The man who wrote his own dream for his passion for music

From dreamy Da Lat, I returned to Ho Chi Minh City, where I was once attached. A moment of nostalgia led me to Kobe town - a music hall that, in my personal opinion, is very special. Sitting on the upper floor, looking towards Binh Loi bridge is a charming river scene. Sipping a cool drink, immersing myself in the melodious music - that space has a strange attraction. I came here and waited for Pham Hoang Viet, a young man with an immense passion for music , especially Jazz. He wrote himself a real dream from that passion and spread positive inspiration to the music-loving community...

Pham Hoang Viet (right) and band The Breeze perform in Kobe town

1. With Kobe town, today I came not exactly on a chance visit but hoping to have a conversation with the owner - Mr. Pham Hoang Viet. Viet is a friend, a brother that I have been fortunate to have made friends with many years ago. Like me and many others, Viet left his hometown Rach Gia (Kien Giang) to study and live in Ho Chi Minh City. From here, with a burning passion and effort regardless of difficulties, the young man born in 1998 seems to have drawn his dream. In that dream, music is the subject.

Thanks to arriving early, I had time to observe and enjoy the atmosphere of this place. From the outside, I entered the bar, where I used to spend hours chatting with friends who shared the same passion. The center of the bar was a small stage with a sound system and musical instruments. I still remember the years when I joined in the fun, mingling with music lovers, looking towards the passionate performing artists. To the left of the stage was a display counter with PV Guitar Workshop branded guitars - designed by Pham Hoang Viet himself. Where I was sitting, climbing a few stairs next to the stage, a rooftop of quiet space, mingling with the wind, peacefully enjoying the slow-moving moments...

Not a “musician”, Pham Hoang Viet’s journey to music began with passion. Since his high school years, through club and team activities, Viet began to come into contact with the guitar. Passionate about the sound of the keyboard, guitar and the keys, the love of music gradually took root in the soul of the young Viet. Participating with him at a university club, I felt the “musical person” named Pham Hoang Viet. Every day, in the lecture hall after class, I often saw him diligently and enthusiastically practicing on the guitar. For months, I only saw him playing over and over again the song Spain by Chick Corea (a Jazz piece that requires a lot of technique and music theory). Viet shared: “I always want to play the most complete and meticulous music possible, so I practice a lot.” With a love for music, as well as needing a way to make a living, Viet started with a side job selling guitars interspersed with performances at tea rooms. Over time, those jobs have honed Viet’s skills and created many relationships. After a period of effort, along with his acumen and creativity, Hoang Viet’s PV Guitar Workshop brand, along with the Kobe Guitar line, was born and received the trust of many artists. Pham Hoang Viet has also begun to build a reputation…

2. Pham Hoang Viet confided: “I am simply a music lover. And perhaps that love is big enough to urge me to act, to do something for my passion and inspire everyone. I am a young person, with a lot of energy to experiment; even if I fail, there is still a lot of time to start over...”. With a strong spirit, daring to think, daring to do, and with the help of friends, in 2021, Viet rented a piece of land on Pham Van Dong Street (Binh Thanh District) to start building his dream. Viet said that most of everything in Kobe town is made from recycled materials that he and his colleagues built themselves.

Just a short time after Kobe Town started operating, difficulties came. Viet said: In April 2021, we started building the shop. When the shop started operating relatively stably, unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, the lockdown was issued and Kobe Town's operations were temporarily suspended. Even after the "social distancing" period, with the characteristic of "opening late" business, the shop still encountered many difficulties. By 2022, the situation was stable, all plans could continue. Stemming from his passion for Jazz music, Viet thought of people who shared the same hobby. He shared: “I love Jazz very much. However, after a period of pursuing it, I realized that the playground for this music genre is very limited and very selective of audiences. Most of the stages and music rooms are for young music, acoustic music... But the stage for Jazz is too big, usually concerts, big shows of big artists or closed clubs mostly serving Western guests”. To satisfy his passion as well as those in the same situation, Viet started to build Kobe town to become a “starting place” for young people who love Jazz. He often calls Kobe town a “cave” for young people who love music. Initially, this place was just a spontaneous stage with exchange performances by Pham Hoang Viet and his friends. Over time, with enthusiasm and meticulous organization, Kobe town has become a familiar stage, a support for many young people and music groups to take their first steps in their music careers. Many famous names have visited Kobe Town to play music, even starting from Kobe Town. Viet expressed: “Really, I really want young people to have a healthy playground, to express themselves as well as have a place to share and exchange. I think, whatever I want, many people will want the same. My goal is to help them”. I have also been an audience member at performances in Kobe Town many times. There were days when Kobe Town was packed with people immersing themselves in music in a not-so-spacious space. I also witnessed a young musician sometimes laughing, sometimes crying because he was so moved by the opportunity to perform the music he loved...

3. With a youthful and enthusiastic spirit, Pham Hoang Viet and his friends founded the band The Breeze (English: Cool Breeze) with a free and liberal spirit, wishing to bring a new look to today's young music scene. The band has had many large and small shows and has received much attention from the audience; including the appearance at the "National Newspaper Festival 2024" held in Ho Chi Minh City last March. Currently, The Breeze is in the process of production and plans to release its debut album in August this year. Le Cong Ly - a member of The Breeze, shared: "Thanks to the support of Mr. Viet and everyone, I feel very happy that my compositions are supported. I have been able to perform the music I like for music lovers, friends and also for myself".

When I asked him what he was most passionate about, Pham Hoang Viet said: “For me, the most important thing is the environment. The environment is not just nature, the house, the space... but the synthesis of all of those things. The environment creates life, the environment creates ourselves.

I always want to be in harmony with the natural environment. That is why I chose to place the music bar in this location. Here, people can immerse themselves in a very peaceful atmosphere in the city, where there are rivers, trees, and animals that often "visit". The environment that I want to create is a playground, a connection point for everyone. They have had a tiring week of work, hopefully after a night of immersing themselves in music and relaxing moments in Kobe town, they can recharge with positive energy. For artists and young people, I also want to create an environment for them to express themselves and improve themselves... In the future, I will contribute and call on everyone to continue to develop and expand this community, not just Kobe town! I always want to develop and always urge myself to constantly contribute more positive values to the community".

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Late at night, the city is deeply silent, giving way to music and the sound of crickets. Occasionally, the atmosphere is dotted with a few car horns and late hawkers, signaling the end of the conversation. We say goodbye to each other and send our best wishes. On the way home, a thought arises in my mind: Is it true that when passion is ripe and love is strong enough, everyone can succeed? I also believe that when each person strives and works hard towards the goal of bringing value to the community, it will certainly lead to good results. The story of Pham Hoang Viet that I just told is an example.

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