Reporter: What projects is musician Hoai An currently working on? How is the plan to bring his Vietnamese historical compositions to schools going?
Musician Hoai An (Photo provided by the character)
- Musician HOAI AN: I am working on many programs at the same time: the album "Vietnamese Soul" about historical epics and legends; a compilation album of spring songs (old and new songs); the album "Toc May" including 27 love songs I wrote in September and October 2023. Maybe I am "overloaded" with these programs but I am happy about that.
The epic poem "The Legend of Co Loa" I wrote in 2001 has been 22 years in the making, so "Vietnamese Soul" is the longest and most difficult project I have ever done. After releasing the album, I want to bring the program to perform for students. Although there are still many difficulties, I think it can be done.
Looking back on the creative process, what are you satisfied with?
- I am always devoted to my work, I write in most genres: blues, pop-rock, contemporary folk, folk music... There are also many groups of content topics: love songs, historical songs, homeland, community music for youth, children's music... For more than ten years now, I have proactively written less and expanded my creative topics beyond the "safe zone" of love songs.
Is composing poetry difficult for you? Why do you like composing poetry by Lam Xuan Thi?
- I don't think composing poetry is difficult, the main thing is to choose a poem that inspires the musician. I like the poetry of poet Lam Xuan Thi because his poems always have interesting surprises, the words, images and style are very unique. Personally, I am also very comfortable when composing poetry, like I read it quickly and if I "catch" the musicality in the poem, I will write the music right away. I usually finish in about 30 minutes because the lyrics (poems) are already there. I don't force myself so I will skip the poem if I'm not inspired enough.
What is your opinion on today's music scene? What do you do to keep up with the times and keep composing?
- Life is getting more and more rushed, entertainment technology and tools are developing rapidly and strongly in many directions. Young people today have better conditions than we did in the past, but the advantages and disadvantages depend on how each person perceives the issue. The process of being a music director for singing competitions and game shows on VTV, HTV, THVL... helps me have access to the newest and hottest things in the market and that is also a way for me to update my knowledge.
When will you do your own live show?
- I really like this question! If we want to be "safe", a live show like "Top Hits Hoai An - 32 years" would be the easiest to do: a large number of singers, familiar songs... But I really hope to have two more live shows: "Hon Viet" and "Toc May" - 27 love songs, all new songs. I hope that in 2024 there will be enough conditions to do it.
What are you currently concerned about in terms of the current state of songwriting and how to bring songs to life in a convincing way?
- There are many new songs from the way they are written to the way they are arranged, which is something I really like. Young people write freely, so many songs are very enjoyable to listen to, some songs only use 2 chords, write 3 sections and most importantly, they are very good to listen to. Besides the very good songs, there are also some songs that need to be reviewed in terms of lyrics, or the arrangement, so the singer sings in Vietnamese but does not pronounce the words clearly. But this is a trend in the way young people sing. I hope you guys expand your creative topics, I think young people have more than enough talent and conditions to write, produce and publish new works.
Looking back at your process, are you afraid to face failure?
- Sometimes happiness goes hand in hand with suffering, so success and failure are common. Whether or not you can stand up, how you face the problem, and how you move forward are what really matter.
Musician Hoai An (Photo provided by the character)
I can say that I am very lucky in my work, with the support of many colleagues (as uncles, brothers, friends, etc.). As for my personal life, it is not as expected, so it can be considered a failure. However, from another perspective, if the life of an artist (composer) is too smooth, it is sometimes difficult, because listeners often remember sad songs more than happy ones, so I can only console myself with this point.
Why do you like learning traditional musical instruments?
- In 1992, when I started composing, I was a guitarist, so I still love playing instruments. Recently, I asked teachers to teach me traditional instruments and self-study whenever I have time. I practiced the moon lute and the pipa first because they are similar string instruments to the guitar. Besides, I also love the zither and the two-stringed fiddle. Learning traditional instruments helps me relax with music, understand more about traditional music, and is very beneficial in terms of composing or performing musical instruments.
To compose Vietnamese historical songs, where do you find materials?
- My father (teacher Vo Dai Mau) inspired me to "love Vietnamese history". He was the one who encouraged me to not only write a few articles, but to do a series of compositions. When I was in 4th grade, there was nothing at home but books and stories. During my childhood, I read many great works of Russia, England, France... From 10th grade, I read many famous works of Vietnamese literature. Reading a lot, I understand the power of words.
I think that if I want future generations to understand and remember history, music is a shortcut that I can contribute a small part to. Because making TV series and movies requires a huge investment, while music (especially songs) is easy to perform and inspire. That is why I collect many historical books, both ancient and modern.
As a result, after 22 years, I have many articles about history and legends such as: "Hung Vuong's merits", "The legend of Co Loa", "The sound of Me Linh drum", "The reed flag", "The famous generals of Ly Dynasty", "The heroic spirit of Thang Long - The spirit of Dong A - Bach Dang Giang - Duc Thanh Tran" (a collection of songs about the Tran Dynasty), "The emperor in cloth", "The fairy tale of Thach Sanh", "Banh chung and banh giay", "Son Tinh - Thuy Tinh", "Truong Chi - My Nuong"...
"If you want to "make" a song famous, you just need to promote it strongly and communicate it properly, then the possibility of it becoming a "hit" is very high. But what becomes famous quickly will also disappear, many songs only become famous for a few months and then disappear.
Musician Hoai An's first composition was "Remembering Trung Vuong" when he was in 10th grade. The song was published in Muc Tim Newspaper, becoming the motivation for Hoai An to pursue a career as a musician. In 1998, many people knew the name of musician Hoai An through songs such as "Love Poetry", "If Faded Tomorrow"... At one time, musician Hoai An's KTX band was widely loved by the public. Currently, although he is no longer young, his soul is always filled with the desire to compose for young people, which are songs about preserving, protecting and building the Fatherland.
Not only making his mark with hit songs in many genres, musician Hoai An has just released a publication with many special compositions inspired by the passion and dedication of doctors, medical staff for patients and society with emotional songs such as "White Shirt - Blue Shirt", "Happiness from the heart", "Reaching Aspiration"...
Source: https://nld.com.vn/van-nghe/am-nhac-la-duong-tat-de-the-he-sau-nho-su-viet-20231118203110758.htm
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