Many contemporary new songs have been composed, attracting certain number of fans. However, revolutionary songs which were born in wartime and sung fervently in Truong Son Forest battle field by our previous generations to encourage millions of Vietnamese people to believe in the revolution’s victory still win heart of many people today.
No Vietnamese veterans of the 3.000-day resistance against American invaders will forget strong and jubilant rhythm of the song “Bai ca Truong Son” (Song about Truong Son ) (Words by Gia Dung; Music by Tran Chung). Popular slogan of millions of the Northern Vietnamese youths is to fight for the flesh-and-blood beloved South, for part of the invaded fatherland in need of liberation. Streams of army troops to the front are depicted romantically and magnanimously.(Click here to listen to Bai ca Truong Son performed by Trung Kien Meritorious Singer)
Such revolutionary romance is source of creation for composers. In return, the revolutionary epical songs feed up revolutionary heroism. Strong belief in definitevictory of Vietnamese Revolution of each Vietnamese soul is always alight. March time of the music have lasted for 30 years. Listening to the songs today, we still feels urgent steps of the army troops on march to the South. Words, rhythm and historical knowledge are mixed together in climax of the composers’emotion, depicting a grand Vietnam.
Vietnamese revolutionary music has not only strong melodies but also sentimental, soft and profound melodies. “Buoc chan tren day Truong Son” (March on TruongSonMountain) (Words and music by Vu Trong Hoi), “Tinh ca” (Love song) (Words and music by Hoang Viet) are typical examples. Such pieces of music easily help people imagine rhythms of rice-pounding pestling, sounds of Gong, of HighLand t’rung instrument, yellow rice fields in the South and cozinessof paddy fields of kind people in the Central Vietnam. Image of mothers stitching uniforms for the soldiers is also descriped in simple and sentimental melodies (Click here to listen to “Tam ao me va nam xua” (Memory about the mothers who stitched the soldiers’ uniform) sung by Quang Ly Meritorious Singer)
Besides, the revolutionary music also has slow but deep melodies. Let’s take some examples.“Loi ru tren nuong” (Lullaby on milpa) (Words by Nguyen Khoa Diem, Music by Tran Hoan) depicts rhythms of rice-pounding pestling, sounds of Gong, of High Land t’rung instrument, sound of mountain wind, sunlights on the High Land… The listeners may find such the melodies in “Nguoi lai do tren song Poko” (Boat driver on PokoRiver) (Music by Cam Phong, Words by Mai Trang) (Click here to listen to Nguoi lai do tren song Poko sung by Ro Cham Phiang Meritorious Singer)
All of recording companies state that revolutionary music albums are on sale all the year round at small but regular amount and re-published regularly. New albums always get optimistic response of the listeners.
Many songs like “Bai ca hy vong” (Song of hope) (Words and Music by VanKy) is undeniably chronicle song of Vietnamese modern history. It can be even considered as spiritual heritage for our next generations. (Click here to listen to Bai ca hy vong sung by Ro Cham Phiang Meritorious Singer)
I love the songs used by our previous generations.
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Written by Kieu Phong
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Translated by To Uyen | 
