Aspiration for peace and national reunification.

Regarding composer Hoang Van, we are already very familiar with his music , but this information makes us even more proud of him. Composer Hoang Van has over 700 musical works, recognized as a World Documentary Heritage. On April 10, 2025, in Paris (France), the UNESCO Executive Board unanimously agreed to inscribe Vietnam's "Collection of Composer Hoang Van" into the Memory of the World list.

Yes, being inscribed in the "Memory of the World " means that Hoang Van's music has been remembered by humanity, and is now etched in humanity's memory.

The struggle for national reunification officially began in 1954. In North Vietnam, the years from 1954 to 1961 saw the emergence of a genre of music dedicated to the struggle for reunification. This genre was very popular in the North, producing timeless works. To this day, these works are still sung by singers and enjoyed by a large number of fans.

The work " Hanoi, Hue, Saigon" by composer Hoang Van belongs to the musical movement for the struggle for national reunification, and was composed by the composer in 1961. Regarding this work, a small story worth mentioning is that in 1960, poet Le Nguyen wrote the poem "Hanoi, Hue, Saigon." Composer Hoang Van read this poem, found it suitable for him, and rearranged it, making it shorter because the poem was a bit long, and wrote the musical work of the same name.

This is a lyrical, heartfelt, and poignant song. The lyrics are concise, but the music elevates them, giving it a powerful impact:

Hanoi Hue Saigon

"On our motherland, the sunlight is as red as silk."
Over a thousand years of close ties between the two regions.
Like branches growing from a common root.
Like brothers of our kind mother Vietnam!

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh.....
Hue, in the heartland of Central Vietnam, with its Perfume River and the enchanting sound of folk songs.
We have risen up! An autumn filled with shouts of hatred today!
Hue holds hands with Saigon and Hanoi beside the Truong Son mountain range, shining with faith and love.
Oh! Saigon resounds with the indomitable songs of the South, leading the way and following behind!
The lotus petals remain vibrant in color, and the vow is still remembered, deeply etched in my heart.

This is the South! The impregnable fortress of our Fatherland!
The Mekong River shines with golden names.
The glorious city of Ho Chi Minh
"The voice of a person carried in their heart!"

Many generations of singers, including some of the biggest names, have performed this song very successfully. As a result, many generations of listeners in the North have memorized it because they love it so much.

I only met composer Hoang Van once. It was at a literary conference in Tay Ninh shortly after the peace treaty. Hoang Van was already very famous then, while I was just a young poet. After the conference, on my way back to Saigon, I happened to meet him when the bus stopped for passengers to have a drink. Because I had presented a paper, Hoang Van recognized me. He chatted with me very warmly. His humble demeanor left a lasting impression on me.

Regarding the composer Trịnh Công Sơn and his timeless song "Huế Sài Gòn Hà Nội," I only heard it after the liberation and when I returned to Saigon. The first time I heard it, I was immediately captivated and charmed. Back then, a friend gave me an old but still good cassette player. I found the Trịnh Công Sơn band's "Yellow Skin Songs," and wherever I went, the poet Ngô Thế Oanh and I would carry the cassette with the band and listen to it all day long.

That band had the song "Hue, Saigon, Hanoi." Not only did we listen, but many intellectuals and artists from Hanoi who came to Saigon also listened with great enthusiasm to Trinh Cong Son's music. If Hoang Van's "Hanoi, Hue, Saigon" was lyrical and heartfelt, then Trinh Cong Son's "Hue, Saigon, Hanoi" was intense and full of longing:

Hue Saigon Hanoi
Author: Trinh Cong Son

"Hue, Saigon, Hanoi, my homeland, why do you still seem so far away?"
Hue, Saigon, Hanoi – after so many years, why are they still so indifferent?
Oh Vietnam, how much longer will people sit here remembering and missing each other?
Millions of feet, my dear, millions of feet, O three regions, rise up in revolution!
It's time to unite our hearts.
Young people should take pioneering steps.
From the North to the South, everyone is eagerly awaiting the burning of the furnace.
The torches blazed with the joy of freedom.
The road to the prisons
Will we be building a school or holding a market tomorrow?
Our people return to farming, having enough food and clothing to eat.
Hands that help build the nation, hands that create.
The old grudges have faded away.
We built a roof over our house and added fruit to our garden.
Let me go to the mountaintop to sing a joyful love song.
North, South, and Central Vietnam, let's unite as one!
Breaking through the border to expand the road.
"Building a peaceful nation"

Thus, about 11 years after Hoang Van's song "Hanoi Hue Saigon" was created in Hanoi, Trinh Cong Son's song "Hue Saigon Hanoi" appeared in Saigon. Trinh Cong Son was very courageous when he wrote the song "Hue Saigon Hanoi," accepting that he would be harassed, even imprisoned.

And both songs, one by Hoang Van, one by Trinh Cong Son, have survived to this day, and of course, for generations to come.

THANH THAO

Source: https://baoquangngai.vn/van-hoa/202505/khat-vong-hoa-binh-thong-nhat-dat-nuoc-d790989/