"At Uncle Ho's Mausoleum" - memories and honor of musician Dan Huyen

Born in 1938 in Nghe An , musician Dan Huyen had a great opportunity in his life to meet Uncle Ho directly. That was on December 19, 1963, when he was only 25 years old, working as a propaganda officer at the 1/5 Automobile Factory, a place that stood out with the emulation movement "Love to learn, love to work".

“That day, Uncle Ho visited the factory, I stood among the cadres to welcome him. When Uncle Ho came to shake my hand, I was so moved that I could not speak. Uncle Ho asked about my family, then asked about my hometown. Knowing that I was from Nghe An, Uncle Ho let out an intimate exclamation and said: “We are fellow countrymen, try your best,” musician Dan Huyen recalled.

That warm saying and the simple, caring image of Uncle Ho were deeply engraved in his mind, becoming a great motivation that urged him to constantly strive to contribute throughout his life. To this day, he still keeps a photo of Uncle Ho talking to the staff and workers of the 1/5 Automobile Factory, and he himself appeared in that frame - a living proof of the sacred meeting.

Eleven years later, in October 1974, musician Dan Huyen had the opportunity to visit the construction site of Uncle Ho's Mausoleum with a group of artists from the Voice of Vietnam . The workers' extremely urgent working atmosphere and the gradually taking shape of Uncle Ho's Mausoleum brought many emotions to those who witnessed it.

I imagined groups of people, young and old, men and women, coming here to visit Uncle Ho, especially the people of the South after the reunification day. That thought followed me all the time, how to find a beautiful melody to express the feelings of the people of the whole country in general and the people of the South in particular towards beloved Uncle Ho.

Musician Dan Huyen

“I imagined groups of people, young and old, men and women, coming here to visit Uncle Ho, especially the people of the South after the reunification day. That thought followed me all the time, how to find a beautiful melody to express the feelings of the people of the whole country in general and the people of the South in particular towards beloved Uncle Ho,” he shared.

Uncle Ho's words "The South is in my heart", along with two verses of poet To Huu: "Uncle misses the South, misses home. The South misses Uncle, misses Father" inspired him with a melody in the style of Southern folk songs. And the song "At Uncle Ho's Mausoleum" was completed just a week later with the emotional opening lyrics: "The long-cherished wish has been fulfilled. The blue sky of Ba Dinh radiates the scent of pink lotus. Visiting Uncle Ho today, my heart is filled with love. I respectfully offer him the deep affection of the mountains and rivers...".

On the evening of May 19, 1975, the song was first broadcast on Voice of Vietnam Radio, performed by artist Kieu Hung, and was quickly received and spread by the public. Notably, on the inauguration day of President Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum (August 29, 1975), "By Uncle Ho's Mausoleum" was chosen as one of the official songs to be played at the grand ceremony.

Musician Dan Huyen was also one of the first people honored to visit Uncle Ho's Mausoleum on that historic day. And he was even happier to know that his work was the first song written about Uncle Ho's Mausoleum.

“By Uncle Ho’s Mausoleum” has a passionate, touching melody with a leisurely tempo. The Southern folk melody combined with the depth of emotion creates a solemn, respectful yet simple and sweet piece of music. The song is not just a song, but also the voice of millions of Vietnamese hearts turned towards Him. Listening to the work, people not only feel the overflowing love, but also feel deep gratitude towards the leader who devoted his whole life to the nation.

Since its release, the song “At Uncle Ho’s Mausoleum” has been regularly played at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Relic Site. Many generations of artists such as People’s Artists Thu Hien, Thanh Hoa, Meritorious Artist Hong Lien, singer Trong Tan, etc. have performed the song with their sincere hearts to pay tribute to him.

Not only composing “At Uncle Ho’s Mausoleum”, musician Dan Huyen also has many other profound and emotional works about Uncle Ho, such as: “Uncle leaves love for us”, “Nuoc vien de so nhat”, “Khom truc Bac Ho”, “Nho hoi Lang Sen”… Each song shows different slices of his feelings for the morality and style of President Ho Chi Minh.

More than 50 years have passed since the release of “At Uncle Ho’s Mausoleum”. Every time we pass by Ba Dinh Square or Uncle Ho’s Mausoleum, the song’s soulful melodies still resonate, making many people remember him with emotion. As a historical document in music, the melodies and lyrics of the song will forever accompany the years, like the deep affection of the Vietnamese people for the beloved leader of the nation.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/ben-lang-bac-ho-hoi-uc-va-niem-vinh-du-cua-nhac-si-dan-huyen-post879750.html