This coming December, he will also be one of the four main performers at the "The Legend Live Concert - Four Sky Birds Return" in Hanoi. Returning to his hometown this time, composer Tran Tien shared with Hanoi Moi Newspaper about his music , his love for Hanoi, and his moments of happiness.
- How did the musician feel upon receiving the Grand Prize - For the Love of Hanoi?
- I am very happy, very joyful. I only wrote a few small songs, about what I remember and love, and yet so many people sang them, spread them, and I experienced immense happiness returning to my homeland, surrounded by the love of everyone, and receiving an award named after the person I greatly admire, the renowned painter Bui Xuan Phai.
To be honest, I started learning to draw when I was 7 years old, so I have some knowledge of painting. Bui Xuan Phai, with his street paintings, and many other artists of previous generations, such as the poet Phan Vu – author of "Oh, Hanoi Streets" – instilled in me a love for Hanoi. I carried that love to the battlefield, to all corners of the world , to the places I wandered, and all my achievements are the result of what I learned from those who came before me.
- Can the musician share more about his longing for Hanoi?
- I am a person who has been away from my hometown, away from Hanoi, for 45 years. But throughout that time, my soul, like that of my friends, some still alive, some deceased, has lingered around the Turtle Tower, lingered in the streets of Hanoi. That is why I wrote: “There I still remember my old friends / The blood of many soldiers who went and never returned / Oh Turtle Tower, do you remember my friends? / The wandering souls still linger in the streets” (“Poor Street”).
I'm far from Hanoi, and whenever I hear someone speaking in their hometown accent, their authentic Hanoi accent, I feel like crying. I don't understand why Hanoi evokes such strong feelings of nostalgia for someone far from home. It's not just in Hanoi; wherever you are, when you hear your hometown accent, you'll be just as moved as I am when I hear a Hanoi accent.
Sometimes I see a glimpse of old Hanoi. I remember the people of Hanoi had such a distinctive, unique appearance! Their hair was still black, not dyed. I remember the black clogs clicking in the quiet alleyways, transforming into the melancholy of the night in my songs. And I wrote, for myself. Fortunately, my songs were loved by many, spread widely, and sung by many.
- What does Hanoi mean to the heart of musician Tran Tien?
- It's my mother, my sister, my friends. Hanoi is where "in the rainy season, childhood friends, wading through the river and playing in the streets." Hanoi is a day when "I cried silently, running up the stairs, but my mother's shadow was gone." Hanoi "has something very painful, the beloved one, gone and never to return" ("Street Improvisation"). Hanoi is "My older sister, in love, stands at the village temple / My older sister is poor, my older sister is sad, my older sister is lonely, my older sister cries" ("Red River Improvisation"). I always remember "The sad brown street, the sad brown tiled roof," "The misty street, the misty tiled roof," "In that place, I still remember the old love / The young woman who met me was shy" ("Poor Street")...
Hanoi is both my joy and my sorrow, my childhood and my dreams. It's "Hanoi in the 2000s / Children no longer beg / Old men sit in the park watching old women reminisce about their youth," peaceful Hanoi " The sky of Thang Long rises high / Tall buildings reach into the blue clouds / The streets are still small, the roads are still small / So that I can walk in the golden autumn" ("Hanoi in the 2000s")...
I pour all my longing into my songs.
- Having lived away from Hanoi for over four decades, does the musician see many changes in Hanoi today?
- Hanoi has changed a lot. As the world changes, Hanoi must change too. Tall buildings, wide gates. Many new streets I've never seen before. That's something to be happy about. Young people look at Hanoi with youthful eyes. But I always look at Hanoi with the eyes of an old person, with memories I'll never forget, still the image of old Hanoi like a painting by Bui Xuan Phai. Everywhere I touch, I tremble with the cherished years, the sad and happy memories like negatives of a bygone era.
- On December 28th, you will be performing at the "The Legend Live Concert - Four Sky Birds Return" at the National Convention Center (Hanoi), honoring four renowned composers: Van Cao, Pham Duy, Trinh Cong Son, and Tran Tien. What are your feelings about standing alongside these celebrated musicians at the concert?
- This is a great honor for me. The three composers Van Cao, Pham Duy, and Trinh Cong Son are all people I deeply respect and admire. There is a very unique and profound connection between us. I was taught and supported by them.
I remember when I was 18, a singer in a music troupe, they sent me to composer Van Cao's house to ask for the song "Marching Towards Hanoi." I was very scared, but I timidly told him that I liked composing. He listened to a few songs and said, "Okay, give up singing, focus on composing. You have a lot of talent." On my wedding day, composer Van Cao arrived late, bringing a handwritten notebook of musical experiences from a French composer. I've kept it to this day.
Composer Trịnh Công Sơn is also an older brother figure to whom I am deeply grateful. He said: “Tien, a bad symphony is no match for a good folk song. Tien, write good songs, don’t go into instrumental music anymore, just write songs.”
My mentors, such as Văn Cao, Trịnh Công Sơn, and Phạm Duy, have given me love, faith, and musical direction. I am indebted to them, and the upcoming concert is an opportunity for me to express my gratitude and to sing their songs again – songs by those who have ascended to heaven. As for me, heaven hasn't called me yet, and I don't know if I'll have the strength to "fly" with their music by that day. Nevertheless, standing alongside them on the same stage is a great happiness for me.
- We sincerely thank musician Tran Tien!
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/nhac-si-tran-tien-ha-noi-la-ca-vui-buon-tuoi-tho-va-mo-uoc-cua-toi-721006.html
Comment (0)