Singer Ngoc Anh writes about memories with musician Lu Nhat Vu and his wife

I started singing folk songs when I was 12 years old, and was able to sing solo " This Morning I Came to School" to record and film the program "Little Flowers" for Ho Chi Minh City Television in August 1976.

It was not until 20 years later, when I happened to tell a story about the song "This Morning I Came to School ", a children's song with a Southern folk melody with melodies, notes, intervals and pitches too difficult for a 12-year-old child, that I learned that the song was composed by Vu's father (musician Lu Nhat Vu).

Musician Lu Nhat Vu (1936 - 2025)

PHOTO: DOCUMENT

In 1989, I first met Ma Nam Le Giang and Father Lu Nhat Vu at Ho Chi Minh City Television when they recorded and filmed the song Ben Tuong Tuong Bac Ho in the Author - Works program produced by the Ho Chi Minh City Music Association.

In 1993, the song Anh Ba Hung spread strongly to audiences everywhere after one night of broadcasting on television, thanks to Vu's father giving me this song, when Vu's father edited the program Nam Bo Resistance Anniversary , the song had a folk melody following the structure of the song Con chim manh manh (composed by musician Tran Kiet Tuong, 1946) which was loved by the audience at that time, and has been with me until today. Or the song Tieng ga noon, the melody of which reminds me of my childhood when I often slept on the back porch, the cool wind...

Later, I sang many very difficult and unique folk songs thanks to my father Vu who taught me how to sing each sentence and how to sing each note accurately.

Like the song Co Vo An Hang is a "difficult to sing" song in the Ly Bat Quo tune, which up to now is only sung by me, no one else has sung this song because of its difficulty. I was able to sing and film with the late artist Quoc Hoa in the song Cho cho - Tra tra , with Mr. Dao Duc in the song Ly bap bong bon , or the songs Ly cay guava (when lemon is sour, guava is also sour, lemons are sold in season, guava is sold all year round...), then filmed a video for the program Nhung melodies of Ly phuong nam, I also got to sing 2 classic Southern folk songs: Ly ngua o, Ly qua cau.

Especially the song Ly ba con ngua (Ly ba con ngua) , a Central folk song, I was introduced by my mother Nam Le Giang to Ms. Bich Huong, an artist of Lien khu 5 in the past, to teach me how to sing each sentence, because it must be said that the song was very difficult, I wanted to refuse but my mother Nam and my father Vu encouraged me to try to sing it well and correctly to preserve the ancient music for the next generation, so that it would not be forgotten or lost.

There are so many folk songs that my father Vu and mother Nam edited for me to sing, recorded and filmed for many folk song programs.

I remember the times I went to Vu's father and Nam's mother's house to study, Nam's mother often asked me to stay and she cooked lunch for me, fish braised with pepper, braised with candy, typical of the countryside of the West, very delicious, very good for rice. I was attached to Nam's mother and Vu's father like their own daughter, the closeness spread to my parents, they also went to Vu's father and Nam's house to eat and chat, talk heartily, very happily.

I remember many times when I went to film outdoors, my mother often bought cassava, sweet potatoes, rice cakes, fried banana cakes... for me to eat.

So many memories came flooding back... This morning, when I heard that Lu Nhat Vu's father had returned to "the blue sky and white clouds", leaving behind a great musical treasure, precious folk song research and collections, leaving behind so much grief for his family, musicians, singers, artists and audiences across the country. I feel so sorry for my mother Nam, who is left alone, how can she bear this loss and separation? Oh my mother Nam, I miss you so much!

I bow to Father Vu, respectfully send him to the afterlife, peace and soon rebirth in the Pure Land!

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ca-si-ngoc-anh-viet-ve-nhung-ky-niem-voi-vo-chong-nhac-si-lu-nhat-vu-185250329164225361.htm