ĐÀ NẴNG – Famous musician Phan Huỳnh Điểu in his 75 year career composed almost 100 songs, many have helped the original poems and folk tunes that inspired him be longer remembered.

Vice chairperson of the Việt Nam Musicians Association, Nguyễn Thị Minh Châu said at the Talks on Life and Music Career of Phan Huỳnh Điểu on his 100th birthday in Đà Nẵng City on November 8 that Điểu was born with poetry, and almost all his songs were written based on poems as he had confessed that music and poetry are twin sisters.

“He is really sensitive with romantic poems. He had collected many poems as material for songs with beautiful lyrics, while folk tunes from north, central and southern regions were also used in composing the everlasting songs for the country’s history and young generations,” Châu shared.

“His songs are still welcomed by young generations for their fresh lyrics and stylist melodies. He even spent more than 10 years to compose and perfect the musical version of a poem. He also used ancient poems for his composition of folk songs.”   

Musician Trần Thế Bảo, a member of the HCM City Musician Association, shared that Điểu was seen as one of the most successful creators in composing music works from poems.

Bảo recalled that the late famous musician had failed in building songs from poems in 1945-49.

“He initially did not succeed with the poem Bóng Cây Kơnia, or ‘Under the Shadow of Kơnia Tree’ on the battlefield in the Central Highlands region in 1959. But he eventually completed the song when he was given treatment for his war wound at a hospital in Hà Nội in 1971,” Bảo said.

“The then all-time-favourite song ‘Under the Shadow of Kơnia Tree’ helped him earn the most prestigious award – the Hồ Chí Minh Prize for Literature and Arts - in his music career,” he said.

Bùi Công Minh, a poet in Đà Nẵng City, recalled that he just knew his poem ‘Ngày và Đêm (Days and Nights) – which was printed in the Army’s Literature and Arts Magazine in 1969 -- was then created into Hành Khúc Ngày và Đêm (Day and Night marching song) in 1974.

Musician Nguyễn Đình Thậm recalled that Điểu initiated the establishment of music and arts performance troupe of Đà Nẵng in early 2000.

Ngô Hương Thuỷ, from HCM City, said Điểu’s songs were composed with simple words and nice rhythm, so his music works were easy to sing and remember.

Musician Trần Ái Nghĩa recalled that Điểu reserved his love for his native homeland in Đà Nẵng and Quảng Nam – where he was born and grew up – and the image of Đà Nẵng-Quảng Nam was always included in his songs.

He wished spending his last life time in Đà Nẵng and laid down in the homeland after a long time living far from his native village.

Musician Phan Hồng Minh, Điểu’s son, recalled his father asked him to recompose a strong and slow melody of the old famous songs.

He said he did not want the most popular ‘Soul of Martyrs’ – the Vietnamese State funeral song – to be used in his funeral.

“It’s the last time my father shared his request, but I could not complete the work. I think he had felt that his time would end soon,” Minh said.

“He really wanted strong melodies and rhythms would be played in his funeral, but not a mournful farewell as in a formal ceremony.”

Đà Nẵng City’s people’s committee also honoured the contribution of the late musician by organising a series of musical performances and cultural and arts programmes.

An exhibition of paintings, photos and books on the most renowned musician Phan Huỳnh Điểu was opened at the city’s Fine Arts Museum on October 8. A 128-page book about his best songs would be introduced on the occasion.

A street in Ngũ Hành Sơn district was named after him on the 100th birthday anniversary, as an honour for his contribution to the nation and his homeland.

A night performance will be staged at Tiên Sơn Sports Centre on November 9. VNS