To let the song about Ho Chi Minh City go into...

Responding to the song composition campaign with the theme "The Country is Full of Joy" organized by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper, aiming to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025), musician Nguyen Quang Vinh - Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Music Association - discussed this meaningful activity.

Reporter: It is not easy to bring songs about Ho Chi Minh City to listeners. In your opinion, besides the campaign of the Lao Dong Newspaper, what needs to be done to bring compositions to the public?

Musician Nguyen Quang Vinh. (Photo provided by the character)

- Musician NGUYEN QUANG VINH: With the explosion of digital technology, to promote compositions about Ho Chi Minh City, it is necessary to create an impression through the media.

Many years ago, compositions about Ho Chi Minh City won the hearts of audiences through vividly staged programs on the small screen and radio. Nowadays, compositions about the city are rarely remembered by audiences, especially young people. This poses a difficult problem for both composers and organizers.

Based on the increasingly strong development of technology, we need to take advantage of its strengths in the process of artistic creation. Musicians, singers, and harmonizers must also renew themselves, accompanying the Lao Dong Newspaper to promote their "brainchild".

The Lao Dong newspaper needs to use TikTok, YouTube, Facebook... channels to promote the songs. The staging needs to be concise, attractive, conveying a lot of information that attracts attention, along with illustrative images of the development of Ho Chi Minh City that the song is about.

How can new songs written about Ho Chi Minh City become "hits" and touch people's hearts?

- Many songs written about Ho Chi Minh City are loved by listeners such as: "Spring in Ho Chi Minh City", "City of Love and Nostalgia", "The Road with Flying Tamarind Leaves", "Unforgettable Song", "Afternoon in My Homeland", "Saigon Girl Carrying Ammunition", "Singing from the City Named Afternoon", "Youth of Uncle Ho's City"... These songs easily touch people's hearts, even with just an acoustic guitar, it is enough to captivate listeners because of the beautiful melody, profound lyrics, and literary value.

The songwriting campaign of the Lao Dong Newspaper was born in the context of the whole country focusing on the great event - 50 years of the liberation of the South and the reunification of the country. Compositions about the city named after Uncle Ho always need to show depth and emotion. Musicians need to travel a lot, observe thoroughly, choose images and stories about the development of Ho Chi Minh City, about the difficulties that have been overcome or the constant efforts of the people, government and Party Committee of the city to put into their compositions.

With the current level of mixing and arranging, I believe that if done well, Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper will be a very solid "midwife" to bring these compositions to the public, becoming "hits" among young people.

According to you, is music written about Ho Chi Minh City a musical trend that transmits positive energy to listeners?

- Music is one of the art forms that is close and familiar to people. Composing about the city where one was born, grew up and worked, music is a place for musicians to express their feelings, concerns, dreams... in life.

Due to its easy popularity in life, up to now, songs are still the most familiar form to people, easy to access and easy to create emotions for listeners. Therefore, music written about the city named after Uncle Ho must share all the emotions of those who are closely attached to this land. Singers invited to perform songs from this campaign must truly understand and have feelings about the stories that the composers put into the work. Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper needs to organize talk shows for musicians and singers to discuss about the compositions selected for the final round.

In the race to attract general audiences today, many "tricks" have been used by organizers. However, many singers have steadfastly maintained their forte in performing songs that inspire and energize audiences with their own talents.

I believe that the 30-year journey of the Mai Vang Award of Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper will be an effective foundation for the performance and promotion of the 50-song collection after this campaign. Because the singers performing these songs have been voted by readers and audiences. They are still the singers with a large fan base.

.There is an opinion that songs with philosophical lyrics based on the composer's experiences always find a common voice, especially when writing about Ho Chi Minh City?

- Music that is rich in imagery, not too difficult to understand, combined with suitable melody and rhythm will easily enter people's hearts.

If the songwriting campaign of the Lao Dong Newspaper creates a synchronous effect, it will easily remain in the hearts of the public, especially the youth. They will welcome compositions written about the place where they live, about the heroic, civilized, modern, and affectionate city.

From the perspective of the Ho Chi Minh City Music Association, what do you think about the cooperation with the Lao Dong Newspaper to carry out this meaningful creative movement?

- The Ho Chi Minh City Music Association welcomes this creative movement. We believe that through the enthusiasm of the organizers, the movement will reap results. The collection of 50 good and new songs written about Ho Chi Minh City will be a meaningful gift for the people of our city in particular and the whole country in general.

Do you have any advice for the young composers participating in the songwriting campaign "A Country Full of Joy"?

- With today's young writers, including musicians, singing groups and singers with creative abilities, they need to invest in lyrics and melodies with unique and new features to complete songs about the city. Young people today have an advantage when composing, because they can easily access the music listening needs of young audiences. The problem is that they have to choose and promote a fresh creative style, helping songs about the city touch the common feelings of the majority, easily reaching today's young audiences.

Ho Chi Minh City is a large city, developing strongly in all aspects, a fertile land for artistic creators to find inspiration for their works. I believe that the meaningful campaign of the Lao Dong Newspaper will help young people express the perspectives and emotions of Ho Chi Minh City people; introduce to listeners beautiful moments in everyday life. Promotion after the song is awarded needs to be constantly innovated with appropriate methods.

Musician Nguyen Quang Vinh has composed many songs. Notable works include: "Ngoc Bich Tinh Yeu", "Lac Mat Linh Hon", "Mua Sen Nhan", "Huong Du Rieng", "Co Nang Can", "Dong Doi", "Hoa Nang", "Ba Dau Co Khoc", "Tinh Con Do", "Gai Hong", "Hay Say Anh Yeu Em", "Mai Am Gia Dinh"... (film soundtrack) and the songs "Ling Dao", "Hon Thien Dat Viet", "Hoa La Em", "Giong Ho Que Huong", "Chi Co The La Anh", "Loi Hoi Han"...

The songwriting campaign "The Country is Full of Joy" organized by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the complete Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025). The Organizing Committee will select the 20 best works for the final round.

The final round will take place in February 2025. During the time of receiving works and preliminary screening, the Organizing Committee will select good works to stage and introduce at the 30th Mai Vang Awards ceremony (around January 2025). At the same time, the Organizing Committee will also post the works on the newspaper's social media platform to introduce to the community.

The award ceremony of the songwriting campaign will take place in April 2025. The total prize of the campaign is worth 240 million VND, of which the first prize is 100 million VND.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/nhac-si-nguyen-quang-vinh-de-ca-khuc-ve-tp-hcm-di-vao-long-nguoi-196240302205619741.htm