"The Country is Full of Joy": The Melody of Pride

A collection of 50 excellent songs from the songwriting campaign with the theme "The Country is Full of Joy" organized by the Lao Dong Newspaper has just been released to the public.

The collection "A Country Full of Joy" brings together 50 typical works, selected from more than 166 songs by 122 authors nationwide sent to participate in the campaign.

Elaborate design, artistic value

Each song is a melody that depicts the depth of the Vietnamese soul, associated with the arduous yet glorious journey of our people over the past half century, joining hands to build the country, including Ho Chi Minh City. This is the crystallization of patriotism, the desire for peace , development and gratitude for the silent contributions and sacrifices for the country to have today.

Musician Nguyen Quang Vinh - Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Music Association, member of the Jury - commented: "Many works have a modern, youthful feel but are still imbued with the traditional spirit of generations attached to Ho Chi Minh City and working together to build a civilized, modern, and affectionate city."

The collection "A Country Full of Joy" is elaborately designed, with introductions, comments and feelings from researchers, journalists and musicians, creating a publication that is both artistic and documentary. Each work in the collection has a QR code attached so that readers and music lovers can access and listen to the song.

Collection of 50 songs "The Country is Full of Joy"

Source of inspiration

The theme of Ho Chi Minh City through the songwriting campaign "A Country Full of Joy" is like a source of abundant inspiration, bringing rich and colorful musical works.

Meritorious Artist Tran Vuong Thach, Vice President of the Vietnam Musicians Association, commented: "The songs are diverse in terms of themes and rich in genres. Besides traditional music, some authors have boldly experimented with genres that are loved by young people such as rap, rock... Many singing groups and young singers have written very good and meaningful rap lyrics. The campaign has inspired many creative songs, aiming at the theme of Ho Chi Minh City - the city named after Uncle Ho; a dynamic and creative city".

According to architect Nguyen Truong Luu, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Literature and Arts Associations, the campaign to compose the theme song "The Country is Full of Joy" organized by the Lao Dong Newspaper was very timely and meaningful. "The results were excellent, demonstrated through the collection of 50 songs. I highly appreciate the efforts and dedication of the Organizing Committee and the Steering Committee. This collection is a valuable reference for cultural and artistic activities in Ho Chi Minh City" - he acknowledged.

Ms. Huynh Thi Thu Hien, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music - one of the 8 specialized universities that will receive the collection of 50 songs, expressed: "It is very touching that the Organizing Committee has given the school libraries this valuable collection. This is not only a collection of emotions about Ho Chi Minh City but also messages sent to the young generation, aiming at the goal of building Ho Chi Minh City to be increasingly rich and prosperous."

Musician and journalist Cham Hong Giang (VTV9) said he felt honored that his song was printed solemnly and presented beautifully in the anthology and that the author was also briefly introduced. "The respect of the Organizing Committee has elevated the work participating in the composition campaign. This is a valuable and useful anthology for the young generation of singers singing about Ho Chi Minh City" - he commented.

Young musician Chau Nhat Tin said the campaign helped him create melodies of sharing, empathy and great pride in the city named after Uncle Ho. "From the images depicting the people and professions, Ho Chi Minh City appears in the eyes of students through very good songs, full of pride but also very romantic. I have chosen many songs from this collection to stage, preparing to participate in cultural events in the summer of 2025" - he revealed.

According to musician Pham Minh Tuan, the landscape, people, and appearance of Ho Chi Minh City have been vividly described through each song. He was moved: "50 years ago, our ancestors achieved a glorious victory. Today, we must strive to protect the traditions and achievements of our ancestors, especially to build Ho Chi Minh City to be more modern and prosperous."

Musician Pham Minh Tuan hopes that many universities will organize and perform songs from the collection to promote it. He believes that the musical language in the 50 selected songs is very suitable for the aesthetics and breath of modern life.

50 songs in the collection "The Country is Full of Joy" will be recorded and arranged by Ho Chi Minh City People's Radio and Voice of Vietnam Radio , with performances by many famous artists and singers who have won the Mai Vang Award. Musician Nguyen Duc Trung, Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Music Association, emphasized: "When introduced through Music Exchange programs, artists and musicians will have the opportunity to sing meaningful works with artistic value about Ho Chi Minh City."

The campaign to compose the theme song “The Country is Full of Joy” was launched on September 25, 2023. The Organizing Committee received 166 works from 122 authors across the country. Of these, 143 works from 110 authors were considered for the preliminary round. From there, the 20 works with the highest scores entered the final round in February 2025. After a serious and impartial working process, the Jury announced the official results:

First prize: None. Two second prizes: Song “Singing about the city I love” - musician Tran Xuan Mai Tram and “Following the Sacred Will” - musician Nguyen Van Chung.

Two third prizes: Songs “City of Smiles” - composer Huynh Huu Duc and “Ho Chi Minh City 50 years of sharing joy” - composer Nguyen Duy Khoi.

Three consolation prizes: Songs “City connecting bridges” - composer Ngo Duy Thanh, “City forever in our hearts” - composer Pham Hoang Long and “Crystallization of 50-year journey” - composer Huynh Loi.

Most favorite work: "Proud to be Vietnamese" by musician Le Ba Thuong.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/dat-nuoc-tron-niem-vui-giai-dieu-tu-hao-196250515213709507.htm