Cải lương (reformed opera) star Võ Minh Lâm releases a pop song, Ánh Sao Việt Nam (Việt Nam Bright Stars), to honour the country’s rich history. — Still photo taken from MV

HCM CITY — By interweaving contemporary music with history, Vietnamese artists invite young audiences to explore national identity and heritage.

Cải lương (reformed opera) star Võ Minh Lâm challenges himself with a pop song, Ánh Sao Việt Nam (Việt Nam Bright Stars), to honour the country’s rich history.

Composer Ngô Quốc Khang used the image of bright stars to represent national heroes, soldiers, and people who devoted their lives to defending the country from the past to the present.

Young singer Minh Sang joined Lâm in the duet.

Lâm said he wanted to experience a new art form and approach young audiences.

In the video, the artist applied advanced visual effects to recreate the history from the era of Hai Bà Trưng (Trưng Sisters) in AD 40 to today’s peaceful society.

He also tells emotional stories about national heroes, soldiers and youth volunteers on the Trường Sơn Trail, and heroic mothers.

Lâm invited Meritorious Artist Mỹ Uyên to portray different images of Vietnamese women who had made great contributions and sacrifices to the country’s liberation.

Trần Ngọc Thủy of Trấn Biên Ward in Đồng Nai City said, “The artist’s meticulousness in production and details has created a music video imbued with national identity and humanistic values.”

Lâm said, “Historic stories are a sustainable resource that we always want to tell in sophisticated and emotional language, bringing history to today’s life.”

Lâm, a native of the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta city of Cần Thơ, began his career in 2004 when he was 15.

He won first prize at Chuông Vàng Vọng Cổ in 2006, a national cải lương singing contest organised annually by HCM City Television and Radio. 

He has worked for leading art troupes in HCM City, including private Đại Việt Theatre and Trần Hữu Trang Cải Lương Theatre, the State-owned traditional art troupe of the region. 

He has played leading roles in numerous cải lương plays, including classic ones such as Bức Ngôn Đồ Đại Việt (Pictogram of Đại Việt) and Đêm Trước Ngày Hoàng Đạo (The Night Before Dawn).

The music video, Ánh Sao Việt Nam, has earned more than one million views on YouTube since it was released on April 20. 

Patriotic song

Singer Anh Quân performs musician Tú Dưa’s new song Việt Nam Khúc Kiêu Hùng (Patriotic Song of Việt Nam) to pay tribute to ancestors. — Still photo taken from MV

Musician Tú Dưa, whose real name is Nguyễn Anh Tú, has released his latest song Việt Nam Khúc Kiêu Hùng (Patriotic Song of Việt Nam) to pay tribute to the ancestors.

The song has a lyrical melody which features the country’s glorious history and today’s peaceful society.

Tú wrote the song in 2018 and spent seven years seeking an appropriate voice for the work until he found singer Anh Quân.

The composer told local media that, by acknowledging Quân’s father as a war martyr, he believed that Quân could convey the song's emotions.

Quân said, “Through this song, I want to send a meaningful message about gratitude to the generations who sacrificed for the country’s independence and freedom.”

Quân, 38, a native of Hà Nội, became popular after reaching the top seven at Vietnam Idol in 2012, a Vietnamese version of the reality music show American Idol. He is known for his powerful and expressive voice. His favourite songs include beautiful ballads, E Là Không Thể (It Seems Impossible) and Có Anh Ở Đây Rồi (I’m Still Here).

Tú invited musician Thanh Bình to do an arrangement for the song. Bình combines symphony with rock to create a musical space which is both gentle and powerful.

Veteran singer Tùng Dương commented that the song was not simply a patriotic composition. It was an emotional love song for the country, and Quân performed it perfectly and emotionally.

Tú, 46, was a former member of the once-famous boyband Quả Dưa Hấu (The Watermelon), which was active from 1998 to 2000.

In 2010, he moved from Hà Nội to HCM City to pursue his music career, turning into a composer and producer. His popular works include Duyên Mình Lỡ (Fateless Love) and Nắm Lấy Tay Anh (Take My Hand). — VNS