People's Artist Tiến Dũng and his unforgettable mark with 'The Man Who Returned to Visit His Hometown'
When the melody of the song "The Man Returning Home" by composer Thuan Yen plays, people immediately think of the warm, sweet voice of People's Artist Tien Dung. The song has become so synonymous with People's Artist Tien Dung's name that it has been difficult for anyone to replace him for many decades.
This song made People's Artist Tiến Dũng famous.
People's Artist Tiến DũngTiến Dũng began singing "Người về thăm quê" (The Man Returning Home) in 1995 when he first encountered this song by composer Thuận Yến without having heard any recorded versions. The gentle notes, inspired by the folk melodies of the Ví Giặm style, immediately captivated the young singer. Tiến Dũng quickly grasped the song and felt it perfectly suited his vocal range. Surprisingly, when he sang the melody and the heartfelt lyrics, it seemed to express his own feelings, the love for Uncle Ho shared by the entire nation. When he performed it for the leaders of the dance troupe, he received endless praise. Afterward, Tiến Dũng was assigned to sing "Người về thăm quê" at the 1995 National Professional Performing Arts Festival, where he won the top prize.
He recounted: "At that time, I was young, a singer with the Nghe Tinh Song and Dance Troupe. Although I had already won a few professional awards, when I received the song 'The Man Returning Home' to compete in the National Song and Dance Festival, I was extremely worried because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to meet the expectations of the Troupe's leadership. And there was something special: with my song, the troupe had created an image of President Ho Chi Minh during his visit to his hometown, portrayed by artist Ngoc Ngai. At that time, the image of President Ho Chi Minh on stage was an extremely important event, and very few troupes dared to stage it because the image of President Ho Chi Minh was so sacred and noble. I remember that year, as soon as I finished the last line of the song, the image of President Ho Chi Minh waved to the audience from the wings, and the whole hall erupted in applause, the emotion spreading throughout the auditorium…"
As expected, the performance of "The Man Returning to His Hometown" by People's Artist Tiến Dũng won the Gold Medal at the 1995 National Music and Dance Festival. Since then, whenever there is an important ceremony, "The Man Returning to His Hometown" is performed on large stages. I still remember the 50th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's visit to his hometown, when People's Artist Tiến Dũng stepped out from backstage and sang the melody:Ho Chi Minh, who came here to visit, brought with him so many memories; Ho Chi Minh, who left behind in his homeland an unending longing…"Below the stage, many tears were shed. The entire space was filled with the profound love for Uncle Ho, and both the singers and the audience felt their hearts resonate with the poignant melodies of longing and remembrance for him..."
However, for People's Artist Tiến Dũng, the most beautiful and sacred memory is withPeople returning to their hometownsIt was also the time he had the opportunity to sing at Uncle Ho's house in his ancestral village of Lang Sen. It was on New Year's Eve, and the Kim Lien Historical Site was chosen as a location for a broadcast by Vietnam Television. At the exact moment the clock struck midnight, he stepped onto the stage, his heart pounding as he sang the melody that had accompanied him through so many years:No matter where I go in the world, I always remember my homeland…"
The familiar lyrics, yet at that moment, felt strangely sacred. As he sang, his heart and mind were drawn to Uncle Ho, the emotion welled up, and he felt as if he were meeting Uncle Ho in that instant…
The sound resonates on and on.
During the 40th anniversary singing performance of People's Artist Tiến Dũng, held in 2018, when the host introduced Tiến Dũng's performance, he said: "And now, here is the song."People returning to their hometownsPerformed by People's Artist Tiến Dũng, the song was a memorable highlight, a brilliant milestone that shaped the artist's image in the hearts of the people… the auditorium resounded with continuous applause.
Later, although he held many different positions, in his role as a singer, he was always trusted by organizers to perform songs."A person returning to their hometown"We remember that once, during a program commemorating the implementation of President Ho Chi Minh's Last Will and Testament, the song ""People returning to their hometowns"It was chosen as the main song of the show, but in order to give it a fresh twist, the organizers plan to have a young singer perform it.
The program was finalized, and on the day of the presentation, after reviewing it, the head of the Department commented: "This song is only worthy of Dũng's performance; no one can replace him." Immediately afterward, People's Artist Tiến Dũng, despite being retired, was invited to take on the role he had played for over 40 years. And when People's Artist Tiến Dũng's voice rang out with "The One Who Returns to Visit His Homeland," the program received applause from thousands of viewers.
These days in May, while the Lotus Village Festival is in full swing in the homeland of President Ho Chi Minh, People's Artist Tien Dung is busy with his duties as a stage manager for various artistic programs.
He recalled: "For over 10 years as a manager, I played a leading role in directing the artistic and content aspects of the Lotus Village Festival and the Lotus Village Singing Contest. Each year had a different theme, but they all celebrated the beauty of character, the greatness, and the shining example of President Ho Chi Minh."
During that same period, he composed works about President Ho Chi Minh such as: "Lotus Fragrance of Uncle Ho's Homeland" (Folk Song Suite), "Lotus Village Festival Remembering Uncle Ho," "May Remembering Uncle Ho," etc. Tien Dung also confided that writing about Uncle Ho is very difficult and requires a special opportunity. Therefore, for a musician and artist like him, having works chosen by many troupes to perform at the Lotus Village Festival for many years is a great honor and source of pride. And in his professional life, with many different roles—performing, composing, directing, organizing, managing, and transmitting—he considers each role very important to himself and the community, so he always strives his best to complete it. But for a performing artist, having a masterpiece on stage like this song is truly remarkable.People returning to their hometownsIt was truly a stroke of luck that he will always cherish and remember.
People's Artist Pham Tien Dung, born in 1959, whose birth name was Nguyen Canh Dung, hails from Anh Son district, Nghe An province. He is a member of the Nghe An Union of Literature and Arts Associations; a member of the Nghe An Folk Arts Association; and a member of the Vietnam Musicians Association.
*Main works in the field of composition: Forced Marriage (1992); Where the Brothers Left (1994); No More Anger, Then Love (1995); New Features of the Village; Confessions of a Village Girl (1996); Fragrance and Beauty of the Lam River (1999); Emotions from Folk Songs and Melodies (2002); Returning to Nghe An (2004); I Love My Homeland So Much (2005); Singing Completely About You (2007); Searching for Folk Songs and Melodies (2012); Lam River, Mother's Love (2016); Returning to My Homeland (2023)... and many songs on mountainous themes: Dawn in the Western Region; Returning to the O Du Village with You; Spring Colors of the Western Region... He won the C Prize in 2005, two B Prizes in 2010 and 2015 - Ho Xuan Huong Literature and Arts Award; Second prize in the Nghe An songwriting competition in 2012; Music award from the Vietnam Musicians Association...
*In the field of performing arts, People's Artist Tiến Dũng also achieved many successes: In 1982, he won the Gold Medal at the Stage Singing Contest in Nghĩa Bình; in 1994, he won the Gold Medal at the Lai Châu Festival; in 1992, he won the Gold Medal at the National Music and Dance Festival in Hanoi; in 1995, he won two Gold Medals at the National Music and Dance Festival in Hải Phòng with the songs "Anchoring at the Homeland's Harbor," composed by An Thuyên, and "The Person Returning Home," composed by Thuận Yến; in 1999, Tiến Dũng sang a duet with Meritorious Artist Ngọc Hà and won the Gold Medal in Đà Nẵng.
* In 1989, Pham Tien Dung joined the Nghe Tinh Song and Dance Troupe as the Head of the Singing Team. After the province was divided, Tien Dung worked at the Nghe An Song and Dance Drama Troupe. In 1993, he was appointed Deputy Head of the Troupe. In 1995, he went to study at the University of Culture. In 1997, Tien Dung was appointed Head of the Song and Dance Drama Troupe and was awarded the title of Meritorious Artist. In 2009, Meritorious Artist Pham Tien Dung was promoted to Deputy Director of the Nghe An Department of Culture and Sports. He was awarded the title of People's Artist in 2015.