HCM City —  Meritorious Artist Quang Lý, one of the country’s most popular singers of folk and revolutionary music, died Thursday morning after a heart attack at his home in HCM City. He was 65.  

Lý was born in Thailand in to a Vietnamese family, which moved to Hải Phòng when he was nine years old.

He began his career as a singer for the Hải Phòng Music, Song and Dance Troupe and The Voice of Việt Nam in 1976.  

In the 1970s, he performed for the Southern Liberation Radio, which was established by the Southern Central Party Committee in the D Resistance Zone in Đồng Nai Province.

The radio’s first programme aired in February 1962, marking a milestone in the struggle for national liberation by appealing to people to support the liberation effort led by President Hồ Chí Minh and the Party Central Committee.

His singing focused on southern people and soldiers.

In 1983, Lý moved to live in HCM City and worked at the Bông Sen Traditional Song and Dance Theatre, one of the region’s State-owned leading art troupes.  

With his strong, sweet voice and performance ability, Lý quickly became a bright star in the folk and revolutionary music scene.

He performed songs written by composers such as Hoàng Hiệp, Xuân Hồng, Phan Huỳnh Điểu and Trần Hoàn.

He also released many videos and albums, some of which were recognised as the country’s best albums in folk and revolutionary music in the 20th century.  

During his 40 year-career, he has sung many melodious pop songs with his warm bass voice, including Thuyền Và Biển (The Boat and Sea) by composer Phan Huỳnh Điểu, Thơ Tình Cuối Mùa Thu (Autumnal love poem) by the same composer and Sao Em Nỡ Vội Lấy Chồng (Darling, why getting married so soon) by Trần Tiến.

His 2006 album titled Vọng Âm Sóng was a landmark in his career.

“Possessing a rare beautiful voice, singer Quang Lý ensured a delicate beauty in his famed songs on waves and rivers in this album,” poet Đỗ Trung Quân said in introducing the album.

In 2009 he released another album titled Cung Trầm with eight songs he composed himself.

He has travelled to many remote areas across the country to perform for soldiers and rural residents.

Singer Nguyễn Phi Hùng said Lý was one of his beloved teachers at the HCM Music Academy, where he taught for years, because of his talent and personality. Lý has inspired Hùng in the art by whole his heart.

"His words have become my principles in art and life," Hùng said, "Though he passed away, what he has done for vocal art will live forever in the hearts of Vietnamese audiences."

On his Facebook page, popular singer Kasim Hoàng Vũ wrote: "I was shocked to hear the news. I just did four shows with him in Hà Nội. He was healthy and joked with me. We sang together to open the shows. Today he suddenly passed away. I would like to share my sorrow with his family and wish him happiness in the other world."

He is survived by a wife and two children. — VNS