Giáng Son was once known as a singer-songwriter when she was a member of the band Năm Dòng Kẻ, but her career only really took off after she left the group, making her mark with hit songs like "Giấc mơ trưa" (Midday Dream), " Hà Nội 12 mùa hoa" (Hanoi 12 Seasons of Flowers), "Cỏ và mưa" (Grass and Rain)...
Giáng Son's first-ever live show, titled "Sol's Dream," was successfully held outdoors with 2000 attendees, once again affirming her position in the country's music scene as one of the rare female composers today who writes both songs and instrumental music.
The musician's full name is Ta Thi Giang Son, born in 1975. Having been exposed to art from a young age, Giang Son quickly showed a talent for singing and songwriting. In 1998, she and singer Lan Huong formed the band Exotica and won the Outstanding Young Composer award at the 1999 National Student Band Festival. At the end of 1999, Giang Son and Lan Huong formed the band Du Ca, which included three other members: Bao Lan, Thuy Linh, and Hong Ngoc. The group later changed its name to Nam Dong Ke. In 2003, Nam Dong Ke released the album "Em" (You), featuring mostly songs composed by Giang Son.
Giáng Son became widely known as a songwriter when her song "Giấc mơ trưa" (Midday Dream) was voted Song of the Month, and she personally won the Most Impressive Songwriter award at the 2005 Vietnam Song Awards. In 2007, Giáng Son released her debut studio album, Giáng Son, which was nominated for the Dedication Award. In 2010, Giáng Son was the only female songwriter to be honored at the "Music Road" program produced by Vietnam Television. In 2015, Giáng Son made a breakthrough in her career when she collaborated with Hà Trần and Tùng Dương to release the album "Bóng tối Jazz" (Jazz Darkness) – an album that earned her Album of the Year at the Dedication Awards. In 2023, she released her third album, "Sing My Sol," featuring songs she composed and performed herself.
In her first large-scale live show, "Sol's Dream," which showcased her works in mid-February, Giáng Son spoke about the musical connection she felt with her audience: "I only know how to express my sadness through songs, but I never expected so many listeners to understand and empathize. Perhaps they have experienced similar emotions to mine. That's something I couldn't have imagined."
The musician said that the song "Midday Dream," about fleeting happiness, which she and musician Nguyen Vinh Tien co-wrote, seems to reflect their lives. Giang Son had a failed marriage, while Nguyen Vinh Tien had been married twice. Currently, Giang Son has no intention of remarrying. She often jokes when friends urge her to get married: "I don't dare hold a wedding ceremony because I'm afraid of having to return wedding gifts to those who attended my first wedding."
For her first outdoor concert, the musician was worried because of the light rain. When it was time to perform, she was moved to tears seeing nearly 2,000 people in attendance: "I stood backstage, worried about whether the audience would be able to come. This is my first live show, with my own songs, and I get to stand here and share my feelings with everyone. I've never been so happy."
The live show, titled "Sol's Dream," recreates Giáng Son's nearly 40-year journey in songwriting. As the youngest child of the Chèo opera artists Hoàng Kiều and Bích Ngọc, she initially dreamed of becoming a folk singer like her mother. However, her father steered her toward piano lessons. At age 8, she enrolled in a vocational school specializing in piano, and at age 10, she wrote her first instrumental piece as a gift to her father.
At the age of 16, from the first stirrings of love, Giáng Son had already written 30 songs.
Sharing about the name of the live concert, musician Giáng Son said: “‘Gol Dream’ is inspired by the title of the song ‘Midday Dream’ that she composed exactly 20 years ago, and is also a ‘variation’ of her own name – which means the note G in music. That is Giáng Son’s dream, a dream about music, to roam freely, to explore , to experiment, with the musical styles she loves such as Pop, contemporary folk, chamber music, Jazz, Blues, and even Rock…”
“Sol’s Dream” is also a dream of a live concert bearing her name, a dream Giáng Son has long cherished. “It’s a true live concert about my music, introducing to everyone the creative works I’ve nurtured for so long, the ones I’ve poured my heart and soul into. An outdoor concert in a large space with about 2,000 people – that’s truly a dream I’ve wanted and pondered for many years,” Giáng Son shared.
That dream was probably kindled when Giáng Son was just a 10-year-old girl, composing her first song for her father. In 2010, when Vietnam Television produced the "Musical Journey" live show, recreating Giáng Son's image through music, that dream was further fueled. But that flame burned silently for so many years, because organizing a live concert is no easy feat, and the financial aspect is a major factor.
"It was fate that brought me together with producer Thien Binh of Phieu Du Show. When she suggested doing a live concert for me, I was very happy and immediately accepted," revealed musician Giang Son.
In "Sol's Dream," Giáng Son's 40-year musical journey is recreated through her compositions. These include works she wrote in her early twenties, when she was just beginning her songwriting career, when – as Giáng Son herself admits – "I may still have been influenced by senior composers, but with a very pure and innocent soul towards music," with simple, naive melodies. There are also songs born as Giáng Son matured, beginning to incorporate folk music like "Midday Dream"; or starting to explore and experiment with songs written in the Blues Jazz style like "Grass and Rain," "Autumn Fades"...
The program features 26 songs, both old and new compositions by Giáng Son. Her music spans many genres, from pop to rock, jazz, and classical crossover, but all share a common feminine, lyrical quality with a hint of folk elements.
Khánh Linh, Thùy Chi, and Hoàng Dũng performed a series of love songs including "Late Sunshine," "The Day That Flirted," and "Touch"; Thanh Lam and Tùng Dương sang "Thirst" and "Tonight We Want to Be Intimate." Hà Trần performed the song "Grass and Rain" (set to a poem by Nguyễn Trọng Tạo), in both acapella and orchestral versions.
One of the audience favorites was Giáng Son singing and playing "Midday Dream" herself. Later, she accompanied Khánh Linh and Thùy Chi on the piano as they sang a duet. Twenty years ago, Khánh Linh was the first to perform "Midday Dream." Later, Thùy Chi released a different version online, which was well-received by the audience.
Music critic Nguyen Quang Long – one of the show's attendees – commented that the team created a surprise by refreshing Giang Son's songs: "I usually imagine Son's music to be feminine and demure, but the performances in the show were explosive, unconventional, and suitable for the outdoor musical setting. The concert was successful thanks to the harmony between many elements in terms of content and form. The performing artists are all people who are close to Giang Son, so they understand her music well."
Besides songwriting, Giáng Son also serves as a judge and coach in many music competitions and programs such as: Sao Mai Diem Hen, Do Re Mi, The Voice of Hanoi, The Voice of Hanoi, The Best Song, Amazing Music, DJ Stars…
Giáng Son is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the Hanoi Music Association, a member of the Vietnam Musicians Association, a member of the 21st Century Composers Association (Composers 21), and works at the Vietnam Musicians Association.
Source: https://daidoanket.vn/nhac-si-giang-son-toi-chua-bao-gio-hanh-phuc-den-the-10301403.html
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