Musician Tran Xuan Mai Tram: "Singing about the city I love" is full of emotions

Musician Tran Xuan Mai Tram sent the song "Singing about the city I love" to the songwriting campaign "The country is full of joy" organized by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper.

Reporter: What emotions inspired you to compose the song "Singing about the city I love"?

Nhạc sĩ Trần Xuân Mai Trâm. (Ảnh do nhân vật cung cấp) — Musician Tran Xuan Mai Tram. (Photo provided by the character)

- Musician TRAN XUAN MAI TRAM: This song was composed from my deep love for Ho Chi Minh City - where I was born, grew up and spent years full of memories. "Every row of green tamarind trees on Nguyen Du Street nurtured my dreams, next to the school with beloved friends" - is the line I mentioned about the most beautiful scene of my youth, the 11 years I studied at the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music.

Many beautiful memories have formed the emotions for me to write "Singing about the city I love".

What is the most unforgettable memory for you when mentioning Ho Chi Minh City?

- The memories that I will always remember when mentioning Ho Chi Minh City are the difficult days during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the city faced many challenges. I was especially impressed by the warmth, sharing and solidarity of the people of Ho Chi Minh City.

It is this solidarity and love that makes me love and be proud of this city even more. It is a city full of compassion, always knowing how to soothe pain and turn difficulties into strength to rise up.

To compose a song based on a theme and to have a good song, what do you think is the most important step?

- In my opinion, to have a good song, the most important thing is sincerity in emotions. I always believe that when a song comes from genuine emotions when composing, it will easily touch the listener's heart.

According to you, how can we spread the works in the songwriting campaign "The Country is Full of Joy"?

- In order for the songwriting campaign "The Country is Full of Joy" to be effective, I think there needs to be strong communication programs to help the works reach the public. Organizing live performances will give musicians the opportunity to showcase their talents.

Organizing exchanges and sharing experiences between musicians and the public is also very important to create an open space, encourage creativity and inspire each other. Songs will easily be loved if spread properly.

As a young musician, what do you expect from the cultural and artistic field of Ho Chi Minh City in 2025?

- Ho Chi Minh City is an energetic city, always creating conditions for creative fields to develop. Hopefully the city will continue to maintain and promote traditional cultural values; constantly innovate in the fields of art.

This is a very special time for not only Ho Chi Minh City but also the whole country to affirm its cultural strength to the international community.

The songwriting campaign "The Country is Full of Joy" was organized by the Lao Dong Newspaper to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025). To date, the Organizing Committee has received 160 songs from 122 authors.

The final round will take place in February 2025 and the award ceremony is scheduled for April 2025. The organizers have posted the works on the newspaper's social media platforms to introduce them to the public. The organizers will release a collection of 50 representative songs out of a total of 160 songs by 122 authors participating in the campaign.