For artists, it’s clear that every single song written about HCMC acts just like pages of a musical diary preserving their deep love for the place they’ve attached themselves to and grown up in.
Recently, the music video for the song “Thanh Pho Sang Ten Nguoi” (The City Shining With His Name), orchestrated by the Culture and Arts Division under the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission of the HCMC Party Committee featuring the harmonious voices of over 50 artists, officially made its public debut. This song essentially acts as a profound tribute and a genuine expression of affection from countless generations of city residents respectfully dedicated to Uncle Ho.
For musician Tran Xuan Mai Tram and co-author Mai Anh, the creative process was deliberate. They systematically constructed the artwork in the form of a suite, she explained.
It’s essentially a narrative stretching from the day he departed to find a way to save the country at Nha Rong Wharf, through his arduous journey striving to secure the nation’s liberation, right up to the modern image of today’s children remembering and following Uncle Ho’s five teachings, while the youth deeply engrave his advice: “Nothing is too difficult, one only fears a lack of perseverance.”
Prior to this, musician Nguyen Ba Hung also released the song “Tu Hao Thanh Pho Mang Ten Nguoi” (Proud Of The City Bearing His Name). The song kicks off with intimate imagery featuring local streets, school roofs, and the bright smiles of children within today’s developing city, subsequently transitioning to reminisce about Uncle Ho’s challenging journey to find a way to save the nation, alongside the massive ideals that brilliantly guided the people straight toward ultimate independence and freedom.
“The track is simultaneously a praise of his massive contributions and a vivid demonstration of the immense pride and responsibility of every single citizen currently living, studying, and working on this land,” he noted.
Musician Nguyen Ba Hung has also composed several other pieces about the city, such as “Ho Chi Minh – Ngon Co Ly Tuong” (Ho Chi Minh – Flag Of Ideals) and “Toi Ngam Nhin Thanh Pho” (I Admire The City). These works were infused with sheer pride regarding the city’s heroic history and robust development, as well as the deep nostalgia and affection for the metropolis during the grueling days spent striving to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic.
HCMC is undeniably a land of profound affection and sheer tolerance, warmly embracing countless folks from every region of the Fatherland. Over the past half-century since the city officially took Uncle Ho’s name, hundreds of songs have reportedly been composed about this exact land, penned by everyone from highly professional musicians to amateur songwriters.
Among them, a variety of artworks, including “Tieng Hat tu Thanh Pho Mang Ten Nguoi” (Singing From The City Bearing His Name) and “Mua Xuan tren Thanh Pho Ho Chi Minh” (Spring in HCMC) by Xuan Hong, “Thanh Pho Tre” (Young City) by Tran Tien, organically became absolute classics.
For the young artists composing and performing today, it appears HCMC consistently serves as an intensely powerful source of inspiration. It acts as a vault preserving memories, deep faith, and the burning aspiration to dedicate oneself across multiple generations.
Singer Nguyen Phi Hung, who has spent over 28 years living and working right in HCMC, shared his transformative experience, leading to his writing of beautiful songs like “Bao La Nhung Trai Tim Hong (Boundless Pink Hearts), “Thanh Pho Trong Toi” (The City within Me).
“This exact land greatly uplifted me to maturity and organically sown a remarkably sincere love directly into my heart. I’ve written and joyfully sung about the city using all my affection and sheer gratitude,” he explained.
Prior to the track “The City Shining With His Name,” musician Mai Tram had numerous other compositions under her belt. For her, the creative spark comes from ordinary moments. “To me, the source of inspiration doesn’t strictly lie in overly massive things; rather, it organically stems from the everyday rhythm of life,” she noted. It can be the affectionate sharing among citizens, young folks relentlessly beginning their startups, or the silent laborers who keep the city running.
With an exceptionally identity-rich and insistently developing city, artworks about HCMC are being written by succeeding generations. Consequently, they contribute to spreading the vibrant image of a remarkably civilized and affectionate city worthy of bearing President Ho Chi Minh’s name.
“To successfully anchor themselves right inside the public’s hearts, compositions must originate from genuine affection. If the artist truly loves and lives with the city, the artwork will possess the real breath of life. The songs also crucially need to bridge traditional heritage with a contemporary spirit, because alongside its deeply heroic history, HCMC is undeniably a youthful metropolis brimming with vibrant vitality.”
People’s Artist Ta Minh Tam
