Musician Hoang Hiep, real name Luu Tran Nghiep. He was born on October 1, 1931 in My Hiep commune, Cho Moi district, An Giang province. The musician joined the revolution in 1945 and started composing in 1948. He gathered in the North for 20 years (1955-1975) and then worked at the Ho Chi Minh City Music Publishing House, the Ho Chi Minh City Music Association and was the General Secretary of the association. In 2000, musician Hoang Hiep was awarded the Ho Chi Minh Prize for Literature and Arts by the State. He is one of the most representative musicians of the Vietnamese revolutionary music genre, with many works reflecting the changing stages of the Vietnamese people in the 20th century such as: "Cau ho ben bo Hien Luong", "La do", "Truong Son Dong, Truong Son Tay", "Co gai vot thorn" (poem by Moly Clavy), "Em van doi anh ve"...
Going back in time to the years the musician lived in the North, in 20 years he produced about 100 songs, both composing and setting music to poetry with songs reflecting the life of fighting during the war period such as: "The lamp standing guard" (poem by Chinh Huu), "Passing Tuy Coc bridge", "Truong Son Dong, Truong Son Tay", "The glassless car squad" (poem by Pham Tien Duat), "I'm still waiting for you to come back" (poem by Le Giang), "Red leaves" (poem by Nguyen Dinh Thi)... love songs, which were later loved by music lovers such as "The road with tamarind leaves flying", "Rose", "Where I met you"...
The song "Remembering Hanoi" was composed by the musician in 1983. The musician once said: "After 1975, I brought my family back to the South to live. It was not until 8-9 years later, while recalling the years living in Hanoi, a natural emotion welled up that made me write "Even if I go to the four corners of the world. My heart still remembers Hanoi...". Until now, when I listen to this song, my feelings about Hanoi are still intact."
Many lyrics in the song “Remembering Hanoi” are sincere, simple stories about Hanoi during the time of bombs and bullets that were close to his family and his beloved wife: “Remembering the long rains at the end of winter, when clothes and blankets were not yet warm enough/ And remembering the time when bombs fell during the war, the earth shook and tiles were broken/ You still rode your bike to the streets, I still searched for new sounds/ The song of us is a military song, a distant dream towards Ba Dinh, full of faith...”.
He once shared: “That was the familiar sound that every Sunday morning, she carried her child onto the tram to Thuy Khue street, to Co Ngu street. Amidst the sound of bullets and bombs, "I still cycled to the street"... That was my love for her.”
In a letter written on August 27, 2002 to the column "You love music and comment on music" of the music program according to YCTG, about the song "Remembering Hanoi" by musician Hoang Hiep, Vu Dinh Thuy from team 6, Hop Thanh, Trieu Son, Thanh Hoa wrote: "I don't know since when the sweet lyrical melodies of the song "Remembering Hanoi" have touched the hearts of millions of music lovers. It seems that everyone finds in this song dear memories of Hanoi, of their own beloved capital. Overcoming time and space, the song has left something sacred in people's hearts.
" Even if I go to the four corners of the world
Still remember Hanoi
Our Hanoi
Beloved capital
A time of bombs and bullets, a time of peace .
Remembering Hanoi is not only remembering a sunset on West Lake, a morning hidden in the mist, but also remembering a time of war that was also beautiful and heroic. And in those memories, which are our own memories…
" Remembering the tree-lined Tham Nghiem street
Cicadas lull summer afternoons
And remember the newly built parks
My footsteps have not worn out the path yet .
Oh, how dear to all those who have lived and been attached to Hanoi... The street corners resounding with the sound of cicadas every summer, or the roads lined with tamarind trees, or the strong scent of milk flowers every autumn... All have become a source of inspiration for the talented musician. Perhaps poetry and music have blended together to bring sweet melodies to the listeners.
“Remembering Hanoi” by musician Hoang Hiep is like a message between the past and the present, between war and peace, touching people’s hearts through many generations… War can destroy tiles and bricks but cannot destroy faith and optimism - the faith of the victor.
“ … remember when bombs fell in the fire of war
Earth shakes, tiles shatter, bricks shatter
I still ride my bike out on the street
I'm still looking for new sounds
Our song is a military song
Is a distant dream towards Ba Dinh
Full of faith ”.
The youth of Hanoi and the youth of the whole country today always keep a steadfast and complete faith in a beloved Hanoi in the past and future.
" Even if I go to the four corners of the world
Still remember Hanoi
Our Hanoi
Beloved capital
A time of bombs and bullets, a time of peace .
Music critic Nguyen Thi Minh Chau in her book "Vietnamese Music: Authors - Works" also commented that no local song composed by musician Hoang Hiep (including his hometown in the South) has been as popular as "Remembering Hanoi".
In 2000, musician Hoang Hiep received the Ho Chi Minh Prize for Literature and Arts for his works “Cau ho ben bo Hien Luong”, “Co gai vot trot”, “Ngon den truc canh”, “Truong Son Dong, Truong Son Tay”, “Vieng mausoleum of Uncle Ho” and “Nho ve Ha Noi”.
Source: https://vov.vn/van-hoa/am-nhac/nho-ve-ha-noi-ca-khuc-lam-rung-dong-trieu-trai-tim-nguoi-yeu-nhac-post1127176.vov
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