Listen to the soldiers sing.

With the same lyrics and melody, but when the songs are sung by the soldiers of Uncle Ho, the emotions surge and ignite in the hearts of listeners more quickly, especially songs about the glorious Party, the beloved Uncle Ho, and the heroic Vietnam People's Army.

Bich Ly (on the left) and her dance troupe perform the song "Distant Land" by composer Duc Trinh. Photo: Hieu Vy

That's the general opinion of many people when watching the performances of the Propaganda and Arts Team of the Provincial Military Command and the Provincial Border Guard Command during holidays, traditional gatherings, etc.

The Soldier's Song

Over the past period, the Political Department of the Provincial Military Command has actively maintained and developed the unit's Military Sports Team, making it increasingly standardized and professional. The team's performances are truly an attractive and captivating source of spiritual nourishment, loved and appreciated by many officers and soldiers from various agencies and units. Names like Bich Ly, Van Minh, Nguyen Bang… are frequently mentioned. Especially when the entire team sings the prescribed military songs, officers and soldiers feel even more proud to be soldiers of Uncle Ho.

Recently, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of Southern Vietnam and the reunification of the country, veterans of the 320th Division – the unit that participated with local troops in liberating Tuy Hoa town and Phu Yen province on April 1, 1975 – from all over the country returned to visit their old battlefields and watched a performance by the Vietnam Military Command's Youth Volunteer Team.

In a solemn atmosphere leading up to the joyous victory, the program opened with a song and dance performance: " The Glory of the Heroic Army," with its majestic lyrics and melody, and emotionally rich and profound dance movements, touching the hearts of the veterans. This was followed by timeless songs and contemporary compositions, such as: "General Vo Nguyen Giap" (male solo), " The Distant Land" (female solo), "Beloved Homeland" (male trio), and "March of the Phu Yen Armed Forces" (song and dance). These not only evoked memories of the great victory but also connected the past with the present, educating the younger generation about the tradition of "drinking water, remembering the source," and appreciating the contributions of the older generation who bravely sacrificed their lives and blood for the Fatherland. In particular, the audience was very impressed by the voices of Bich Ly and Van Minh, which could rival those of professional singers.

Many veterans shared the same feeling that the reunion's cultural program was profound and emotionally rich. Each performance was meticulously prepared and staged. The video clips shown during each performance were very lively and created a strong impact. Although it was a "homegrown" program with amateur performers, it was no less impressive than those of professional performing arts troupes and actors. Watching the program, memories of a time of war and sacrifice came flooding back.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Hao, Deputy Head of Political Affairs of the Provincial Military Command, in addition to excellent training, strong marksmanship, high combat readiness, and effective mass mobilization work to help people alleviate poverty, the Party committees and commanders of units in the provincial armed forces have consistently paid attention to and cared for the development of spiritual life at the grassroots level, contributing to the creation of a healthy military cultural environment. This has led to the emergence of core personnel. Most members of the Military Training and Support Team are selected from the cultural and artistic movements of the grassroots, with only a few receiving short-term training to form the team's core, such as Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thi Phung Bich Ly (team leader), Major Nguyen Van Minh, etc.

Not only serving the armed forces and local people, and receiving high praise, the Military Command's Art Troupe has also proven its "reputation" through various regional-level folk art festivals and competitions. In particular, at the 8th Military Region 5 Armed Forces Folk Art Festival held at National Training Center 2 (Tay Son, Binh Dinh), the team's five performances won the hearts of the judges and other participating units, with three performances winning A prizes, the rest winning B prizes, and receiving the Outstanding Program flag. Furthermore, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thi Phung Bich Ly was awarded the Best Actress prize.

From left to right: Cong Tan, Ngu To, and My Hanh (from the Propaganda and Arts Team of the Provincial Border Guard Command) playing musical instruments and singing to entertain fishermen at sea via the ICOM system. Photo: Hieu Vy

The singing drowns out the sound of the waves.

If the Youth Volunteer Team of the Provincial Military Command has Bich Ly, Van Minh, Nguyen Bang… then the Youth Volunteer Team of the Provincial Border Guard Command has My Hanh, Cong Tan, Ngu To… Although they have not received any formal training, with their innate talent and burning passion, these soldiers on the cultural and ideological front have regularly been present on the front lines, using their songs and voices to serve officials and people in the coastal border areas of the province.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Xuan Thang, Head of Political Affairs of the Provincial Border Guard Command, said: The unit's Mobile Information Team has coordinated with the Mobile Information Team of the Provincial Cultural and Film Center (Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism) to develop many programs that not only serve and meet the artistic needs of officers, soldiers and people in the area where they are stationed, but also serve as an official information and propaganda channel contributing to bringing the Party's guidelines and policies, and the State's laws to all levels of the people. Through this, the close and strong bond between the military and the people is strengthened, building the people's trust in the Party, the State and the army; and effectively combating the propaganda, distortion, and subversive schemes of hostile forces in the new situation.

The reunion's cultural program was profound and emotionally rich. Each performance was meticulously prepared and staged. The video clips shown during each performance were very lively and created a strong impact. Despite being a homegrown production with amateur performers, it was on par with professional performing arts troupes and actors. Watching the program brought back vivid memories of a time of war and struggle.

In particular, it has become a tradition that every year, as the Lunar New Year approaches, provincial leaders take the time to extend New Year greetings to fishermen operating offshore and celebrating New Year's Eve and Tet at sea via the radio communication system connected to the Da Rang Border Guard Station (Tuy Hoa Border Guard Post). Through this communication system, the Vietnam Border Guard Command's Youth Volunteer Team sends their songs and music to the fishermen who are out at sea. Songs like " In the Distant Islands," "Love Story of the Sea," "Spring Love Song," "Being a Vietnamese Border Guard Soldier," and "Truong Sa is So Close" are among the favorites of the fishermen.

Fisherman Nguyen Duc Toan (Ward 4, Tuy Hoa City), captain of fishing vessel PY-92143TS, said: "Most recently, before the Lunar New Year's Eve of 2025, we fishermen received New Year's greetings from the Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Le Tan Ho, and listened to the soldiers in green uniforms sing beautiful and meaningful songs about the sea, islands, and spring. The voices of the border guards traveled hundreds of nautical miles, drowning out the sound of the waves far offshore, bringing joy to everyone. Although the sound quality wasn't great, we could still clearly hear every lyric and melody."

Mr. Nguyen Van May, residing in Ward 6 (Phu Dong Ward, Tuy Hoa City), shared: "During the Lunar New Year of 2024, at the Da Rang Border Guard Station, I, along with some fishermen from the city, received gifts from the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Ta Anh Tuan, and listened to the border guards playing music and singing. The voices of My Hanh and Cong Tan, and the music of Ngu To, were very special and soulful; everyone enjoyed listening."

 

Source: https://baophuyen.vn/van-nghe/202505/nghe-linh-hat-2a90e61/