Meritorious Artist Tan Nhan, our country's traditional music is very beautiful.

"I was born to be a folk musician."

+ Ms. Tan Nhan, what led you to love and pursue music with traditional and folk influences?

- From a young age, I've naturally loved folk music. Perhaps I was born to be involved with it. Back then, people preferred foreign music, but I only liked listening to folk music programs on the Voice of Vietnam radio station . Therefore, since childhood, I've dreamed of pursuing folk music. My decision to apply to the Vietnam National Academy of Music was also a way for me to fulfill my dream.

Throughout my career so far, I have continuously strived to create folk music and, later, dedicated myself to singing authentic traditional music for audiences both domestically and internationally, instilling a love of traditional music in young people, specifically the students I am directly training at the Vietnam National Academy of Music. I believe it all stems from love.

For Meritorious Artist Tan Nhan, becoming a lecturer is a way to extend her love for traditional music. Photo: Provided by the artist.

Becoming a lecturer to extend my love for traditional music.

+ Did you choose to become a vocal instructor because you wanted to instill a love for traditional music in young people?

- I chose to become a vocal instructor because I want to "ignite" in my students a love for music, to cultivate, nurture, and develop their love for music in general, and the genre each student pursues in particular, not just traditional music. I also want to share my accumulated experience with them, contributing to the training of musical talents for Vietnamese music.

In my teaching, I always encourage my students to love and cherish Vietnamese traditional music even more. By loving traditional music, they will love the Vietnamese soul more and understand their national cultural identity better. This is not only a way for me to extend the love of traditional music to the younger generation, but also a way to enrich their cultural and emotional understanding as they pursue a career in music. I consider this very important, as it helps artists develop cultural depth.

Having been involved in the arts for nearly 20 years, how have you managed to maintain your passion for traditional Vietnamese music until now?

- From a young age, I grew up surrounded by the traditional folk songs of my homeland, naturally captivated by the folk melodies of the three regions of Vietnam… All of this has become deeply ingrained in my blood, helping me become the folk singer Tan Nhan I am today. Honestly, it's difficult to explain precisely why I've maintained this passion for traditional music; I can only answer: Because I love it!

I believe that every Vietnamese person grows up and is nurtured by the beauty of traditional music. Our folk music is rich, diverse, and has been "nurtured" from generation to generation, and will continue to be so for generations to come. Therefore, not only I, but certainly many Vietnamese people love traditional music as much as they love the cultural identity of their country.

Our country's traditional music is so beautiful. When you listen to or sing it, you can feel the flow of our nation's history and culture, and the spiritual life and soul of the Vietnamese people in their daily lives from the past to the present. Therefore, I really want to spread the beauty of Vietnamese traditional music to young people, from my students to the audience, so that each of us can contribute our small part to preserving and promoting the beauty of our national music.

Always appreciate the way the younger generation does things and thinks.

+ Recently, many young people have been reviving traditional music, for example, the song "Come Home and Listen to Mother's Lullaby" by People's Artist Bach Tuyet and singer Hoang Dung, released in 2022, and the song "The Last Rays of Light" by rapper Wowy in collaboration with People's Artist Bach Tuyet, released in 2023… What are your thoughts on this revival?

- I always appreciate the way the younger generation does things and thinks. They understand that their generation should have ways of doing things that are appropriate for their generation. The combination of modern music genres with traditional music is also very encouraging, because I believe that traditional music needs more ways and more aspects to spread.

I believe that when People's Artist Bach Tuyet decided to collaborate with young people, she saw the special benefits in further spreading traditional art forms like Cai Luong (Vietnamese traditional opera) to the younger generation. For those of us who deeply love traditional music, seeing such initiatives is only something to be happy about and encouraging.

Even I, when wanting to bring Vietnamese traditional music closer to world music, chose to combine it with a symphony orchestra. This serves both to modernize the works to suit today's listeners, aligning them with global music trends to win over multinational audiences, and to elevate traditional music to a new level by integrating it with the highest form of music, chamber symphony.

Meritorious Artist Tan Nhan became widely known to the public when she participated in the "Sao Mai 2005" competition. Photo: Provided by the artist.

As someone involved in music education, I hope for more love of traditional Vietnamese music, and more creative approaches to bring traditional music to life in communities, in the spiritual lives of today's generation, and to reach the world.

Some people believe that traditional and folk-influenced music is gradually losing its prominence and attracting fewer listeners. What are your thoughts on this?

- Not only in Vietnam, but also around the world, traditional music in many countries faces difficulties in preservation, promotion, and development due to the diverse and rapid development of modern entertainment. Most countries need active involvement with long-term strategies and efforts to preserve and promote their national music.

Previously, I performed a famous Korean folk song called Arirang. I learned that South Korea spent 33.6 billion Won to promote and protect the song over five years. This plan aimed to support the organization of "Arirang" festivals in each region, such as building a song archive, exhibitions, and research funds.

In our country, there are increasingly more strategies and plans to preserve and promote traditional music in contemporary life. One of the clearest results I see is that young artists today are actively exploring traditional musical elements in their songs, and many of these songs have become hits. With such effort and love, I believe traditional music always has a path to development and thrive within the community.

Thank you, Meritorious Artist Tan Nhan!

Hoai Duc (Recorded)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/nsut-tan-nhan-am-nhac-truyen-thong-cua-dat-nuoc-minh-dep-lam-post300050.html