Aspiration for peace and national unity

Regarding musician Hoang Van, we are all too familiar with his music , but this information makes us even more proud of him. Musician Hoang Van has more than 700 musical works, recognized as World Documentary Heritage. On April 10, 2025, in Paris (France), the UNESCO Executive Board unanimously agreed to include the "Collection of Musician Hoang Van" of Vietnam in the Memory of the World list.

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

The struggle for national reunification officially began in 1954. In North Vietnam, the years from 1954 to 1961 saw the emergence of the Unification Struggle music genre. This genre of music was very popular in the North, producing works that “lasted the years”. Until today, these works are still sung by singers and many fans.

The work “ Hanoi Hue Saigon” by musician Hoang Van is part of the musical flow for the struggle for national unification, composed by the musician in 1961. About this work, there is a small story that needs to be mentioned: in 1960, poet Le Nguyen composed the poem “Hanoi Hue Saigon”, musician Hoang Van read this poem, and found it suitable for him, he trimmed and rearranged it, shortened it because the poem was a bit long, and wrote the musical work of the same name.

This is a lyrical, passionate and haunting song. The lyrics are short, but the music pushes them up, so they have great influence:

Hanoi Hue Saigon

"On the motherland the sun is pink as silk
Through thousands of years of attachment between the two regions
Like branches growing from the same root
Like brothers of mother Vietnam!

Oh oh oh oh oh oh.....
Hue of the Central region is close to the Perfume River and its passionate folk songs.
Rise up! An autumn filled with hateful screams today!
Hue holds Saigon's hand, Hanoi stands beside the Truong Son mountain range, shining with love and trust.
Oh! Saigon echoes with the indomitable song of the South, the one that goes first and returns later!
The lotus petals are still bright in color, the oath is still engraved deep in my heart

This is the South! The citadel of the Fatherland!
The Mekong Delta is resplendent with golden names
Glorious city of Ho Chi Minh
Voice of people in the heart!

Many generations of singers, including great singers, have performed this song very successfully. Thanks to that, many generations of listeners in the North have memorized it because they love this song so much.

As for musician Hoang Van, I only met him once. That was at a literary and artistic conference in Tay Ninh not long after the peace. Musician Hoang Van was very famous at that time. I was just a young poet. After the conference, on the way back to Saigon, I happened to meet Hoang Van when the car stopped to give passengers a drink. Because I had read a paper, Hoang Van knew me. He talked to me very intimately. His humble way of expressing himself made me remember him forever.

As for musician Trinh Cong Son with the immortal song “Hue Saigon Hanoi”, I only heard it after the liberation and returned to Saigon. The first time I heard it, I was immediately absorbed and hooked. At that time, a friend gave me an old but still good cassette, I found Trinh Cong Son’s band “Da vang ca khuc”, poet Ngo The Oanh and I always carried the cassette with this Trinh band wherever we went, and listened to it all day long.

In that band there was the song “Hue Saigon Hanoi”. Not only did we listen to it, many intellectuals and artists from Hanoi to Saigon also listened to Trinh Cong Son’s music with great passion. If Hoang Van’s song “Hanoi Hue Saigon” was lyrical and passionate, Trinh Cong Son’s song “Hue Saigon Hanoi” was intense and yearning:

Hue Saigon Hanoi
Author: Trinh Cong Son

“Hue Saigon Hanoi My homeland, why are you still so far away?
Hue Saigon Hanoi after so many years, why are you still indifferent?
Vietnam, how long will people sit and miss each other?
Millions of your feet Millions of my feet Hey three regions rise up for revolution
It's time to join hands
Youth should take pioneering steps
From Central to South and North, waiting and burning
The torches of freedom
Road to prison
Tomorrow will be school building or market meeting
Our people come back to plow and harrow to have enough food and clothing.
Helping hands, building hands
The old traces of hatred fade away
We build a roof and garden, we add fruit.
let me go to the mountain top to sing happy love songs
North, South, Central, unite as one region!
Breaking the border to expand the road
Building a peaceful country"

Thus, about 11 years after the song “Hanoi Hue Saigon” by Hoang Van was released in Hanoi, the song “Hue Saigon Hanoi” by Trinh Cong Son appeared in Saigon. Trinh Cong Son was very brave when he wrote the song “Hue Saigon Hanoi”, he accepted that people would make things difficult for him, even arrest him.

And both songs, one by Hoang Van, one by Trinh Cong Son, remain until today, and of course, forever.

THANH THAO

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