“Night of Memories” - A place to express the feelings of expatriates in Australia

According to a VNA reporter in Australia, these days, when Vietnam is jubilantly celebrating the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification, expatriates in Australia are increasingly homesick.

They remember their beloved homeland as they remember their mother because for them, their homeland is something strangely close, the place where they were born, grew up, matured, and then flew away, the place that holds many memories of their childhood and family.

That is also the reason why the Vietnamese Association in Canberra organized the program "Night of Memories" - a music night about Autumn and Mother - on the evening of May 10 in the capital Canberra (Australia) to send love and nostalgia for the country and especially for the Mothers in the homeland of Vietnam, the small women who silently go through many seasons of falling leaves to cherish and protect their children with unconditional love and always be a peaceful place for their children to return to.

Sharing with VNA reporters after the program, Mr. Hoang Hieu Huy - Chairman of the Vietnamese Business Association in Canberra and also head of the music night's organizing committee - said that "Night of Memories" is a music program organized annually by the Vietnamese Association in Canberra and has been warmly received by overseas newspapers.

Vietnamese people far from home always look forward to “Night of Memories” because through the program, they can express their homesickness, their homeland, their family, their friends…, and above all, they get closer together, feel more connected and feel the warmth of their fellow countrymen.

In the gentle chill of Canberra Autumn and the bustling atmosphere of “Mother’s Day” in Australia, songs about Autumn and Mother are sung with deep and soulful messages, “If you still have Mother by your side, please love her as much as you can because Autumn will return every year, but Mother’s arms will not be able to wait for us forever, and if you are a mother, thank you because it is the most peaceful place for someone to return to.”

With such a sweet theme of Autumn and Mother, the program attendees seemed to leave all their worries outside the door, open their hearts and together enter the profound musical space of “Night of Memories” – a night to remember, to love and show gratitude to their country, homeland and Mothers.

Through singing, the program left many emotions and impressions in the hearts of the audience.

Talking to VNA reporters, Ms. Kathy Le Ho - an overseas Vietnamese who has lived and worked in Australia for 16 years - said that she has participated in the "Night of Memories" program for more than 7 years because this is an extremely meaningful music night, helping children far from home to express their nostalgia for their homeland and always turn to Vietnam amidst the hustle and bustle of life.

“Night of Memories” is also a place for “green shoots”, children born and raised in Australia, to preserve their culture and language through singing.

As the person who successfully performed the song “Carrying Mother” in “Night of Remembrance”, Mr. Phan Anh Tuan – who has lived in Australia for 15 years and is currently working at the Australian Government ’s Competition and Consumer Commission – emotionally shared: “For me, the song has a meaningful image. The person who carries their child throughout their life from birth to adulthood is the parent. As children, we can never repay that kindness. Through the song ‘Carrying Mother’, I want to convey the feelings of children living far away from home to their parents, so that everyone can sympathize and share with each other, and so that the community can feel more warmth in the common feelings towards their homeland and country."

“Night of Memories” not only conveys a message of love, but is also a bridge connecting generations, where “young buds” born and raised in Australia have the opportunity to return to their roots through songs, chants, and folk songs imbued with Vietnamese soul.

Many children performed Vietnamese songs with confidence and passion, and that is a source of pride and hope for the future of Vietnamese culture in foreign lands.

On the occasion of the event, the organizers also presented small gifts to thank and encourage the children with the hope that they will continue to preserve the Vietnamese language, love music and spread national identity in upcoming programs./.

(Vietnam News Agency/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/dem-nho-noi-gui-gam-noi-long-cua-nhung-nguoi-con-xa-xu-tai-australia-post1037860.vnp