"As if Uncle Ho was there on the day of great victory
Uncle Ho's words have now become a glorious victory.
Thirty years of fighting for the integrity of the country
Thirty years of democratic republican resistance have succeeded…”
50 years ago, on April 30, 1975, after the victory news, the song “As if Uncle Ho were here on the day of great victory” resounded on the Voice of Vietnam radio . The song at that time was like the joyful cry of the whole nation bursting into joy of victory and happiness of gaining independence, freedom, and the North and South reunification. Immediately, the song entered the hearts of millions of Vietnamese people, and was sung loudly throughout the country.
“2 hours for a lifetime”
Experts once commented: "If "Tien Quan Ca" by musician Van Cao is the milestone of the period of gaining revolutionary power (1945), "Chien Thang Dien Bien " by musician Do Nhuan is the "end" of the 9-year long resistance war against French colonialism (1954), then the song "Nhu Co Bac Trong Ngay Dai Thang" by musician Pham Tuyen is a milestone in the great war of national defense for independence and national unification (1975)".
The song first sounded in the early afternoon of April 30, 1975 through the radio system of the Voice of Vietnam. When the lyrics were sung, it was also the time when Vietnam officially declared the complete liberation of the South and the unification of the country before the whole world . It can be said that the song marked a new stage in the history of the nation, "opening wide" the door to peace, independence, and territorial integrity as the lyrics "firmly" affirmed: "Thirty years of fighting for the integrity of the country/Thirty years of democratic republican resistance have been successful".
Talking about the birth of the song, musician Pham Tuyen said that in early April 1975, while working at the Arts Department, Voice of Vietnam Radio, before the great victories, General Director Tran Lam assigned him to compose a song to celebrate the victory day.
On receiving the assignment, he sketched out a four-movement choir, including: Northern Iron Fortress, Southern Copper Fortress, Offensive and Uprising, and Total Victory. But after thinking about it, he found the choir unsuitable. “If the country were liberated, people would take to the streets and no one would stay home to listen to the choir, so I decided to stop the idea,” musician Pham Tuyen shared.
Until the evening of April 28, 1975, when he sat listening to the news on the radio, there was an announcement about our pilots bombing Tan Son Nhat airport. That night, he did not sleep, standing on the stairs of the Khuong Thuong apartment complex (where his family lived at that time) and thinking, since Tan Son Nhat had been bombed, liberation would probably be just around the corner.
Thinking of the victory that was so close, the musician's heart was filled with joy. In that joyful joy, he suddenly remembered the words in Uncle Ho's New Year's poem: "North and South reunite, what spring is happier than this" and thought, if he were still alive, Uncle Ho would certainly be very happy... "With pent-up emotions, from 9:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. on April 28, 1975, I finished writing the song "As if Uncle Ho were here on the great victory day" without having to change a single word."
On the afternoon of April 30, 1975, the station's leadership had the 40-member choir practice the song in time for broadcast. The musician was moved: "There has never been a recording session of a song at the Voice of Vietnam where everyone from the guitarist to the conductor and singers were moved to tears. When the song was finished recording, I cried too."
After each news bulletin announcing victory to the people at home and international friends, the song resounded heroically. When the Saigon Liberation Radio Station played the song, the musician himself was surprised, because he and the Voice of Vietnam Radio had not yet sent the song and tape to Saigon. Then, the people of Saigon hummed the chorus “Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh! Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh!” to join in the joy of liberation.
Talking about the happy ending of the song, musician Pham Tuyen said: “When I finished writing this song, I didn’t think it would live in the hearts of the audience, but simply wanted to contribute a joyful shout with everyone as victory came every day.”
Once, a Japanese colleague asked musician Pham Tuyen how long it took to compose a song, he replied only 2 hours. “To be more precise, it is only 2 hours for my entire life. My life is closely linked to the song “As if Uncle Ho were here on the great victory day”. It is my blood, my concerns, my passion after 30 years of pent up inside me. Having gone through almost my entire life, I now understand that songs written about Uncle Ho’s soldiers, about the revolution, about children never get old,” he confided.
The sound of cheers resounds "As if Uncle Ho was there on the day of great victory"
With a simple, familiar melody, short and concise lyrics, both the title and lyrics are less than 60 words, but the song "Like having Uncle Ho in the great victory day" is both general and specific. General is the refrain "Vietnam Ho Chi Minh", specifically: "Thirty years of fighting for the integrity of the country, thirty years of democratic republic, the resistance has succeeded". The golden history of the nation with its hardships, pain and loss, both faith and joy of victory... just like that appears in the resounding lyrics, reminding of the "thirty years" that made the crown of historical victory. The end of the song is the image "Vietnam Ho Chi Minh" repeated three times, with a resounding melody about the Vietnamese people, about the beloved leader Ho Chi Minh. All honor the joy and wish for a truth, mixed with the joy of the victory day, that "as if Uncle Ho was there on the day of great victory", Uncle Ho is still present in the hearts of the Vietnamese people, even though Uncle Ho has rested in peace... The stillness, the respect and the endless longing for Uncle Ho is the "finale" of deep thoughts encapsulated in the song.
According to musician Pham Tuyen, the vitality of the song “As if there were Uncle Ho in the great victory day” has exceeded his imagination. Until now, the song is still sung by audiences everywhere, on holidays, Tet, or conferences, festivals; from the mainland to the border, islands, mountainous areas to lowlands, from the elderly to children, soldiers or farmers, everyone knows it by heart. Moreover, the song has gone beyond the country's borders, spreading to many countries across continents such as Japan, Russia, Germany, Cuba, China... In Japan, this song was translated into Japanese and widely circulated in 49 provinces and cities. There are many international guests, even though they do not know a word of Vietnamese, can still hum along to the melody of the song during the celebration. And many years have passed, the refrain of “Vietnam Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam Ho Chi Minh” still resounds with great enthusiasm, bustling with joy in every street corner, grandstand, in international exchanges.
In recognition of his contributions, the State awarded him the Third Class Labor Medal. The Medal certificate signed by Chairman of the State Council Truong Chinh stated: “Award to musician Pham Tuyen - Vice Chairman of the Art Council of the Vietnam Radio and Television Commission for his outstanding achievements in composing the song “As if Uncle Ho were with me on the great victory day” - contributing to timely encouragement for the day of Liberation of the South and reunification of the Fatherland”.
Half a century has passed, musician Pham Tuyen has had many new compositions, but his song "As if Uncle Ho were here on the great victory day" is forever the joyful cry of the nation on the great victory day. "Vietnam! Ho Chi Minh!" - that line is not just a song, but the heart, the blood flowing in the hearts of many generations, the triumphant song that goes with the years.
Source: https://baobinhphuoc.com.vn/news/19/172129/nhu-co-bac-trong-ngay-dai-thang-khuc-khai-hoan-di-cung-nam-thang
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