Poet and musician Nguyen Thuy Kha passed away.

According to information from poet Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers Association, poet and musician Nguyen Thuy Kha passed away at 10:45 a.m. on March 13, 2025 in Hanoi, at the age of 77, after a long battle with colon cancer. Currently, the family has not made an official announcement about the funeral.

Poet and musician Nguyen Thuy Kha

On his personal page, poet Nguyen Quang Thieu shared his feelings about his close friend: "Thinking about him, I always see the image of a wanderer passing through this world, walking, writing, singing and playing, then gently disappearing. He lived as he wanted, wrote as he wanted and played as he wanted. He did not have to do what he did not want to do. He lived as he was. This is not easy for most people. I do not think about ending his life. I think he has ended his wandering in this world and gone to another place with other jobs. That is why his departure does not leave me with a heavy feeling even though from tomorrow there will be no more opportunities to drink with him, listen to him read poetry and sing. I bow my head to send him off to a new wandering".

Poet and musician Nguyen Thuy Kha was born on October 7, 1949 in Ngai Am village, Hoa Binh commune, Vinh Bao district (Hai Phong). He has been a member of the Vietnam Writers Association since 1990 and is one of the big names in the Vietnamese literary and musical world. In addition to poetry, he is also a journalist, music researcher, and musician. Nguyen Thuy Kha graduated from the University of Information and Nguyen Du Writing School, and served in the army from 1972 to 1990 as an information engineer.

During his career, he has made outstanding contributions to the research and writing of Vietnamese music. His books such as "Van Cao - Nguoi di dong bien" (1992), "Nua the kien tan nhat Viet Nam" (1998) and "Nhung mat am nhac the kien" (2000) have become important references for generations of music lovers. Besides his research work, he also composed many famous songs such as "Chieu khong em" (music by Huy Du), "Ve Hai Phong" (music by Phu Quang) and participated in the production of documentaries about music and literature. He is the author of the documentary "Nguyen Binh Khiem - The big tree with 500 years of shade" released in 1991.

Nguyen Thuy Kha has won many music and music theory awards from the Vietnam Musicians Association, with awards in the period 1996-2006. He is also the founder and participant of music essay criticism, and has composed many poems that have been set to music, leaving an impression on the public.

In the last months of his life, he had to face colon cancer and was treated at Hanoi Medical University Hospital. Despite his serious illness, musician Thuy Kha always maintained an optimistic spirit and calmly accepted his fate. Friends and colleagues said that he lost 10kg and was immobile after the first surgery, but he still maintained his lucidity in communication, telling his friends "enough is enough" when he realized his health condition.

The passing of Nguyen Thuy Kha is a great loss to literature, music and those who loved him. The legacy he left behind will forever be remembered in the hearts of generations of Vietnamese people who love music and literature.