Returning with song

For the past few days, the music video "Câu hò bên bờ Hiền Lương" (A Song by the Hiền Lương Riverbank) by singer Như Hải Yến has been widely shared among people both inside and outside the province. This is a musical product by singer Như Hải Yến to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Vĩnh Linh district's traditional day, along with the album "Bài ca Vĩnh Linh" (Songs of Vĩnh Linh), which she also produced around this time. For the people of Quảng Trị, the song "Câu hò bên bờ Hiền Lương" is very familiar and has been "tailor-made" for the names of many famous artists. Yet, when watching Như Hải Yến's music video, almost everyone is overwhelmed with indescribable emotions. The lyrics and images in the music video have a special intertwining of the old and the new, the past and the present... stirring the hearts of viewers.

Singer Nhu Hai Yen appears simply dressed in the music video "A Song by the Banks of Hien Luong River" - Photo: Provided by the artist.

A gift of gratitude

In an interview with reporters, singer Nhu Hai Yen revealed that she had long cherished the idea of ​​creating a music video for "A Song by the Banks of Hien Luong River." However, the demands of life and work prevented her from realizing her dream. Recently, upon hearing that Quang Tri province was holding a Peace Festival and Vinh Linh district was preparing to celebrate its 70th anniversary, she told herself she couldn't wait any longer. Putting aside all other plans and projects, Nhu Hai Yen devoted all her energy to the music video as a gift to her hometown.

She shared: “‘The Song by the Banks of Hien Luong River’ is a timeless masterpiece that has touched the hearts of the Vietnamese people. Its melody and lyrics are profound and meaningful. From a young age, Nhu Hai Yen heard this song, and it has been deeply ingrained in her soul. With this work, Yen doesn't aspire to surpass the great works that came before, but only wants the song to come alive again, to be even more deeply etched in the hearts of the audience. Therefore, Yen sings with the mindset of a young person living in peace , who cherishes the past and present, and always looks towards a better future.”

As a singer and vocal instructor, creating and releasing music videos and albums is not difficult for Nhu Hai Yen. However, when she started working on the music video "A Song by the Banks of Hien Luong River," she couldn't help but feel anxious because there were so many messages she wanted to convey. Nhu Hai Yen feared that she and her team wouldn't be able to fully express all the messages from her heart through images, sounds, and melodies...

“Although the song's lyrics were written in 1957, when the country was still divided, expressing longing and yearning for reunification, in the final scene of the music video, Nhu Hai Yen portrays a couple dreaming of a bright future, with the two parts of the country united, meeting at the white line on Hien Luong Bridge. The image of the national flag appearing at that moment is very sacred. The truth has proven that the premonition of the authors Dang Giao and Hoang Hiep back then was completely accurate,” Nhu Hai Yen said about the idea of ​​reimagining this song, which is already very familiar to generations of Vietnamese people.

Beautiful images of People's Artist Ta Minh Tam and singer Nhu Hai Yen in the music video "A Song by the Banks of Hien Luong River" - Photo: Provided by the artist.

The concerns and dedication of singer Nhu Hai Yen have touched the hearts of many, including her teacher, People's Artist Ta Minh Tam. Although a native of the far south, People's Artist Ta Minh Tam has always held deep affection for the land and people of Quang Tri. He enthusiastically participates in programs such as the 40th anniversary of the Quang Tri Hometown Association in Ho Chi Minh City and the "Flowers for the Graves of Martyrs" ceremony at the Truong Son National Martyrs Cemetery.

Quietly, the teacher helped many students in Quang Tri, including Nhu Hai Yen. When he learned of his student's idea, People's Artist Ta Minh Tam volunteered to play a role in the music video. This act gave Nhu Hai Yen extra strength. Knowing that the teacher accepted the role not for fame or money, Nhu Hai Yen hoped to use the success of the music video to express her gratitude to him.

According to singer Nhu Hai Yen, People's Artist Ta Minh Tam not only appeared in the music video "A Song by the Hien Luong River," but also contributed his voice to the album "Vinh Linh Song." Knowing that this was a heartfelt message from his student to the border region on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Vinh Linh's traditional day, Yen's teacher once again agreed to be a special guest. "My teacher's support means a great deal to the music video 'A Song by the Hien Luong River' and the album 'Vinh Linh Song.' When I finished the music video and album, listening to each song again, I shed tears of emotion. I believe I will not let my teacher and the audience down," Nhu Hai Yen confided.

Give your homeland the very best.

Referring to the music video "Câu hò bên bờ Hiền Lương" and the album "Bài ca Vĩnh Linh," singer Như Hải Yến shared that these are gifts filled with love that she wants to send to the people of Quảng Trị in general and Vĩnh Linh in particular.

The album "Vinh Linh Song" was completed in one month, but the concept and song selection process had been planned beforehand. The album includes 10 songs, 8 filmed in Ho Chi Minh City and 2 filmed on location in Vinh Linh district, with the direction, cinematography, and post-production teams from Ho Chi Minh City and Hue working together. The budget for the audio and visuals of the album was over 300 million VND. While this figure isn't huge for a music album, it represents Nhu Hai Yen's heartfelt gratitude to her homeland.

People's Artist Ta Minh Tam participated in the music video "A Song by the Banks of Hien Luong River" to encourage and support his student, singer Nhu Hai Yen - Photo: Provided by the artist.

Like many people who live far from home, Yen always longed to return and do something meaningful. In 2020, when Quang Tri was devastated by storms and floods, she rushed back to her hometown to help the people. After that, her love for her homeland urged her to do more. She thought more about contributing to Quang Tri. Deep down, Yen wanted to give her hometown the most precious things she had. During this period, for her, that was her singing. Therefore, besides visiting home and doing charity work, most of singer Nhu Hai Yen's return trips were to perform for the audience in Quang Tri. For Yen, the highest reward is the affection of the people in her hometown.

"However, singing for the people of my hometown isn't enough. Yen has always longed to create valuable musical products for her homeland. That's why I invested so much time and effort into the music video 'Câu hò bên bờ Hiền Lương' and the album 'Bài ca Vĩnh Linh'," Như Hải Yến shared.

At the end of the conversation, singer Nhu Hai Yen recounted a memory from a trip back to her hometown to shoot a photo series at Hien Luong Bridge. At the time, the rain and wind made everyone in the crew think they wouldn't be able to complete the work. Worried, Hai Yen clasped her hands in prayer. She told herself that if she succeeded this time, she would return to Hien Luong Bridge to create a music video. And that time, Nhu Hai Yen and her team successfully completed the work when the weather warmed up...

“With the music video “Câu hò bên bờ Hiền Lương” and the album “Bài ca Vĩnh Linh”, I have fulfilled my long-held wish. Throughout the process of making the music video and album, every time I encountered difficulties, I was fortunate to overcome them and receive help from benefactors. That is also the reason why, on each return trip, I can sing from my heart,” Như Hải Yến confided.

Quang Hiep

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/ca-si-nhu-hai-yen-tro-ve-bang-tieng-hat-187672.htm