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Life of music: Songs by composer Tran Long An feature in the latest episode of Music Road on Sunday. — File Photo |
HA NOI — Composer Tran Long An will be portrayed in a monthly television series, Music Road, this Sunday in HCM City.
The show, entitled Mot Rung Cay, Mot Doi Nguoi (A Forest of Trees, a Lifetime), after one of his songs, will review the composer's life, who is a member of the standing committee of the Viet Nam Musicians' Association.
An is known as the musician of the students' anti-war movement. The anti-war song Hat Cho Dong Bao Toi Nghe (Singing for My Fellow Citizens) was written in the 1970s when he was a student at the Sai Gon Literature University. His song Nguoi Me Ban Co (Ban Co's Mother) and others were highly favoured by students at that time.
The song was composed accidentally. He witnessed an old mother passing food and water through a barbed wire fence to students who were imprisoned. The image of the old mother inspired him to set a poem down to music.
An was born in 1944 in the central province of Binh Dinh. His mother gave him a radio when he entered highschool, which inspired him to listen to music and write songs.
Finishing university, he moved to the north and studied compositions at the Ha Noi National Academy of Music.
He is not a southern native, but he was nurtured by southern culture and lifestyles. His songs tell stories and send optimistic messages to people.
The song Tinh Dat Do Mien Dong (Love for Red Soil) is the most favoured by the composer. It won first prize at a song writing contest about the country's unification in 1976. "At that time, I had my first son and I wanted to tell him that he needed to overcome the difficulties of this life," An reveals.
His song Cay Hai Ngan La (Two-Thousand-Leaf Tree) was awarded a prize from the musicians' association in 1994. In 2007, he received the national award for arts and literature.
Recently, An has also engaged in writing symphonies. His latest work is the poem symphony Mat Troi Va Anh Lua (Sun and Fire). "I hope it will help people to better enjoy the symphony," he said.
An's songs will be performed by HCM City-based singers with MC My Van. An and his friends, including musician Ton That Lap, will help the students keep time.
Mot Rung Cay, Mot Doi Nguoi will kick off at the Military Theatre, 140 Cong Hoa Street, HCM City at 8pm on Sunday. It is invite only. — VNS