Painter Bui Duc Lam received sad news from musician Nguyen Vu's daughter. The last time they met was in January, when the musician was still healthy and alert.
The artist knew musician Nguyen Vu more than 40 years ago. At that time, he wanted to study music and was introduced to the musician's house by an acquaintance. In his impression, the author of the Sad Hymn had a gentle face and elegant gestures. The musician often wore an old purple khaki shirt with a worn collar but clean and neat. After listening to artist Duc Lam play, he agreed to tutor him three times a week, and the tuition fee was "not important". "Even though I only studied for a few months, I always admired him for his virtue, humility, and subtle empathy," said artist Duc Lam. The two became friends for many years after that.
Famous singer Thai Chau - the first person to perform the song Sad Hymn by musician Nguyen Vu - said: "Thanks to the work, my name has soared high and far, and I am loved by the audience. I am always grateful to the musician for trusting me with this song." The famous singer will always remember the moment of meeting the musician in the program Love Storyteller in 2021. "At that time, I was very emotional when I shook his hand and thanked him," the famous singer said.
According to Mr. Hai Dang - a close neighbor of the musician, he normally lives a private life and rarely shares about his family. He has four children but none of them pursue art.
Musician Nguyen Vu's real name is Nguyen Tuan Khanh, born in 1945 in Hanoi . In 1954, he followed his family to the South and lived in Da Lat. From a young age, he studied music theory and was exposed to many musical instruments such as guitar, harmonica, and piano. At the age of 12, he won first prize in a children's solo competition organized by Da Lat Radio.
In 1965, he had his first work, the song " A Seagull ". From around 1967, the musician became better known for songs containing the word "last" such as "Last Words for You" , "Last Look at Each Other ", "Last Song for My Lover" .
After 1975, he worked as a cultural and sports officer at Central Pharmaceutical Enterprise 22. From around 1990 onwards, Nguyen Vu opened a music class at his private home in Tan Binh district ( Ho Chi Minh City).
His most famous song is Sad Hymn , released in October 1972. The first person to sing it was Thai Chau, in the collection Lạng ca 3. The work has a nostalgic, lyrical quality, connecting many generations of music lovers.
In 1972, after accepting a producer's request to write an article, Nguyen Vu struggled for days to find a topic when suddenly the melody of the immortal song Silent Night ( Silent Night , lyrics: Josef Mohr, music: Franz Xaver Gruber) rang out at home. This song evoked a lot of emotions for him, recalling his childhood. At the age of 14, his family lived next to the slope leading to Con Ga Church (Da Lat). Every time the church bell rang, he saw the figure of a beautiful girl going to church. He quietly followed her many times. On Christmas Day, it was drizzling, so the two of them coincidentally took shelter under the porch.
"I was suddenly moved when I heard her hum along to the song "Holy Night" with a beautiful voice. So, listening to this song again, old memories suddenly flooded back to me and the melodies just flowed out. In just under two hours, I finished transcribing the song and when I picked up the guitar to play it again, I was also moved. Singer Thai Chau was the first person to sing this song and immediately after that, it became the hottest song of that year's Christmas season," musician Nguyen Vu once recounted.
More than half a century has passed, but the Sad Hymn by composer Nguyen Vu has been chosen by many generations of singers. Many audiences commented that singer Elvis Phuong is the one who "nailed" the mark on this work.
Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/nhac-si-nguyen-vu-cha-de-cua-bai-thanh-ca-buon-qua-doi-521723.html
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