PATRIOTIC SINGERS - Singer Phương Mỹ Chi and DTAP perform at a concert in Huế City during the “Tự Hào Việt Nam” (Be Proud of Việt Nam) tour to introduce the album Made in Vietnam. Photo courtesy of VMAS

HCM CITY – As Việt Nam celebrates National Day (September 2), DTAP, a three-member producer group from HCM City, has released a new album titled Made in Vietnam to spread their love and pride of the country.

The album consists of 16 songs, including an intro, an outro and two interludes, divided into three chapters.

The first chapter, “Việt Nam Xin Chào” (Greetings from Vietnam), depicts the country’s history and previous generations’ sacrifices to protect national sovereignty, while the second one, “Chiến Binh Tre” (Bamboo Soldier), is about love of the country, family and simple things in life.

The last chapter, “Con Rồng Thức Giấc” (Dragon Awaken), highlights a new era of the nation’s rise and aspirations for integration and development.

For this project, DTAP continues to focus on their attachment to folk music, but adds modern elements to make their music easily approachable by young audiences.

The group combines traditional singing of quan họ (love-duet singing), hò (southern folk tunes) and vọng cổ (nostalgic tunes) with contemporary music genres of dance pop.

They also use traditional music instruments such as đàn nhị (two-string fiddle), đàn tranh (16-chord zither), and đàn bầu (monochord) to create nostalgic melodies and honour the national spirit.

The production features more than 20 leading Vietnamese singers and rappers, such as People’s Artist Thanh Thúy, Hà Anh Tuấn, Mỹ Tâm, Suboi and Đen Vâu, and cải lương (reformed opera) guru and People’s Artist Bạch Tuyết.

DTAP, who spent a year writing songs and producing the album, told local media, "With three chapters and 16 songs, Made in Vietnam conveys all the enthusiasm and emotions that DTAP wants to express. It is not only music, but each song is a slice of memory, emotion and the story of Việt Nam. We hope listeners find acquaintance, pride and emotions in the melodies.”

DTAP consists of three talented music producers, Nguyễn Trần Hoàng Thịnh, Trần Quốc Khánh and Võ Thanh Tùng, who have produced numerous award-winning productions and concerts.

The group won Production of the Year at the Cống Hiến (Devotion) Music Awards given by the Thể Thao Văn Hoá (Sports and Culture) newspaper in 2020, 2023 and 2024.

DTAP has also released two music videos, Made in Vietnam and Nhà Tôi Có Một Lá Cờ (There Is A National Flag in My Home).

Made in Vietnam, released at the beginning of August, recounts a journey to discover national historical and cultural values, featuring singers Phương Mỹ Chi, Trúc Nhân and People’s Artist Thanh Hoa. It has earned 4.6 million views on YouTube.

Meanwhile, Nhà Tôi Có Một Lá Cờ, featuring pop star Hà Anh Tuấn, expresses the Vietnamese people’s pride in living in a peaceful and beautiful country.

The video depicts images of every corner of the country decorated with national flags and people happily celebrating the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day.

DTAP mentioned in the MV that Nhà Tôi Có Một Lá Cờ is one of the emotional songs in the album, lighting up the love for the national flag. The red flag with a yellow star accompanies Vietnamese people whenever they travel all around the world. Every time the flag flies, national pride rises.

The song has attracted 757,000 viewers on YouTube after a six-day release.

GENRE MIX - Cải lương guru Bạch Tuyết (R) and rapper Pháo sing Nam Quốc Sơn Hà (Mountains and Rivers of the Southern Country) at the album release in HCM City. Photo courtesy of VMAS

DTAP invited cải lương guru Bạch Tuyết to be in the project.

Tuyết surprised audiences when collaborating with young rapper Pháo in the song Nam Quốc Sơn Hà (Mountains and Rivers of the Southern Country) based on the 11th-century patriotic poem of the same name, asserting the sovereignty of Việt Nam.

Pop star Mỹ Tâm is also featured in the album with the song Mùa Gió Thổi Trên Mái Nhà (Storms Go through the Roofs), reflecting the Vietnamese tradition of compassion and solidarity in supporting people in storm-hit areas.

Trần Cẩm Tiên of Đồng Nai Province said, “After listening to the album, I’m so proud of being a Vietnamese person. I feel very grateful to people who devoted their lives to bring independence to the country.”

The album Made in Vietnam is ranked No. 1 on the Top Albums chart on Apple Music Vietnam.

Following the release of the album, DTAP and the singers are holding a tour called “Tự Hào Việt Nam” (Be Proud of Việt Nam) across the country, finishing in Hà Nội on September 2. — VNS