(VOVworld) - Composer Hoang Hiep passed away early this month at the age of 82 but his revolutionary songs associated with the national revolutionary milestones will last forever. Hiep’s music is gentle and sentimental like his character and imbued with his experience and meditation of life.
In 60 years of composing, Hoang Hiep wrote more than 400 songs ranging from academic and popular to folk music. Many of his songs covered the major milestones in the national history and left deep impressions in the hearts of listeners. After the signing of the Geneva Accords on peace in Indochina which temporarily divided Vietnam’s north and south, Hiep wrote the song “A chantey by the Hien Luong wharf”. The song gently encouraged people to believe in reunification in the near future. Music lovers began to know about Hoang Hiep with this song.
Hoang Hiep, whose real name is Luu Tran Nghiep, was born in 1931 in the southern province of An Giang. He began to write songs when his was 17. But he was only known with the song “A chantey by the Hien Luong wharf” wrote in 1957 when his military unit regrouped in the north. Among his 400 songs, about 200 were written since the beginning of the revolution until the liberation of southern Vietnam. The most popular revolutionary songs include the Red leaves, Eastern and Western sides of Truong Son, a guarding light, and the childhood river.
Composer Pham Ngoc Khoi, Vice President of the Vietnam Musicians’ Association says the country and the nation always appears in Hoang Hiep songs. “Hoang Hiep’s compositions reflect his diverse life experience and profound cultural knowledge. His revolutionary songs have diverse topics and language. It is possible to say that Hoang Hiep is a notable figure of linguistics and music.”
Besides revolutionary songs, Hoang Hiep had many remarkable love songs and songs raising landscape and places. “Missing Hanoi” is one of the most popular songs about the capital Hanoi, a city by the Red River bank.
Singer Tan Minh has successfully performed many Hoang Hiep’s songs. “Missing Hanoi is possibly one of the best songs about the capital. It will stay forever in the hearts of listeners. I think his song collection is a valuable music treasure,” Minh said.
Hoang Hiep also succeeded in setting music to poems, conveying a harmony among artistic souls. Writer Nguyen Quang Sang says: “I call Hoang Hiep a poetic musician. Although he was not a poet, he has a fine poetic sensibility. He set music for poems with his full range of emotions.”
The harmonious combination of meaningful poems and music has generated great effect. Musician To Vu says: “Hoang Hiep’s appearance looks plain but he was actually demanding in music. He put a lot of heart and mind on his songs or setting music to poems. Hiep’s romantic songs are melodious and sweet. He used music to express things which are difficult to say in words.”
Hoang Hiep received the Ho Chi Minh award of Arts and Literature in 2000. The talented musician passed away but his lilting songs remain with this world forever.