Singer Van Hau: From the role of "Tu Duc" to the song "Be a warrior"

After 10 years of continuous operation, Lac Long Quan Stage Club - a young art unit under Tran Huu Trang Theater - has become a prestigious "incubator", contributing to shaping the next generation of artists for Ho Chi Minh City theater.

Among the prominent faces from this house, singer Van Hau is the name mentioned most recently - a young artist who constantly experiments and breaks through in both acting and music .

Having made his mark with the role of King Tu Duc in the play Tu Duc Dang Roi – a role that required inner depth and restraint in expression, Van Hau demonstrated his ability to transform flexibly with a warm, dramatic voice. This role not only received high praise from experts but also helped him shape his own style of performance, mature and confident.

Not stopping at the Vietnamese historical drama stage, Van Hau also showed his creative thinking as a musician. The song "Be a warrior" composed and performed by him with the female singing group "White heart" attracted special attention at the 3rd Vietnamese Coffee - Tea Festival in 2025 organized by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper. The song not only brings youthful energy, encouraging the spirit of dedication but also contributes to spreading the image of the city's young generation of artists engaging in the flow of contemporary culture.

More impressively, recently, he and the female singing group "White Heart" were invited by HTV to interact with the District 12 Amateur Music Club in the program "Accompanying the 20th Golden Bell Awards - 2025". Singer Van Hau harmonized with amateur music artists in a lively mix. He combined modern Rap with the pentatonic music of Southern Amateur Music - a genre that has been recognized by UNESCO as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

It is this creative connection that has opened a new path for traditional art, attracting young people while still preserving the original identity.

Singer Van Hau shared: "I don't think the art of Southern amateur music and Cai Luong art are something old. The problem is how we approach today's audience. I always want to create a cross-pollination, so that young audiences can feel the beauty of the nation without feeling unfamiliar."

With an open artistic mindset, diverse talents and a spirit of learning, Van Hau is contributing to affirming the role of Lac Long Quan Theater Club as a bright spot in the work of preserving and promoting the creativity of generations of artists and artisans in Ho Chi Minh City.

In addition, Van Hau is also a main vocalist of Rap TDB group - a young music group that is gradually shaping its own style in the Vietnamese urban music scene. Not only writing, he also sings, performs and lives fully in music with the mindset of an artist who wants to connect generations.

When the song "Be a warrior" resounded on the stage of HTV's "Artists and catwalk" program, the audience was expected to be not only surprised by the boldness of the performance, but also moved by a responsible artistic spirit: fresh but profound, youthful but full of national character.

For Van Hau, composing is not "for fun", but a process of finding a "common voice" between generations of artists.

"I don't like tricks. If we combine tradition with modernity just to shock, it will leave nothing behind. I want the two music worlds to really talk to each other, so that listeners can feel the value from both sides." - Van Hau shared.

As a member of the TDB group – with Hoang Trung Anh, Chau Nhat Tin, La Tran Duc Thien and Huy Truong – Van Hau is not only a composer but also directly performs songs with very unique social, historical and urban colors.

With his distinctive voice, powerful rap ability combined with a friendly performance style, Van Hau has left his mark through songs such as: "From Ho Chi Minh City, Looking Back at History"; "The City I Love"; "Coffee-Colored Street Corner" - a work loved by the audience at the 2025 Vietnamese Coffee - Tea Festival, then created a big effect when it was performed again in a version combining traditional music at HTV....

"Rap is storytelling music. And I think traditional music is also an untold treasure. If we tell it in a kind way, young people will listen."

For Van Hau, the future of Vietnamese art lies not in choosing between tradition or modernity, but in the ability to create an honest and emotional connection between the two worlds.

Artist Khanh An - head of the Southern ĐCTT Club in District 12, Ho Chi Minh City commented: "Although still modest in terms of reputation, what singer Van Hau is doing - from composing, performing to thinking about connecting cultural flows - are steps full of passion. He is not in a hurry, does not trade depth for popularity, but chooses to progress slowly but surely, step by step shaping his own unique artistic path."

Artist Kim Anh commented: "It can be said that singer Van Hau is writing a small but beautiful chapter in the artistic journey of the young generation - where Rap is not just a rebellious slogan, but a thoughtful beat; where tradition is no longer a museum, but a living source of inspiration - if we know how to listen with all our hearts."

Source: https://nld.com.vn/ca-si-van-hau-tu-vai-tu-duc-den-ca-khuc-hay-la-chien-binh-196250526075739923.htm