Yiruma in an interview with Tuoi Tre - Photo: BTC
Pianist Yiruma was interviewed while coming to Ho Chi Minh City to perform at singer Ha Anh Tuan's Sketch a Rose concert on March 8 and 9 in Ho Chi Minh City.
I am always loyal to Ha Anh Tuan
* During the two Sketch a Rose concerts, you performed outdoors in front of about 10,000 people each night. Your music is usually performed in concert halls. Why did you accept the invitation to perform outdoors this time?
- Outdoor concerts are quite challenging because you will hear all kinds of noise around you. People can feel the wind blowing and see the sky.
Standing in the middle of that beautiful setting, you enjoy live music. It's a great experience. So I'm really looking forward to performing with Ha Anh Tuan.
Yiruma is a famous Korean musician.
* During the meeting with Ha Anh Tuan in Korea, you said you knew he was a famous singer in Vietnam. What was your impression?
- We have a lot of similarities in music and style. He said he doesn't really like Korean pop music but wants to make music with a Korean artist and I said yes.
There are a lot of K-pop idol groups, some are good but not all are good.
When it comes to music, I don’t care about genres. You can mix any two genres as long as they blend well. That’s why I got along with Ha Anh Tuan. We grew up in different countries, different music, different styles, different cultures but we met and connected through music. It was a magical moment.
If other Vietnamese singers want to collaborate with me, I will say no. Because I am always loyal to Ha Anh Tuan. I will stick with Ha Anh Tuan. He does a lot of charity work and many other great things throughout his career. I want to follow in his footsteps, it will be a great journey.
Yiruma makes music with Ha Anh Tuan during a meeting in Korea - Photo: NVCC
Outdoor concerts require a lot of care to ensure that the sound reaches everyone in the audience perfectly. Other than that, nothing changes. The music is the same. But most importantly, the artist will communicate more with the audience, it is more alive.
Pianist Yiruma
Cooperation is very special
* You just performed at the Sydney Opera House in May 2024. Ha Anh Tuan also brought his music there in September. What do you think when a Vietnamese artist sets foot in the Sydney Opera House and what do you want to share with Vietnamese artists so that Vietnamese music can spread globally?
- My collaboration with Ha Anh Tuan may encourage other Korean artists to collaborate more with Vietnamese artists.
Before, I and some other Koreans did not know much about Vietnamese music, but now I know a lot about Vietnamese music because of Ha Anh Tuan. He contacted me, gave me advice and ideas for composing.
Ha Anh Tuan's concert at the Sydney Opera House is a big step forward. When I first held a concert at the Sydney Opera House, I was very surprised.
I found out that there are many strangers around the world who know my music and try to go see me perform live. I am sure that there are many fans around the world for Ha Anh Tuan and other Vietnamese artists as well.
I know the Vietnamese song Gwenchana (It's Okay by rapper 7dnight - PV) is one of the most popular songs in Korea. I mean language doesn't matter. You can sing in any language and the fact that a Vietnamese artist sings in Korean is something very unique and authentic.
Ha Anh Tuan is doing a great job of developing, improving and elevating Vietnamese music. He is a great person to do such things.
Legend Yiruma will have a highly anticipated collaboration with Ha Anh Tuan in the Live Concert 'Sketch A Rose' - Saigon 2025".
I am very happy that despite the language barrier, we can still feel the music together and get along with each other. The important thing is to try. Ha Anh Tuan has tried and some other artists in Vietnam have tried too. I feel that the Vietnamese music industry is growing and developing every year. That is why I am interested.
Pianist Yiruma
Gift from heaven
* The song River Flows in You is still going strong even though it was released 24 years ago. What does the popularity of this song mean to you, as well as another song, Kiss The Rain?
- Oh! It was a turning point. River Flows in You. I never expected anything from this song. I wrote River Flows in You in 2001, 24 years ago. Just in a few minutes. The melody just came and I wrote it.
I didn't think the song was good enough, but life is strange. Somehow the song became famous all over the world through the Internet.
River Flows in You - Yiruma's most famous song
Everyone knows this tune, even if they don't know the name of the song or the composer. It's also been performed live on YouTube and TikTok, so it's becoming more and more popular. And that's what brought me to Vietnam, to other countries.
River Flows in You is a huge part of my life. Without River Flows in You, I wouldn't be here. River Flows in You is like a gift from heaven.
I don't know what religion you believe in but in any religion it seems to come from a God. It's not from the human mind. It's something that humans can't really create. I always feel like it's a gift from a spirit somewhere.
* What was the moment you realized the cultural influence of your music?
- Whenever I'm on a plane, in a taxi, in an alley, or at a wedding, my music plays, and I'm happy. That happiness motivates me to compose. I want to write better music. Even though we have different cultures, music has its own language.
* This time you came to Ho Chi Minh City, while you have been to Hanoi before. What memories do you have of our country?
- Wherever I go, people are very friendly. Coming back, I see more Koreans in Vietnam. The food is amazing, I love pho and banh mi. I always eat a lot of banh mi.
Yiruma, whose real name is Lee Ru Ma, is a South Korean pianist and composer. He was born in 1978 in Seoul, South Korea.
Yiruma's music has been world-famous for years but has seen a distinct rebirth since the COVID-19 era, especially the song River Flows in You.
Yiruma visited Vietnam in 2017 to perform at the Hanoi Opera House and another unofficial performance before that also in Hanoi.
Tuoitre.vn
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/huyen-thoai-duong-cam-yiruma-cong-nghiep-am-nhac-viet-nam-dang-lon-manh-20250308225333126.htm
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