In response to the songwriting contest themed "The Nation's Complete Joy" organized by the Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Southern Vietnam and the reunification of the country (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025), musician Nguyen Quang Vinh - Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Music Association - shared his thoughts on this meaningful activity.
Reporter: Getting songs about Ho Chi Minh City to reach listeners is not easy. In your opinion, besides the campaign by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper, what else needs to be done to bring these compositions to the public?
Musician Nguyen Quang Vinh. (Photo provided by the subject)
- Composer NGUYEN QUANG VINH: With the explosion of digital technology , to promote compositions about Ho Chi Minh City, it is essential to create an impression through effective communication.
Years ago, musical works about Ho Chi Minh City captivated audiences through vividly staged programs on television and radio. Nowadays, musical works about the city are less remembered by audiences, especially young people. This presents a difficult challenge for both composers and organizers.
With the rapid development of technology, we need to leverage its strengths in the artistic creation process. Musicians, singers, and arrangers alike must reinvent themselves and collaborate with the Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper to promote their "intellectual creations."
The Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper needs to utilize channels like TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook to promote the songs. The promotional materials should be concise, engaging, and convey compelling information, accompanied by illustrative images of Ho Chi Minh City's development, as depicted in the songs.
How can newly written songs about Ho Chi Minh City become hits and resonate with people?
- Many songs written about Ho Chi Minh City are loved by listeners, such as: "Spring in Ho Chi Minh City", "City of Love and Nostalgia", "The Road with Falling Tamarind Leaves", "The Unforgettable Song", "Afternoon in My Homeland", "Saigon Girl Carrying Ammunition", "Singing from the City Named After Him", "Youth of Ho Chi Minh City"... These songs easily touch people's hearts, even with just an acoustic guitar, they are enough to captivate listeners because of their beautiful melodies, profound lyrics, and literary quality.
The songwriting contest organized by the Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper was launched in the context of the whole country focusing on a major event - the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and the reunification of the country. Composing songs about Ho Chi Minh City always requires depth and emotional resonance. Musicians need to travel extensively, observe thoroughly, and select images and stories about the development of Ho Chi Minh City, the hardships overcome, and the tireless efforts of the people, the government, and the Party Committee of the city to incorporate into their compositions.
With the current level of musical arrangement and orchestration, I believe that if done well, the Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper will be a very solid "midwife" to bring these compositions to the public and turn them into hits among young people.
According to you, is music about Ho Chi Minh City a musical trend that conveys positive energy to listeners?
- Music is one of the art forms that is close and familiar to people. When composing about the city where one was born, raised, and works, music is a place for the musician to express their thoughts, feelings, anxieties, and dreams in life.
Due to its ease of dissemination in daily life, songs remain the most familiar form of expression, easily accessible and emotionally resonant for listeners. Therefore, music about Ho Chi Minh City must share the full range of emotions of those who have a deep connection to this land. The singers invited to perform the songs from this campaign must truly understand and empathize with the stories that the composers have embedded in their works. The Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper should organize talk shows where musicians and singers can discuss the compositions selected for the final round.
In today's race to attract audiences in general, many "gimmicks" have been employed by organizers. However, many singers have steadfastly maintained their strengths, delivering inspiring songs and positive energy to the audience through their own talent.
I believe that the 30-year history of the Mai Vàng Awards of the Người Lao Động Newspaper will be an effective foundation for showcasing and promoting the collection of 50 songs following this campaign. This is because the singers performing these songs were chosen by readers and audiences. They remain singers with a large and devoted fan base.
Some argue that songs with philosophical lyrics based on the songwriter's experiences always find common ground, especially when written about Ho Chi Minh City.
- Music that is rich in imagery, not too difficult to understand, and combined with appropriate melodies and rhythms will easily resonate with listeners.
If the songwriting campaign organized by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper creates a widespread impact, it will easily resonate with the public, especially young people. They will embrace compositions about the place they live in, about their heroic, civilized, modern, and compassionate city.
From the perspective of the Ho Chi Minh City Music Association, what is your assessment of collaborating with the Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper to carry out this meaningful songwriting campaign?
- The Ho Chi Minh City Music Association welcomes this songwriting campaign. We believe that with the enthusiasm of the organizing committee, the campaign will achieve success. The collection of 50 beautiful and new songs about Ho Chi Minh City will be a meaningful gift to the people of our city in particular and the whole country in general.
Do you have any advice for the young songwriters participating in the "Country Filled with Joy" songwriting contest?
- With today's young generation of songwriters, including musicians, and even singing groups and singers with creative abilities, they need to invest in lyrics and melodies with unique and fresh touches to perfect songs about the city. Young people have an advantage in songwriting because they can easily access the musical tastes of young audiences. The challenge is that they must choose and develop a fresh, creative style that helps songs about the city resonate with the common feelings of the majority and easily reach today's young audience.
Ho Chi Minh City is a large, rapidly developing metropolis, a fertile ground for artists to find inspiration for their creations. I believe the meaningful campaign by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper will help young people portray the perspectives and feelings of the people of Ho Chi Minh City; introducing listeners to beautiful moments in everyday life. The promotion of the winning song needs to be continuously innovated with appropriate methods.
Composer Nguyen Quang Vinh has written many songs. Among them, notable works include: "Ngoc Bich Love", "Lost Soul", "Season of Fading Lotus", "Durian Scent", "Heavy Girl", "Flower of Life", "Sunflower", "Dad Doesn't Cry", "Love Still Remains", "Rose Thorn", "Say You Love Me", "Family Home"... (film soundtracks) and songs like "Island Soldier", "Sacred Soul of Vietnam", "Flower Is You", "Homeland Folk Song", "It Can Only Be You", "Words of Regret"...
The songwriting contest "The Nation's Complete Joy," organized by the Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper, aims to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the complete liberation of Southern Vietnam and the reunification of the country (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025). The Organizing Committee will select the 20 best works for the final round.
The final round will take place in February 2025. During the submission and preliminary screening period, the Organizing Committee will select outstanding works to be staged and presented at the 30th Mai Vàng Awards ceremony (around January 2025). Simultaneously, the Organizing Committee will also upload the works to the newspaper's social media platforms to introduce them to the community.
The awards ceremony for the songwriting contest will take place in April 2025. The total prize money for the contest is 240 million VND, with the first prize being 100 million VND.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/nhac-si-nguyen-quang-vinh-de-ca-khuc-ve-tp-hcm-di-vao-long-nguoi-196240302205619741.htm
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