nothing about music theory, nor why, without any textbooks, he could quickly accompany himself and sing along to melodies he learned from cassettes and with the guidance of his neighbor. "Perhaps music was destined for me early on, but at that time I hadn't yet decided what path I would pursue in the future."

Although no one in his family pursued art, The Anh quickly received the support and encouragement of his parents and siblings when he chose music as his career path. (Photo: Provided by the interviewee)

However, as he grew older, The Anh got closer to pursuing a career in music through school performances. “My voice wasn't good back then; I didn't have strong, high notes, and I hadn't yet defined my musical style. But I soon decided I would apply to a professional music school, despite the difficulties,” The Anh shared.

Immediately after graduating from high school, even though no one in his family was involved in the arts, The Anh quickly received the support and encouragement of his parents and siblings when he chose music as his future career path. Therefore, he applied to the Provincial College of Culture and Arts, majoring in Vocal Performance, to pursue his dream of becoming a singer. Initially, The Anh thought this field of study would be fertile ground for those with a good voice and a dream. “But every dream must be built upon hard work and training. Because, from singing without a defined style, singing whatever music came my way, it was only after entering the school that I received guidance from my teachers, and the training has been arduous ever since,” The Anh shared.

The more Thế Anh studied, the more passionate he became, and this passion fueled his desire to perfect his vocal range and stage presence. “Besides the voice, the singer's stage presence allows for greater interaction with the audience, and enables the singer to convey a clearer message through their performance.” Perhaps Thế Anh's popularity stems from this interaction, as he expresses his emotions through his musical works.

The Anh is often assigned songs with a strong mountain and forest theme, or songs written to modern pop music. Photo: Provided by the artist.

After graduating from the Provincial College of Culture and Arts, The Anh was accepted into the Provincial Folk Song and Dance Troupe (now the Provincial Traditional Arts Center) and quickly established himself thanks to his high, bright, and strong voice. He was often assigned songs with a strong mountain and forest style, or songs written to modern music. “I don't know why, but I feel so inspired when I sing songs with a mountain and forest feel. Every time I stand on stage in my traditional ethnic costume, I feel like I'm coming home, able to express all my joys, sorrows, loves, and hates through the melodies and lyrics.”

The Anh and the dance troupe on stage.

Indeed, with songs like "Chiếc khăn Piêu" (composed by Doãn Nho) or "Em gái Mông xuống chợ" by Quốc Chung, Thế Anh received a lot of affection from the audience. "My advantage is that I can play and sing any pop song whenever the audience requests it, so people always ask me to sing this or that song again. The most interesting thing is that even songs I composed are wanted to hear again and again," Thế Anh recounted.

Driven by a desire to express his feelings through music, The Anh boldly ventured into songwriting. To date, he has composed dozens of songs that have been warmly received by audiences. His songs, written in response to the anti-epidemic movement and featuring EDM music with added rap elements, have been particularly popular with listeners.

Recently, The Anh's song "Traffic Bell" won second prize in the "Nghe An Province Traffic Safety Songwriting Contest 2021," organized by the Nghe An Department of Culture and Sports in collaboration with the Vietnam Musicians Association. The judges highly praised his approach to the subject matter, his cheerful and heartwarming melody, and his tight yet expressive structure. In addition, The Anh has attempted many songs about love, his homeland, and the people of Nghe An, receiving much positive feedback from the audience. Among them, the song "Yen Hoa, My Homeland," which he wrote as a tribute to his beloved hometown, deserves special mention. “The song wasn't written in a pop style, nor did it use modern arrangements, but it's lyrics from the heart, so I received a lot of love from the public, especially the people in my hometown. After a short time, this song has had nearly 200,000 listens on YouTube. This is a huge spiritual gift that I have received on my musical journey.”

The Anh confided that, on his musical journey, he still wants to live in a professional environment. “No matter where I go, I will always be a child of the mountains and forests, the blood of the Thai ethnic group will always flow through my veins. Therefore, being able to express myself and live authentically is what I always strive for. And the Provincial Traditional Arts Center is the home where I can fulfill my dreams!”, Lo The Anh shared.

Thanh Nga