(VOVWORLD) - Musician Pham Tuyen has just won the grand prize “Cricket Knight” prize at the 6th De Men (Cricket) Arts Awards for Children 2025 for his lifelong contributions to music, notably “Back to the countryside – a child’s folk melody”, co-written with Pham Hong Tuyen.
 Musician Pham Tuyen (second from the right) at the award ceremony of the 6th De Men (Cricket) Children's Arts Awards 2025 (Photo: Hoang Anh/congluan.vn) |
Launched by the Vietnam News Agency’s Sports and Culture newspaper in 2020, the De Men Children’s Awards is held annually to honor outstanding creative works either by or for children. This is the first time a musician has been honored with this award. 96-year-old composer Pham Tuyen was recognized for his lifelong dedication to children and his creation of timeless musical works. Among his more than 700 songs, more than 200 were written particularly for young listeners.
Iconic melodies like Chiec Den Ong Sao (The Star-shaped Lantern), Canh En Tuoi Tho (Swallows of Childhood) and Tien Len Doan Vien (To Become a Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Member) are cherished memories for multiple generations. Pham Tuyen’s compositions full of humanistic and educational values and are beloved by children.
Poet Tran Dang Khoa, who chaired this year’s jury of the De Men Children’s Awards, said: “Pham Tuyen is a renowned composer, celebrated especially for his immense contributions to children’s music. When he sets children’s folk rhymes to music, they come to life effortlessly, as though the lyrics were by Pham Tuyen himself.”
Pham Tuyen spent many years collecting children’s folk verses with his wife, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuyet. He set 41 of those rhymes to music to help preserve the essence of Vietnam and nurture children’s love for their homeland.
36 those songs have only recently been recorded, but the other 5 have all become widely popular. Each song is also a game, making them all more fun and engaging. The full collection was finally introduced through a book project called Khuc Dong Dao Cua Be (Children’s Nursery Rhymes), narrated by his daughter, journalist Pham Hong Tuyen.
Tuyen said: “Pham Tuyen said a song is only truly a song when it is sung. To help these folk rhymes reach a wide audience, I decided to create a book and write accompanying stories to lead into the folk rhymes. Readers can scan the QR codes in the book to hear the readings, listen to the songs, and watch videos of the folk rhymes. The book includes both sounds and pictures.”
 Poet Tran Dang Khoa shares his thoughts on musician Pham Tuyen (Photo: Hoang Anh/congluan.vn) |
Late musician Thuy Kha once said Pham Tuyen is a musician of childhood. Poet Tran Dang Khoa compared Pham Tuyen to a giant tree with a new branch dedicated to children. His music is gently educational and nourishes children’s souls with beautiful melodies full of tradition. In 2013, the Vietnam Record Association and the Vietnam Records Organization (VietKings) recognized Pham Tuyen as the “Musician with the Most Widely Popular Children’s Songs in Vietnam.”
Journalist Pham Hong Tuyen said: “Perhaps what musician Pham Tuyen cherishes most are his compositions for children. At home, he proudly displays his certificate recognizing him as the musician with the most widely popular children’s songs in Vietnam. The phrase ‘most widely popular’ is what he values most. Now, with the Cricket Knight award, he must be overjoyed.”
The children’s songs of Pham Tuyen evoke a world of joyful childhood memories, tinged with a sense of nostalgia. His music has nurtured the souls of generations of Vietnamese children with its deeply human lyrics.