This year’s competition attracted a large number of journalists to participate, and brought many rich, diverse, and colorful performances in different musical genres. Each contestant was a timbre, playing together in a beautiful melody, leaving unforgettable emotions in the hearts of the public and journalists nationwide.
The "strange notes" of the journalism industry
The 2023 Open Journalist Singing Contest is a playground for journalists. Therefore, the contestants consider this an opportunity to show off their hidden talents. Putting aside the busy work of writing, articles or journalism-related work, the soaring voices, the clear, confident, and mature sounds on stage, as if real singers were free to sublimate and shine on the brightly lit stage, contributing to the useful playground of journalists.
More than once, the members of the Jury had to admit that the 2023 Open Journalist Singing Contest is a colorful and high-quality playground. Musician Duc Trinh - President of the Vietnam Musicians Association, Head of the Jury, was surprised by the contestants' abilities, because "their confidence and performance skills are no less than those of professional singers" . For People's Artist Quoc Hung - PhD, Head of the Vocal Department of the Vietnam National Academy of Music, those are the "strange notes" of the journalism industry.
Contestant Pham Cong Thanh - Lecturer at the Military University of Culture and Arts, is one of those factors. Having followed the contest for many years and knowing that this year the contest's target audience has been expanded, Pham Cong Thanh was determined to register to participate.
Candidate Pham Cong Thanh - Lecturer at the Military University of Culture and Arts. Photo: Trung Nguyen
Sharing the reason for participating in the contest, Cong Thanh confided that since he was a child, he had always cherished the dream of standing on stage and singing for everyone. When he submitted his application, he was extremely determined. When he learned that he was in the top 18 entries for the national finals, and was also the only representative of the journalism training unit, he was even more determined.
For Cong Thanh, this was an opportunity for him to meet, learn and exchange about music with his colleagues in the journalism industry. Understandably, he did not miss every moment of practicing for months just to "burn himself out" for a few minutes on stage. And in the two competition nights of March 17-18, Pham Cong Thanh really convinced the judges and the audience on the stage of the Voice of Vietnam Theater. His performance "January" was performed wonderfully and deserved to win the highest prize.
“After nearly 4 months since joining the Open Voice of Journalists 2023 contest and achieving the highest position, for me, it has been a long, arduous and difficult journey. However, I realized that what I received from the contest was not the prize but rather making new friends and new colleagues who share the same artistic soul and share professional knowledge.
The contest also gave me the opportunity to burn myself out on stage, to be "crazy" with my ego and sublimate with the musical notes, which is something I have long dreamed of, to bring my voice closer to the audience and especially my colleagues in the journalism industry," Cong Thanh emotionally shared.
Also a “strange note”, with a high-pitched and passionate voice, contestant Nguyen Thi Minh Chau – an employee of the Vietnam Press Museum under the Central Branch of the Vietnam Journalists Association has left many impressions at this year’s contest. With her passion for singing, Minh Chau is considered a true “artist” of the Central Branch of the Vietnam Journalists Association as she is ready to participate in any event whenever needed.
Candidate Nguyen Thi Minh Chau (Vietnam Press Museum, Central Branch of Vietnam Journalists Association).
Having participated in the Voice of Journalists contest twice (2016 and 2018), Minh Chau each time brought her new emotions, excitement and pride. In this year's contest, a new and passionate Minh Chau really exploded the stage with an emotional performance.
Winning second prize with the song "On Phu Van Peak" , Minh Chau is not only a source of pride but also a motivation for colleagues at the Central Office of the Vietnam Journalists Association to confidently demonstrate their musical talents even in many "backhanded" competitions.
Not using too many techniques, but "I am a broadcaster" by the female choir from Tay Ninh Radio and Television Station - Tay Ninh Provincial Journalists Association is considered an interesting "high" note of the 2023 Open Voice of Journalists. The reason is because among the songs competing in the national final, "I am a broadcaster" is a rare performance talking about journalism and anything "rare" is interesting.
The female vocal group including Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, Le Thi Ngu Binh, Nguyen Hoang Phuong Thao, Nguyen Tuyet Van, Nguyen Thi Kieu Tien, Dao Thi Nhu Hoa really brought a sense of pride to the announcer. This was also the performance that won the award for "Impressive song about journalism" .
Bringing the youthful energy of journalists to the stage
The mark of the Voice of Journalists contest is not only the burning “strange notes” , but also the impression of young faces full of enthusiasm and passion. Bringing the desire to express “professional fire” through the lyrics, the contestants have brought to the contest a “young wave” and freshness.
As the youngest face of the contest, contestant Nguyen Trung Kien (Reporter of Television News Department, People's Public Security Communications Department) - Winner of the "Promising Young Voice" award with the song "That Soldier" - has won the love of the audience and the recognition of the judges.
Nguyen Trung Kien - Department of People's Public Security Communications.
Talking about the opportunity to participate in the Open Journalist Singing Contest 2023, Trung Kien said that at first he did not intend to participate, but thanks to the encouragement and enthusiastic support of his colleagues, he was motivated to participate in this contest.
“Previously, I participated in the Hanoi Voice Contest in 2018. At that time, I was still a student at the Academy of Journalism and Communication. Without a professional education, I thought I had no talent for singing, but luckily I made it to the semi-finals. After that, I thought I would not participate in any more music competitions until the Voice of Journalists was held. This is an interesting playground for me to interact with my colleagues in the profession and I feel lucky with my decision to compete,” Trung Kien confided.
With the "Promising Young Voice" award, Trung Kien hopes that he will have the opportunity to participate in future competitions, to be able to connect with colleagues in the industry as well as create affection between brothers and sisters of the Provincial Journalists Association, spreading youth even more in the field of journalism where he is working.
Also a promising young face, contestant Vo Thi Huyen Trang - Lieutenant of the Editorial Secretary Department at the Military Broadcasting & Television Center, has made a big splash when she won third prize with the song "Lua Viet". With her powerful voice and youthful energy burning in the spotlight, Huyen Trang hopes to convey the entire content of the song to the audience, to see the hardships, difficulties and efforts of journalists who are dedicating themselves to the country. To achieve today's results, she admits that she had to go through a long period of hard training with a strong passion for singing.
Vo Thi Huyen Trang (Army Radio and Television Station).
Huyền Trang said that her first achievement was winning the A prize at the Vietnam - China Friendship Singing Contest. This is a joy and also a motivation for her to try harder every day. Coming to the Open Journalist Singing Contest 2023, Huyền Trang not only wants to express the aspirations of Vietnamese youth but also wants to connect and interact with colleagues across the country, to do many meaningful things together.
“I personally feel the usefulness that the program has brought. Hopefully in the future, the Vietnam Journalists Association will organize more useful competitions like this so that journalists across the country have the opportunity to show off their singing talents, exchange and learn more,” Huyen Trang shared.
Colorful, bold imprint of homeland
If the 2023 Open Journalist Singing Contest is like a love song, then the contestants' performances are the melodies containing so much love for their homeland, roots, and country.
Looking back to his homeland culture, yearning to bring the songs of his birthplace to the stage, contestant Dinh Van Dat - representing the Journalists Association of Thai Binh province, chose to sing Cheo, a typical performance of his hometown Thai Binh, in the final night. Van Dat's sweet and soulful performance was loved by the audience who "pressed the button" to win the award "Most Favorite Contestant".
Dinh Van Dat - Thai Binh Journalists Association. Photo: Trung Nguyen
Talking about his performance, Van Dat proudly said: “I chose Cheo simply because when mentioning Thai Binh, we will mention Cheo mats. Thai Binh not only has rice plants, sweet potatoes, not only historical relics such as Keo Pagoda, Tran Temple, but mentioning Thai Binh, we will mention many Cheo mats” .
During the competition, having practiced, met and exchanged not only about professional skills but also about singing and performing techniques, Van Dat assessed that all the contestants were very "strong" . He also said that the competition was also an opportunity for the contestants to bring the "specialties" of their homeland, expressing their love and gratitude to their homeland and country.
Although he only won the Encouragement Prize, Van Dat's performance "Singing about the Fatherland today" brought stirring moments to the audience at the Voice of Vietnam Theater. For Van Dat, an amateur, a person who came to the competition with a love for Cheo, it was already a success.
Also choosing a song with a contemporary folk melody and a fast and slow rhythm, contestant Nguyen Van Hai from Nhan Dan Newspaper added color to the competition with his romantic voice and the haunting lyrics of the song "On the top of Phu Van" by musician Pho Duc Phuong.
After the award ceremony, Van Hai admitted that he was "very happy to have entered the final round and received the third prize of the 2023 Open Journalist Singing Contest. If I can participate in cultural and artistic programs in the future, I will still bring folk music to the stage" .
Having traveled a long distance to participate in the contest, contestant Doan Thanh Tu (Deputy Head of the Department of Arts - Sports & Entertainment, Son La Provincial Radio and Television Station, Second Prize) brought a unique color of his homeland. Coming from the Northwest mountainous region, Thanh Tu surprised everyone with her powerful yet sweet and captivating voice, through the song "The Fatherland Calls My Name" .
For Thanh Tu, the contest is a playground to satisfy his passion for music. Besides, the contest also helps him to meet new friends and colleagues, to cultivate and exchange professional knowledge, and to connect with friends nationwide.
As one of the representatives from the South, Announcer and MC Nguyen Huu Duc from Binh Duong Radio and Television Station (Encouragement Prize) also brought a unique and attractive feature to the competition. Huu Duc's vibrant and youthful performance with "Vietnam in my heart" seemed to add to the pride and love for the homeland of every Vietnamese citizen.
In addition to the above performances, most of the contestants at the two final nights of the Open Journalist Singing Contest 2023 left an impression on the judges and the audience. Each performance had its own unique and attractive features such as "Towards Hanoi" by Vo Duy Nguyen Cao Nguyen (Gia Lai Provincial Journalists Association, Impressive Performance Award); "Kơ-Nia Tree Shadow" by Pham Thi Tien (Today's Rural Newspaper, Elaborately Staged Performance Award); "Uncle's Advice Before Going Away" by Tran Thi Huan (Nghe An Radio and Television Station, Consolation Prize)... All together created a colorful competition and a useful playground for journalists, promising that the following seasons will be even more attractive and impressive.
Trung Nguyen
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