Songs of the Country

Right before and after the August Revolution, music resounded as an affirmation of a heroic nation rising up to take control of its destiny after 80 years of colonial domination. Van Cao’s “Marching Song” became the national anthem, an immortal symbol of the heroic Fatherland. At the same time, works such as “August 19” (Xuan Oanh), “Destroy the Fascists” (Nguyen Dinh Thi), “Going on the Road” (Luu Huu Phuoc) or “Ba Dinh Nang” (Bui Cong Ky) depicted the heroic spirit of the early days of building the country and gaining independence. Those melodies were not only for singing, but also a call to millions of hearts to join in the same step with the country.

Flag-raising ceremony at April 2 Square, Nha Trang ward. Photo: Tuan Anh

During the 9 years of protracted resistance, music became a spiritual weapon. Van Cao wrote “The Lo River Epic” to engrave into music the glorious feats of our army and people. Do Nhuan with “The Thao River Guerrilla” , “Liberation of Dien Bien ”, Nguyen Dinh Thi with “ Hanoi People” , Ho Bac with “My Village”, “The Other Side of the Duong River” (poem by Hoang Cam)… created an epic about pride and honor for the country.

During the years of fighting against the US, revolutionary music reached its peak. That heroic atmosphere resounded in “Praise the Fatherland” (Hoang Van), “The Road We Take” (Huy Du - Xuan Sach), “Love Song” (Hoang Viet), “Uncle Ho’s Love Brightens Our Lives” (Luu Huu Phuoc - Diep Minh Tuyen), “ Truong Son Dong - Truong Son Tay” (Hoang Hiep - Pham Tien Duat)... An entire generation of musicians such as: Hoang Viet, Pham Tuyen, Luu Huu Phuoc, Hoang Van, Do Nhuan, Huy Du, Vu Trong Hoi, Hoang Ha, Tran Chung, Pham Minh Tuan, Xuan Hong, Hoang Hiep... left behind a treasure trove of thousands of works that resonate until today.

In the spring of 1975, the country was peaceful and unified. That joy was conveyed by Van Cao in “The First Spring” , Nguyen Duc Toan burst into emotion in “Never been as beautiful as today”, Nguyen Van Thuong and To Huu offered a splendid and smooth epic “Our Fatherland has never been so beautiful” . It was not only a song to celebrate victory, but also an affirmation: A new stage of the nation had opened, music continued to be a companion in the work of building and defending the Fatherland.
Revolutionary music continues to be filled with love and emotion. Tran Tien with “Dialogue of the Fatherland” , Van Thanh Nho with “Lullaby of the Country” , Le Giang with “Dat Nuoc Tinh Yeu” or Pham Minh Tuan with “Dat Nuoc” have proven that love for the Fatherland always has a lasting vitality. Folk music and traditional musical instruments are used by many musicians to make melodies praising the country more familiar and easier to touch people’s hearts. In recent years, Nguyen Van Chung - a young face familiar with love songs - has surprised people by composing about the Fatherland. These new songs touch the hearts of young people, creating a connection between the past and the present.

The music praising the Fatherland is the common memory of the nation. Each song is a “musical photograph” preserving a historical moment: from Dien Bien Phu “famous in five continents” to the great victory of spring 1975, from the construction of new rural areas to the aspiration to reach out to the ocean. Today, those songs still resound on stage, in festivals, in schools, like a thread connecting generations.

Musician Tran Tien once said: “Music about the Fatherland is the flesh and blood, the breath of the Vietnamese people”. Indeed, over the past 8 decades, revolutionary music has proven its enduring vitality. It is both a memory and a reminder for each of us to be proud, to live up to the sacrifices of our ancestors and to continue to write “national songs” for today and tomorrow.

DUONG MY ANH

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/van-hoa/202508/nhung-bai-cadat-nuoc-93f5768/