Viet Anh: The wanderer of city love songs

(Baonghean.vn) - If we were to choose songs that resonate deeply with listeners in the current Vietnamese music scene, I believe it could only be the songs of composer Viet Anh. 'The Careless River', 'D"Sleeping Dreaming of the City," "The Love I Sing"... These are gentle, melancholic songs that have maintained their enduring vitality in the youth music scene from the 90s to the present day.

People of love songs

Viet Anh's name became widely known thanks to his hit songs for Thu Phuong, Quang Dung, and others in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Unlike many songs that become popular for a while and then quickly disappear, Viet Anh's music always lingers somewhere in the streets, alongside the love for the city, the love for people, and anchors itself there, so that when feeling sad, one can listen to it as if having a kindred spirit to share their feelings with.

In the eyes of many journalists, Viet Anh is a somewhat arrogant and unapproachable person because he rarely appears in the media. He almost exclusively appears with the words "Viet Anh's composition" stamped as his "ownership" in his songs. His demeanor suggests a certain reserve, contemplation, and a lack of understanding of his true self, judging solely by his outward appearance.

Musician Viet Anh and singer Thu Phuong

Viet Anh's music is completely different. Many people, young and old alike, are captivated by his music because it possesses a youthful yet mature and experienced quality; a sense of solitude mixed with a yearning for shared experiences; and a profound depth hidden behind beautiful, gentle lyrics… “He is like mist, fragile, drifting over the streets, unaware of the autumn wind one day. Night after night, I dream of the city, dreaming as if I've forgotten everything, forgotten the love that was so indifferent…” The gentle, pleasant melodies carry the beautiful, poetic lyrics of Viet Anh's songs into the hidden corners of the listener's soul. And so, naturally, his music wins over many people, even the most discerning listeners, because somehow it has entered their hearts through its simple, heartfelt sharing.

Years of living far from home, composing songs about his hometown and past loves, have given young Viet Anh genuine and profound emotions. And those emotions, though sometimes seemingly lost amidst the hustle and bustle of modern life, are unexpectedly anchored and remembered deeply. Simply because, no matter how chaotic and ever-changing life becomes, the beautiful love, like the melodies of the wandering Viet Anh, always has a hidden place – in the heart.

Live show"The river flows aimlessly"

Viet Anh said that he wouldn't have been able to put on the "Dòng sông lơ đãng" live show without the encouragement of his family, friends, and the production team.

Many were surprised to learn that "The Careless River" was the first live show in the career of musician Viet Anh, held at Hoa Binh Theater, Ho Chi Minh City on the evening of July 29, 2016. Viet Anh's name had already become famous thanks to his hits by Thu Phuong, Quang Dung, and others in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It's safe to say that this live show had been long awaited by the audience, and even his friends had urged him for years, but only now did he decide to make it happen. With the time and quality perfected, all the great ideas, all the emotions he wanted to express, all the beautiful songs, the musician gathered them all into a single night with 22 songs performed.

Regarding this live show, the songwriter of romantic love songs with poetic lyrics said: "After being urged many times by friends and fans, I feel this is the most appropriate time to hold a concert for myself, when friends and collaborators have contributed their efforts and money to create the most attractive and high-quality concert possible." Viet Anh said that he would not have been able to hold the live show without the encouragement of his family, friends, and the team behind "Dòng sông lơ đãng" (The Careless River).

A captivating moment for singer Uyên Linh in her "The Careless River" live show.

With the music market generally very quiet, and the live performance market even more sluggish, even in the country's most vibrant music hub like Ho Chi Minh City, the situation remains very subdued. Therefore, "The Careless River" is considered one of the two most anticipated shows of this summer.

Viewers of "The Careless River" relive a golden age of Vietnamese music with love songs that topped the Green Wave Top Ten charts. A time when everyone eagerly watched the Green Wave program every weekend. A time when songs that made it to the Green Wave Top were guaranteed to become famous, and the singers who performed them were guaranteed to be popular. Viet Anh is a young songwriter with a style full of reflections, melancholy, and a touch of sadness, yet he has had quite a few songs that topped the charts of this vibrant program. "The Careless River," "Dreaming of the City at Night," "Rain at the Airport," "Dropped by the Lake," "Never Before," "Seasons of Flowers Left Behind," "My Love I Sing," "Flowers Are Golden There"... always received many requests and votes from viewers because of Viet Anh's unique style.

In addition to songs that have long been cherished by audiences, there will be new songs released for the first time, exclusively for this live show, such as: "The Shores for My Child," "Please Keep Me for the Sunset," and "When the Monsoon Arrives."

Sing with Love

Besides singer Thu Phuong, the "Dong Song Lo Dang" live show also features many famous artists such as: Dam Vinh Hung, Quang Dung, Uyen Linh, Hoang Bach, Trung Quan Idol...

Director Tran Vi My, who directed this show, is one of the directors chosen by big names in Vietnamese music. Conductor Tran Nhat Minh, singers Thu Phuong, Dam Vinh Hung, Quang Dung, Nguyen Thao, Uyen Linh, Hoang Bach, Trung Quan Idol, and actor Quy Binh are all familiar names in the art world. What surprised many was that the artists participating in the show were willing to do their best for a fee of just… a few bottles of beer, even working together to ensure Viet Anh's first live show made the best possible impression.

Director Tran Vi My has been a familiar name in many major music programs for many years. He is also an indispensable name in the popular live shows of stars such as Dam Vinh Hung, Hong Ngoc, Le Quyen, Thanh Thao, and others.

Director Tran Vi My said: “Trust me. The Careless River will be a great show, with a musical atmosphere that you will love. I'll keep the details a secret until the show opens, but I'm confident that anyone who is a fan of Vietnamese-English music will be satisfied.”

I'm very close to Viet Anh. For this live show, Vi My, like many other friends of Viet Anh, each contributed in their own way. Everyone loves Viet Anh and always wanted to create a memorable experience with his first live show ever. I handled all the directing aspects, and I told Viet Anh to pay me with a bottle of beer. Oh, but now I've changed my mind, maybe two or a little more."

Composer Viet Anh

Thu Phuong said that she had been waiting for a live show by her "musical soulmate" for a very long time. She and Viet Anh's friends had repeatedly urged him, always reminding her that whenever he held a live show, Thu Phuong would immediately arrange everything to participate. Now, her wish has come true because she has long wanted to sing her hit songs in the musical setting of the original artist. Thu Phuong believes that this will create a very different feeling compared to all the times she has performed songs like "Night Dreaming of the City," "Dropped by the Lake," "Never Before," "The Vast and Empty Seaside," "Seasons of Flowers Left Behind," etc., both domestically and internationally.

Uyen Linh and the backing vocalists before the "Dòng sông lơ đãng" (The Careless River) live show.

When asked about his fee for performing at the "Dòng sông lơ đãng" (The Careless River) live show, Dam Vinh Hung jokingly replied: "I never thought I'd get close to Viet Anh, let alone sing his music. To be honest, in my early days of singing, almost 20 years ago, I watched the Saigon Boys perform from afar, singing backing vocals for the 'Lan Song Xanh' (Green Wave) program at the Lan Anh stage. I saw a cute white bear (the affectionate nickname for musician Viet Anh) playing the piano, composing hits like 'Mưa phi trường' (Airport Rain) for Lam Truong, 'Dòng sông lơ đãng' (The Careless River) for Thu Phuong, 'Không còn mùa thu' (No More Autumn) for Tran Thu Ha... I admired him a lot. Therefore, when I had the opportunity to be invited to sing at Viet Anh's live show, I wanted a special fee. I wouldn't accept money, but instead, I wanted musician Viet Anh to compose a song specifically for me, arguably his best song, until I was completely satisfied."

Saigon is currently in the rainy season, a season considered the "nemesis" of music nights. But with Viet Anh's concert, the composer has already made his mark on the audience with his deeply melancholic love songs, and perhaps the rain will leave even more unforgettable impressions from "The Careless River."

Vo Thu Huong