"Be a warrior" - When the group White heart. touched the soul of the nation

White heart singing group and artists of the ĐCTT and cải lương club in district 12, Ho Chi Minh City

Within the framework of the program "Artists and Stage" of HTV, the special episode "Accompanying the 20th Golden Bell Contest" marked with a surprising and touching performance: for the first time, the female Hip Hop Rap group "White Heart" (white heart.) - consisting of four young and individualistic girls: Thu Thao, Yen Phuong, Vuong Quynh Anh and Yen Nhi - brought a performance combining rap and amateur music through the song "Be a warrior", a composition by musician Van Hau.

The "White Heart" group performed with artists from the Southern Opera Club and District 12 Cai Luong, led by artist Khanh An.

The Southern ĐCTT and Cai Luong Club of District 12, Ho Chi Minh City was established in 2011. This is one of the strong clubs that has achieved many achievements in performing activities and participating in ĐCTT competitions and festivals.

Artist Kim Anh and musicians from the District 12 ĐCTT Club, Ho Chi Minh City performed with the White Heart group at HTV.

Before coming to the recording session at HTV, the song "Be a warrior" had made an impression at the Music Exchange program of the 3rd Vietnamese Coffee - Tea Festival (from May 17 to 18, 2025) organized by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper.

And at the HTV stage - in the context of traditional art being honored - "Be a warrior" was once again raised to a new level of emotion: amidst the folk sounds, the Rap beats were not to express youthfulness, but also to spread the spirit of blending, finding connections to cherish the roots.

When female voices step out of the stage

The appearance of the group "Trai Tim Trang" was an interesting highlight. In a space that is familiar with the sound of the đàn kim and vọng cổ, the young girls wearing minimalist costumes, confident demeanor, stepped out with a very "hip hop" energy - but when the music started, the audience did not feel strange at all.

Surprisingly, all four of them were involved in the stage as actors before joining the singing group. They made their mark through many roles on the Hong Van Drama Stage, then on the Lac Long Quan Stage with hundreds of performances of "School Stage" organized by the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City.

Singer Yen Nhi shared: "The song "Be a warrior" is a song with a cheering tone, but not a cliché. The rap we put into the performance is not noisy, not harshly challenging, but is a gentle but decisive call: dare to live, dare to dream, and dare to preserve traditional values ​​in the journey to adulthood".

From left to right: Vuong Quynh Anh, Thu Thao, Yen Phuong, Yen Nhi (White heart group)

Singer Vuong Quynh Anh said: "When combined with the sound of traditional music - an intangible cultural heritage of humanity - the performance seemed to be "infused with spirit": youthful, modern, yet profound, imbued with the essence of the South. This is an unforgettable memory for us."

Young people are not indifferent to tradition

Artist Khanh An commented that perhaps the most remarkable thing about this exchange performance was the very natural transformation between two seemingly opposite worlds : traditional music and hip hop. There was no distance, no conflict – only a spirit of companionship and sharing.

Rap becomes a means to express new things in the language of the present, while traditional music is a place where memories and national emotions anchor the soul of the work. "I believe that in the competition program of the final round of the 20th "Golden Bell of Traditional Music", the Organizing Committee will include many songs combining young music with ĐCTT, with vọng cổ to increase youthfulness like the past 19 years of "Golden Bell of Traditional Music" has done" - said artist Khanh An.

From left to right: Yen Nhi, Thu Thao, Yen Phuong and Vuong Quynh Anh (White heart group)

It is this harmony that makes the performance not only artistic, but also socially valuable – as a message that: today's youth are not indifferent to tradition. They just need to be given the opportunity, to stand on stage, to have their voices recognized – and they will retell the national story in their own way, with respect and creativity.

Precious openness from a prestigious stage

It can be said that the open and welcoming spirit of the program "Artists and the Stage" has created conditions for new creations like the performance of "White Heart" to take off.

In the context of traditional theater facing many challenges in terms of audience and successor generation, connecting with rap music - a typical representative of the flow of young urban culture - is a necessary and courageous step.

From left to right: Artist Le Dung, singers Yen Nhi, Yen Phuong, Thu Thao, Vuong Quynh Anh and Meritorious Artist Phuong Hau at HTV

The four girls not only brought a performance, but also brought an optimistic signal for the future of traditional theater: that the next generation is not standing aside, they are here – living, creating and accompanying.

The silent warriors of art

"Be a warrior" is not only the name of the song, but also seems to be a message from the girls of the White Heart group themselves. They did not loudly declare anything, but quietly expressed a clear attitude: to do art, one must dare to think differently, go far, but also know how to return.

In a recording session that seemed to be reserved for cải lương and traditional music, their appearance was a fresh highlight – not breaking the traditional flow, but rather a drop of fresh water that contributed to making it cooler and closer to today's young audience.

White heart group performed with DCTT artists the song "Be a warrior" at HTV

An emotional touch. A positive sign: when Rap knows how to listen, and tradition knows how to open up, Vietnamese art will not stop at preservation – but continue to develop with the spirit of "warriors" of the new era.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/hay-la-chien-binh-khi-nhom-white-heart-cham-vao-hon-dan-toc-196250522064142158.htm