Farewell to musician Lu Nhat Vu - The one who preserves the soul of folk songs and revolutionary music

According to Nguyen Chi Hung - the musician's adopted son, he passed away after many months of battling old age-related illnesses. The funeral and burial ceremony will take place on the morning of March 30 at the Southern National Funeral Home (Go Vap District).

The funeral will be held on the morning of March 31 before the coffin is buried at Binh Duong Flower Garden Cemetery.

Musician Lu Nhat Vu (1936-2025). Photo: Nguyen A

Musician Truong Quang Luc - author of Vam Co Dong - expressed his sorrow at the loss of a friend, a giant of Vietnamese music. Having known each other for more than 50 years, he always admired musician Lu Nhat Vu's abundant composing ability, even during the difficult war years. He commented: "His music, especially in the post-unification period, is imbued with national spirit but still very modern. That has connected us for decades."

Musician Lu Nhat Vu was born in 1935 in Binh Duong. He participated in the struggle movement of students in the South before regrouping to the North. After graduating from the composition department of the Vietnam Music School (now the Hanoi Conservatory of Music) in 1962, he worked at the Southern Song and Dance Troupe and many other art units, constantly contributing to revolutionary music.

In 1970, he crossed Truong Son back to the Southern battlefield, working at the Liberation Arts Subcommittee. The years of struggling in the Southwest region forged a series of musical works that will live forever with time such as Hang em mang den chien trench, Co gai saigon di loi ammo, Ben tuong dai Bac Ho, Tieng gong qua duong thac...

Not only a talented musician, Lu Nhat Vu and his wife - poet Le Giang - have spent more than 40 years collecting and compiling valuable documents on Vietnamese folk songs. They have traveled all over the country, from Ca Mau Cape to the North, to preserve and develop folk songs that are gradually fading away. Their work is marked through works such as Ben Tre Folk Songs, Kien Giang Folk Songs, Ho - Ly in Vietnamese Folk Songs...

One of his typical compositions with a strong Southern folk melody is Song of the Southern Land (1997), the theme song of the film Southern Land. This song not only moves people with its simple lyrics but also paints a majestic picture of the land of Gao Giong, Dong Thap Muoi.

In 2019, the musician couple donated their entire family library, including books, music research documents, folk music tapes and discs, to musician Tran Vuong Thach - former Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera. This is a priceless gift for future generations to continue to preserve and promote the quintessence of national music.

The passing of musician Lu Nhat Vu is a great loss to the Vietnamese music industry. However, the legacy he left behind will live forever with generations of music lovers in our country.

In addition to his massive musical career with many famous songs, Musician Lu Nhat Vu is also the author of a series of research works on Southern folk songs such as: Studying Southern folk songs (1983), Vietnamese folk songs in the South (1986), Music and Life (1989), 300 Southern folk melodies (2002), Ho in Vietnamese folk songs (2004), Vietnamese lullabies (2005), Ly in Vietnamese folk songs (2006); Talking about poetry - Talking about verses - Southern falling poetry (2010); Liberation march (2011); Looking for invisible treasures (2014); Wandering in life's love (2022)...

He was recognized by the Vietnam Record Book Center as a musician with many works collecting and researching Vietnamese folk songs.

Van Anh

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/vinh-biet-nhac-si-lu-nhat-vu--nguoi-luu-giu-hon-dan-ca-va-am-nhac-cach-mang-post340614.html