Despite his age, I always see writer Chau La Viet busy with many plans, creative projects, organizing art programs... He is active, present everywhere, writing like he has never written before, from literary works to stage scripts, just rushing out. That is what I witnessed in writer Chau La Viet's literary work in 2023, the year he had many works with his own mark to serve the readers/audiences he always loved.
Writer Chau La Viet (first, from left) on a trip back to his hometown in 2023 - Photo: PV
1. At the end of October 2023, the National Committee of the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations (VLA) had a very new job, which was to organize the awarding of a certificate of merit to the Organizing Committee of the Art Program in memory of the late General Secretary Le Duan in Ho Chi Minh City. Previously, on July 9, 2023, commemorating the 37th anniversary of the death of General Secretary Le Duan, July 10 (1986 - 2023), a special art program with the theme of Carving His Name was held at the Ho Chi Minh City Theater. The program was performed by the Lotus Folk Music and Dance Theater, the Military Region 7 Art Troupe, artists from the National Academy of Music and the Military University of Culture and Arts.
The program includes 15 music and dance performances, harmonizing the traditional Southern music of the Bong Sen Traditional Music and Dance Theater and the modern music of the Military Region 7 Art Troupe; harmonizing the classical and semi-classical styles of the singers participating in the program such as People's Artist Quoc Hung, Meritorious Artist Nguyen Huong Giang... The program conveys a message: Even though he has been gone for 37 years, the image of General Secretary Le Duan still lives forever in the hearts of the nation, the country, in revolutionary generations and compatriots nationwide.
According to musician Do Hong Quan, the organizing committee has made great efforts to create a meaningful, ideological and artistic art program that has been praised by leaders and former leaders of the Party and State and loved by the audience. In the coming time, the National Committee of the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations and the program's organizing committee will bring excellent performances to a large number of cadres, soldiers and people nationwide, first to the following localities: Hanoi, Quang Tri (hometown of General Secretary Le Duan), and the provinces of the Southwest region...
At the award ceremony of the National Committee of the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations that day, there was a quiet but well-known person, although he was always modest like someone standing behind the stage. That was writer Chau La Viet - the scriptwriter of the program Carving His Name. Following the writer's creative work, I realized that few writers and poets have a heart of respect, admiration and write well about the leaders of the Party and State like Chau La Viet. He is also the one who has written very good poems about the leaders of the Party and State in the past, in which "Song of Uncle Ba Le Duan" is one of those good poems. The poem opens with very close and simple verses: "Each step of departure/ Following the revolutionary path/ An enthusiastic heart/ For the country, for the people/ Like two hundred candles/ Shining in the hearts of the people...".
The material in Chau La Viet's poetry when writing about Uncle Ba Le Duan is rich in imagery, expression, and generalization, from the image of the Thap Muoi fields on a moonlit night, the surging rivers: Vam Co, Ham Luong, Thach Han, about a heart of infinite love, to the image of a leader with great contributions to the unification of the country, the life of a communist ... "That song echoes across the fields/Dong Thap Muoi tonight, full of bright moonlight.../ That song stirs up the rivers/Vam Co River, Ham Luong River, Thach Han/That song echoes in millions of hearts/Engraved forever - Uncle Ba Le Duan". (Song about Uncle Ba Le Duan)
The novel "Him Lam Moon" by Chau La Viet has just been released to readers - Photo: PV
Or like in the poem commemorating General Nguyen Chi Thanh, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the General's birth, Chau La Viet expressed his feelings passionately and naturally: "His name became a legend, a folk song/In the words of the people, in the simple songs/The Great Wind spread throughout the country/Turns into a storm of the fields/Contributes to the storm of the battlefield/The General sets out again, the South still has enemies/Behind him are vast fields/And the Great Wind/The Wind still blows today...". (The Great Wind Still Blows).
Not stopping there, recently writer Chau La Viet has released a musical “Vang Trang Him Lam”, music by musician Do Hong Quan. Hopefully when widely performed, it will bring many fresh emotions to the audience.
2. Among the works published by the People's Army Publishing House in 2023, I was very impressed with the novel "Him Lam Moon" by writer Chau La Viet. This is the work he completed from the Writing Camp organized by the People's Army Publishing House in coordination with the Center for Supporting Literary and Artistic Creation - Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and functional agencies of Military Region 5 in August 2023. Although he writes in many genres, novels are still Chau La Viet's forte. His recently published novels have been well received by readers: "The clear chirping of birds in the forest" (2014), "The cuckoos still sing on the hill" (2014), "Green mulberry fields" (2016), "Bright fire on the horizon" (2019), "Mother and the forest" (2022). And most recently, "Him Lam Moon". It is known that he has just completed the novel "A love story of Quang Nam".
The main character, the center of the novel “Vang Trang Him Lam” is musician Do Nhuan, a successful literary figure symbolizing the artistic life of a “guitar-playing guerrilla”. It can be said that the novel has a very wide field of reflection, with space and time spanning from the early 40s to the late 60s of the 20th century. Musician Do Nhuan is portrayed by Chau La Viet as “a prisoner of Son La” and then embarking on the national liberation struggle. Do Nhuan directly participated in two resistance wars against the French and the Americans and his works contributed to encouraging cadres, soldiers, and the entire population to rise up and wipe out the enemy, regaining independence and freedom for the nation. Reading “Vang Trang Him Lam”, director Khac Tue, also a character mentioned in the novel, commented sincerely: “Chau La Viet writes very movingly, very realistically. I read it all night and was very emotional. I remember Do Nhuan, Mac Ninh, Nguyen Thanh, Vu Trong Hoi and many other comrades who participated in Dien Bien Phu. I remember my youth...”.
New works by writer Chau La Viet - Photo: PV
Writer Bui Viet Thang said: “The character of musician Do Nhuan was “planted” by the writer on a broad and solid foundation - the character of “collective”, “People”. On the broad foundation of People, we see “layer upon layer” of ordinary people, compatriots of various ethnic groups - guerrillas - soldiers - youth volunteers... All towards the front line, all for the final victory of the just fight to protect the independence and freedom of the country. Ultimately, the spirit of “reviewing the past to learn the present” is the red thread running through Chau La Viet’s works in general and is concentrated in “Him Lam Moon” in particular. I think, writing according to this spiritual direction is practicing the principle of “Writing to fight against the forgetting of history and people”.
Writing “Him Lam Moon”, Chau La Viet chose the style of non-fiction novels, absolutely respecting history, so he used many documents of musician Do Nhuan, memories of Political Commissar Mac Ninh and diary entries of director Khac Tue... along with many memories of veterans participating in Dien Bien Phu. From the practical experience of writing of his predecessors, writer Chau La Viet realized that our country's literature and art have great themes such as the Party, Uncle Ho, the army or historical feats... no amount of praise seems enough. Each generation still needs to continue to have new creations, not only so that history is not forgotten, but also to foster love, tradition and fire for future generations.
“Seriously speaking, “Him Lam Moon” is a chorus with many wonderful voices, and I am just a violinist leading the story. Once again, I would like to thank the pages written in the heat of the fire and mud of Dien Bien for helping me create a meaningful work to contribute to our heroic Dien Bien Phu museum, adding a heroic song after 70 years about our historic Dien Bien Phu victory,” writer Chau La Viet shared.
Chau La Viet has been involved in literature and art since the years of the “Red Flower Period”, and has not stopped until now. His writing is abundant, his emotions are endless. He writes in many genres, from prose, poetry to stage scripts, and in every field he has achieved success. Those who have met and interacted with writer Chau La Viet feel in him a warm, affectionate affection and a passionate, intense love for his homeland and country. Therefore, in his life, he has many friends, from high school, when he was in the army, then literary and artistic friends, journalists everywhere, as his literary friend - Bui Thi Bien Linh confided: “I secretly think, it will be very happy and lucky for those who have been, are and will be friends with Chau La Viet - a talented and proud person with a warm, affectionate heart”.
Minh Tu
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