Hoang Van's musical legacy enters the world heritage

UNESCO has just recognized the collection of musician Hoang Van, a source of pride for Vietnamese music composers.

For the first time in history, a Vietnamese music collection has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Documentary Heritage. It is a collection of more than 700 works by the late musician Hoang Van (1930 - 2018), spanning from 1951 to 2010. This event is a source of pride for his family, the music community and an important milestone in bringing Vietnamese music onto the world's cultural heritage "map".

The Journey of a Musical Legacy

In music programs celebrating the country's major holidays, the songs of musician Hoang Van are always selected and re-arranged to serve the public. His real name is Le Van Ngo, and he is considered one of the creative monuments of modern Vietnamese music.

He left behind a rich treasure of genres: from revolutionary songs, songs of life, choral, symphonic, instrumental to children's music. Works such as: "Construction song", "Paratrooper song", "That soldier", "My hometown Quang Binh ", "Singing about rice plants today" ... have become the collective memory of many generations of Vietnamese people.

He also left behind large-scale instrumental works, including four symphonies, especially "Citadel of the Fatherland" (1960), which is considered one of the first poetic symphonies of Vietnamese music. With such volume and depth, his music collection meets almost all of UNESCO's strict criteria.

Musician Hoang Van. (Photo provided by the musician's family)

Dr. Le Y Linh, the musician's daughter, shared: "The biggest challenge when proposing UNESCO for recognition is to prove the international influence of the works. My father composed mainly during wartime, the complex geopolitical context made it difficult for his works to spread widely around the world. However, the artistic, historical and humanistic values he left behind have transcended time and space. We hope this will be the premise for contemporary musicians and other generations of Vietnamese artists to also be honored by the world."

Pride of Ho Chi Minh City music industry

Faced with this good news, many artists in Ho Chi Minh City could not hide their emotions and pride. People's Artist The Hien expressed: "Vietnamese music has long held a special place in the hearts of the people, but to be recognized by UNESCO as a World Documentary Heritage is truly a turning point. That proves that Vietnamese revolutionary music not only has artistic value, but is also a common cultural asset of humanity."

People's Artist Ta Minh Tam shared: "Throughout my performing career, I have sung the works of musician Hoang Van many times and always felt the spiritual strength from each melody and lyric. This is not only a source of pride for his family, but also an honor for all of us - artists."

Singer - Meritorious Artist Hong Van was moved: "When singing the songs of musician Hoang Van, I feel the soul of the Vietnamese people, from the breath of labor to the national spirit. UNESCO's recognition of this collection proves that Vietnamese music has a vitality that goes beyond borders, contributing a common voice to human culture."

New turning point of Vietnamese music

The fact that musician Hoang Van's collection was recognized by UNESCO is not only a joy for his family, but also opens a new door for Vietnamese music in its journey of integrating into world culture. Especially in the period when Ho Chi Minh City promotes the development of the cultural industry and aims to be recognized in the "Creative City" network.

This is also a reminder of the responsibility to preserve and promote the artistic values that previous generations have left behind. From today, when referring to the world's documentary heritage, people will name Vietnamese music by the massive collection of musician Hoang Van - a musician who lived and composed for the country all his life.

Musician Hoang Van. (Photo provided by the musician's family)

UNESCO's recognition of musician Hoang Van's collection affirms its value recognized by the world and places a great responsibility on the shoulders of today's young generation. Heritage only truly lives on when it is performed, researched, taught and spread to the public over the years, especially the youth.

The younger generation of artists need to continue singing, harmonizing, and creating new ways of expression so that the works of musician Hoang Van resonate in contemporary life, both preserving the original spirit and breathing new life into them. Musician Nguyen Quang Vinh, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Music Association, emphasized: Digitization, archiving, and international promotion are the ways for Vietnamese music to be "widely loved" in the world. Hoang Van's music collection recognized by UNESCO can be seen as a "door" that opens opportunities for other Vietnamese musicians.

From here, the works of the golden generations of revolutionary and contemporary music will have the opportunity to reach out to the world, so that the world can understand that Vietnam not only has a long-standing culture, but also has music imbued with humanity, closely linked to the destiny of the nation...

"The heritage has been given to us, so the remaining problem is how to make Hoang Van's music and Vietnamese music truly blend into the contemporary musical life of humanity. The melodies both carry Vietnamese identity and blend with the rhythm of the world" - Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Yen Chi (University of Theater and Cinema, Ho Chi Minh City) said.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/gia-tai-am-nhac-hoang-van-buoc-vao-di-san-nhan-loai-196250819215818042.htm