The joy of musicians

In the final days of the Year of the Rabbit, the Organizing Committee of the songwriting contest "The Nation's Complete Joy," organized by the Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the complete liberation of the South and national reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025), held a meeting with renowned musicians at the Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper and online from Phu Quoc (Kien Giang) and Dong Thap on January 31st.

Brand of Compassion

The musicians offered practical suggestions for the campaign. At the same time, several songs were composed as meaningful spring gifts from the musicians to the campaign.

According to composer Nguyen Ngoc Thien, many songs have been written about cities like Hanoi , Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Da Nang, etc., which are very good, such as: "People of Hanoi" (Nguyen Dinh Thi), "Hanoi, Faith and Hope" (Phan Nhan), "Spring in Ho Chi Minh City" (Xuan Hong). "Composing a song is a process of the musician's heart reflecting on the material after a period of absorbing it, from which they write the melody. The more experience one has, the more beautiful the melody will emerge. 50 years is a long time for Ho Chi Minh City; how to express the musician's soul when speaking about the place where they live, the place they are attached to, and find empathy from the listener is no small pressure," composer Nguyen Ngoc Thien expressed.

Composer Nguyen Van Hien stated: "Compassion and kindness are the hallmarks of Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh City has always prioritized economic development alongside socio-cultural development and improving the quality of life for its citizens. This spirit of compassion is also a very humane image of the people of Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City (many individuals and charitable groups, through various means, have supported and accompanied the government and people in the fight against COVID-19, including zero-cost supermarkets, zero-cost stalls, and charitable transportation services). Especially during the New Year and Tet holiday, social welfare issues – particularly for the poor and disadvantaged – are always a priority for Ho Chi Minh City and are constantly improving. These positive examples are valuable material for composing excellent songs for the songwriting contest themed "The Nation's Complete Joy."

Musicians and the Organizing Committee of the songwriting contest for the theme song "The Nation's Complete Joy" held a meeting at the Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper's editorial office. (Photo: Xuan Huy)

Precious materials

Composer Hoài Anh recently returned from visiting relatives in the US and believes that melodies with multiple layers of thought and emotion easily resonate with people, especially those imbued with nostalgia. "Ho Chi Minh City is where I live and work, the place that evokes the most emotions in me when I think back to my past as a student who loved singing and composing, meaning that no matter how far I go, I always want to return. That's the most vivid source of inspiration," shared composer Hoài Anh.

Responding to questions from some young musicians about how to select and incorporate appropriate elements into songs given the abundance of events and achievements in Ho Chi Minh City, musician Nguyen Van Hien suggested that the emotional connection between the musician and the audience lies in the widespread appeal of the material. "The best way to select appropriate elements for a song is to write about things that are familiar to oneself and the general public, so that people who were once strangers suddenly feel closer to each other, sharing a bond of love," suggested musician Nguyen Van Hien.

Composer Quynh Hop added: "The compassionate qualities of the city's people are also reflected in the principle of 'together with the whole country, for the whole country, for the happiness of the people.' Even this spring, many organizations and individuals have silently cared for the lives of the poor. This includes the 'Scholarship Program to Support Ethnic Minority and Poor Students' managed and run by the Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper, and the writing contest 'Good People Around Us,' which are images of the kindness of the people of the city named after President Ho Chi Minh."

Composer Nguyen Ngoc Thien emphasized that the songwriting contest "The Nation's Complete Joy," organized by the Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper , cannot ignore valuable material about the work of supporting the military, the activities of caring for officers and soldiers on the islands and fishermen by all levels, sectors, associations, businesses, and the people of Ho Chi Minh City through meaningful activities such as: supporting the "For Beloved Truong Sa, For the Frontline of the Fatherland" Fund, "Contributing Stones to Build Truong Sa," "The Net of Compassion," etc. Composers must express their patriotism, feelings, and responsibility through their compositions in the contest, calling on the people of Ho Chi Minh City to unite in firmly protecting the sacred sovereignty of the Fatherland's sea and islands.

"The joyous day of reunification"

Composer Quynh Hop submitted the song "The Joyful Day of Unification" to the songwriting contest themed "The Nation's Complete Joy" organized by the Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper. The very first line of the song evokes memories: "Take me back to the land of memories. Footsteps shaking Saigon. The whole nation drums and flags fly. Celebrating the unification of the country. Flags and flowers fill the southern sky…".

The song "The Joyful Day of Reunification" by composer Quynh Hop was submitted to the songwriting contest on the theme "The Nation's Complete Joy" organized by the Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper.

Composer Nguyen Ngoc Thien has sent the songs for which he has filmed music videos, including: "I Love Saigon So Much", "Spring Song", "The City I Love from Uncle Ho", "Those Days in Saigon"...

Source: https://nld.com.vn/niem-vui-cua-nhung-nhac-si-196240204211400288.htm