Although he has never met his relatives in his hometown, he is always proud of being an Nghe An person, his artistic blood has Nghe flowing through his veins.
Nghe An Newspaper had a conversation with People's Artist Duc Long, who is honored by music lovers nationwide as "the singing man".
PV: When looking at your brilliant artistic path today, many people will think that your path to music was “smooth sailing”, but the truth is not so. Can you tell us about your journey to music?
People's Artist Duc Long : I was born and raised in Hon Gai - Quang Ninh. Orphaned at the age of 8, I did all kinds of hard manual labor such as making bricks for hire, pulling carts, carrying loads... to make a living, but it was the songs that saved my soul, gave me more faith and hope in life, in the future ahead. I sang at construction sites, on bus trips, wherever I was I felt happy and joyful because I had a voice and could sing. Because I sang well, even though I was a mine worker, I hardly had to do manual labor but performed all year round to serve the workers. Back then, we were assigned to sing to encourage and motivate the workers to complete the targets assigned by the factory. Until now, I am still proud of the past, being with the factory's singing team to continuously win the top position in amateur music festivals in all three regions.
Then a chance brought me to the professional music path. That was when I won first prize at the National Mass Arts Festival in 1980, with the song "Chieu Ha Long". Then, in 1982, I was invited by the Air Defense - Air Force Art Troupe to join the Troupe. This step gave me a new life, a life that I never even dreamed of, which was to become a singer.
It was in this environment that I was trained the qualities of a singing soldier: dedication, sacrifice, and enthusiasm. Wherever we went, whatever stage we sang on, we were always as dedicated as silkworms spinning silk to serve the audience, especially the soldiers.
Also from the Air Defense - Air Force Art Troupe, I was sent to study vocal music at the National Academy of Music and have been honing my vocal skills since those days. People say that when I sing, it is very emotional, very gentle and I don't see any technique. That's not true, very gentle and emotional is when I use the vocal techniques that I have honed for many years, combined with the soul of a singer and respect for the audience.
Speaking of the journey of singing, I think that every step gives us valuable lessons and certain maturity. When I was a miner, I sang with the most innocent innocence, when I joined a professional troupe, I sang with precision and enthusiasm. Later on, I sang with all my heart, mind, respect and even my inner thoughts. Therefore, singing is my instinct, my reason for living.
PV: Sir, in addition to being a singer, you are also known as a famous vocal instructor. In your career as a teacher, you have always been loved and respected by your students because you always show love and generosity. For students with difficult circumstances, you often teach without charging any fees. There are also many students who, thanks to you, have been able to overcome difficulties and grow in their careers. Typical examples are singers who have now become great artists in the Vietnamese music industry such as Tung Duong, Phan Thu Lan, Minh Thu... What can you say about your role as a teacher?
People's Artist Duc Long: After studying vocal music at the National Academy of Music, I was retained as a teaching assistant and then a vocal lecturer. Throughout that journey, in addition to singing on tour, an important part of my life was nurturing and giving wings to musical talents. During my teaching career, I always kept in mind that teaching music is like teaching literacy, first of all, we must nurture the soul and personality, then talent. Therefore, most of the students I teach have a very unique and colorful way of perceiving music, but very humane and rich in emotion, so when they sing, they touch the hearts of the listeners.
As for the aspect you shared, I think, as a vocal teacher, you have to convey true love and passion to your students. The important thing is to make sure that when they graduate, they can do their job well and be confident in their role as artists. Although I always encourage and motivate my students, I also frankly advise those who do not have talent to pursue another career, because if you do not have talent in this profession, no matter how hard you practice, you will not be able to become talented. Perhaps because of that sincerity, frankness and responsibility, my students love and trust me.
PV: The music industry is currently “mixed”, many singers without good voices are still in demand and have “huge” incomes. Meanwhile, mainstream singers who have undergone formal, professional training, and whose voices and maturity require hard work, are always at a disadvantage. What do you think about this? Do you think you are at a disadvantage in today’s world?
People's Artist Duc Long: Absolutely not! From the young days when our voices were at the peak of technique and passion, we have had the glory of the profession and now it is the same. And so, for a long time, reputation, many shows, salary... have not been too important to me. I do not feel sad about those things. I just want to be loved by the audience for my hard work and dedication. And of course, I always want to have the emotional resonance of the audience every time I go on stage. For our generation, that is what is important.
Regarding the fact that singers who do not have good vocal skills but still have many shows, I think that is a good thing, when the whole population loves music, the whole population will go to listen to singing. Anyone can express their love for music, however, how they have to perform, how they have to learn to become professional, whether they can convince the audience to listen to them sing for a long time or not... that is the important factor. In fact, not only me, but also our generation, no one thinks or feels "sad" when young people who do not have good vocal skills have high income from singing, while we do not.
I myself have a fixed salary according to the State's scale, and of course I am satisfied with that. When our generation sings, no one thinks about the word "money", nor do we demand high salaries. With all our passion and love, we put it all into music. What worries us most is, when we step on stage, will the audience still listen to us sing or not, and will they be in tune with the emotions in the story of the song that we convey or not. Therefore, for me, every singer has his or her own musical audience, and we always feel happy and joyful in our musical life.
PV: At the end of 2023, you were honored with the title of People's Artist. Was this a big surprise or an obvious thing for you after many years of dedication and achievements?
People's Artist Duc Long: That is a great honor! Every artist hopes to receive proper recognition, no matter how confident he is. And to receive this honor, the artist must work and dedicate himself in the most meticulous and enthusiastic way. I am always proud that I perform with emotion and seriousness in my profession, regardless of fame. However, in that journey, I was fortunate to be recognized by the art council, they honored me with Gold and Silver Medals at festivals, so that I can be an artist of the people. Isn't that a great honor and pride? The title of People's Artist is a new motivation for me to continue to try and dedicate myself more in the journey ahead.
PV: It is known that you are originally from Nghe An but have never had a chance to visit your hometown properly. Can you talk about this?
People's Artist Duc Long: Ever since I was a child, I have recited my biography by heart that my hometown is Nghi Xuan, Nghi Loc, Nghe An and my grandparents were born and raised there. But sadly, my memories do not have the shadow of my hometown, because my parents passed away when I was too young. My three brothers and I raised each other in hardship and hardship. As you know, when I grew up, I worked as a miner and then sang, time just flowed by like water under a bridge. There were many times when I discussed with my siblings that I wanted to go back to find the roots of our family, see who was still alive and who was dead, and see how our family tree is worshiped now. But to do that takes a lot of time, honestly, life is too busy, my brothers and I have not been able to return to our hometown yet.
However, the word “hometown” in my resume has always been a source of intense pride for me. I am an Nghe An person, I have Nghe An qualities which are generosity, self-reliance, the will to overcome difficulties, and the burning enthusiasm every time I take on a job, every time I get to go on stage.
I still remember the time I went to the Federal Republic of Germany to perform for the Vietnamese community, I met many Nghe brothers, they were united and spoke Nghe dialect, it was so much fun. Suddenly a feeling of emotion, mixed with pride and honor filled me. "I am also a Nghe person". That voice echoed in me, echoed among the many Nghe people abroad, so sacred and warm.
And even though I have not met any relatives in Nghi Xuan, Nghi Loc, and do not know my roots in the heroic Soviet homeland, I still have a burning desire: "Returning to my homeland, returning to my ancestors' lineage".
PV: Thank you for the conversation!
Source
Comment (0)