From Spring Melody to Red Leaves
Reimagining old songs and musical pieces is actually not a new artistic practice. Once a work has proven its enduring appeal to the audience, some people will seek new ways to interpret it. So what does "reimagining" entail, and how is it done? Simply put, a song or piece of music has a "skeleton"—the melody, lyrics, structure, and rhythm—originally created by the composer. The reimaginer adds flesh and blood in their own way, aligning with their musical aesthetic and the latest contemporary trends. In this process of reimagining, the tempo, speed, and even the structure and rhythm may be slightly altered. The fundamental result is that listeners receive a completely new work, yet the original essence remains, with a very different emotional dimension.
Revolutionary music, or what many call traditional music, has rarely been modernized, especially by young artists. Most modernized versions are limited to remixes or orchestral arrangements for stage performances during commemorative events. In the field of orchestral arrangements, composer Tran Manh Hung is the most active, with a huge number of arrangements, most notably the program commemorating the founding of the Vietnam People's Army held in Ho Chi Minh City on December 22, 2024.
It's unclear why young artists are still hesitant to reinterpret revolutionary songs, but many explain that revolutionary songs are politically charged and extremely serious, making modernization a huge challenge for young people who tend to be more open-minded and liberal.
Ngu Cung embarked on this ultimate challenge after performing the song "Spring Melody" with Trong Tan in the "Proud Melodies" and "Hopeful Tet" programs, both held in 2024. This wasn't a commissioned performance by the program organizers, like the kind commissioned for remixes in programs celebrating major holidays; it was Ngu Cung's own choice. As artists formally trained at the Vietnam National Academy of Music (vocalist Hong Phi graduated from the Military Arts School), the young members of Ngu Cung share a passion for revolutionary songs alongside their youthful love of rock music. And after they soared with exhilarating "musical notes" alongside Trong Tan in the work of composer Cao Viet Bach (lyrics by Luu Trong Lu), many young audience members were delighted by the spontaneous collaboration in this fresh and groundbreaking new arrangement.
The period of the Spring Melody performance also coincided with the release of Ngu Cung's third album, titled "Heritage ." True to its name, Ngu Cung continues to explore its creativity from the folk traditions of Northwest Vietnam, a consistent spirit throughout the band's history. " Heritage" also marks the end of the first chapter of their nearly 20-year career – the Northwest chapter. They are now beginning a new chapter, inspired by "Spring Melody ," starting with "Red Leaves ," a sure-fire excellent single to be released at the end of April to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of Southern Vietnam and the reunification of the country.
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The band Ngu Cung performed with singer Trong Tan. |
If we're familiar with the old recordings of " Red Leaf " from decades past, with its heroic and romantic revolutionary charm in the line, " Hello, girl on the front lines, oh girl on the front lines, see you in Saigon, " then we'll surely be surprised that in this revamped version, Ngu Cung not only retains the heroic and romantic feel but also infuses it with the exuberance of rock. In particular, Tran Thang's guitar solo (lead guitarist and producer of the band), with its distinctive Southern Vietnamese cải lương-style "downbeat," creates a fascinating highlight, further solidifying the promise in the song. Many familiar artists, after hearing Ngu Cung's demo recording of " Red Leaf, " jokingly exclaimed, "Hey, if you guys were soldiers in the Truong Son Mountains back then, you'd be the epitome of quick attack and quick victory! Listening to the music makes me feel like I'm in a hurry to advance to Saigon!"
The new arrangement by Ngu Cung has added a lot of fire to "Red Leaves" and is full of the spirit of today's modern youth. Hong Phi's powerful vocals (lead vocalist) are also very suitable for this song, as they express the overflowing energy of youth amidst the context of " the dust of Truong Son, blurred in the fiery sky ." Many predicted early on that, after its release, "Red Leaves" would very likely become the band's next hit and would be requested to be played on many rock stages, not just on special occasions.
And it opened the Red Rock road.
But "Red Leaves" will not be the only recording of revolutionary songs that Ngu Cung produces, nor is it a seasonal product aimed at a major national celebration, even though it was chosen for release on April 30th. "Red Leaves" will be the opening salvo for a new chapter that Ngu Cung has long wanted to pursue: modernizing revolutionary songs by rock-ifying them. The project that kicks off this chapter has also been named "Red Rock," a name that clearly reflects the rock approach to these timeless revolutionary songs.
If the album production was intended to serve the upcoming 2025 anniversary, Ngu Cung would have started working on "Red Rock" several years prior, as producing an album always requires meticulous preparation. Starting production on "Red Rock" in 2025 means the release date will certainly not coincide with the anniversary year. Therefore, Ngu Cung isn't using revolutionary music as an opportunity; rather, they truly love and cherish this genre, nurturing their inspiration until it's fully mature before embarking on a meticulously crafted project.
Tran Thang's comments said it all. Commenting on revolutionary songs, he said: “Actually, if you pay attention to the lyrics, the older generations wrote lyrics for revolutionary songs that were very rich in rock elements. The melodies were undeniably beautiful. Now, no one can write anything like that. It's a pity that today's younger generation doesn't pay enough attention to exploring this beauty. That's why Ngu Cung has to do this, as a connecting thread between generations, while also preserving Vietnam's musical heritage.” This is also the shared motivation of the other band members, especially vocalist Hong Phi, who always yearns to create high-quality rock versions of revolutionary songs so that rock audiences can rekindle the spirit of the previous generation while still being captivated by modern musical elements.
In "Red Rock," Ngu Cung revealed they will be recreating many revolutionary songs from the period of resistance against the French to the period of resistance against the US, and even the journeys of defending the nation's borders later on. It is expected that, after the single "Red Leaves ," in August 2025, Ngu Cung will release another single featuring a song from the anti-French resistance era. Their loyal fans are speculating about the title of the chosen song. Will it be "Truong Ca Song Lo ," " Len Ngan, " or some other timeless revolutionary song? The answer remains a mystery, as mysterious as the trendy blindfold game of the youth. However, everyone shares the same opinion: "Ngu Cung's work is definitely high-quality."
Hopefully, the "Red Rock" project, or more poetically, the "Red Rock Road," that Ngu Cung is launching will soon be released to Vietnamese audiences and inspire historical awareness in young people. Even more hopefully, after "Red Rock," many more young artists from various genres, from pop to hip-hop, will also seek to revitalize these heroic songs that have touched people's hearts, making their vitality even stronger when they are infused with the colors of dynamic, modern, and creative young people.
Source: https://nhandan.vn/ngu-cung-mo-con-duong-rock-mau-do-post874931.html
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