(VOVWORLD) - Musician Sam Lee has helped to promote the people and landscapes of Ca Mau province through his compositions. He has delved deeper into the lives and culture of the region, and capturing their essence in his melodies.
 Sam Lee's music promotes the image of Ca Mau province’s people and landscapes. (Photo courtesy of Sam Lee) |
“The soul of U Minh forest” is the latest music composition of Sam Lee, whose real name is Nguyen Sam Ly. The song talks about the land of U Minh Ha in Ca Mau and honey harvesting, a popular activity that has been mentioned by many other songwriters. In his song, Sam Lee describes a child and his father following the canals into the forest in a small wooden boat. It’s a simple, beautiful image of life in U Minh.
“The image of a child accompanying his father or uncle in a small boat moved me deeply, and inspired me to write the song. I wanted to show the perseverance and resilience of the older generation. Those of us who love our homeland and nature must do something to spread our regional culture,” said Sam Lee.
Before he wrote the song, Sam Lee spent months travelling deep into the forest with forester Pham Duy Khanh. Navigating reed-filled flooded paths, enduring insect bites and sudden downpours, he came to understand the hardships of the local people. Then he wrote a song about honey harvesting.
“I talked about my early days going into the forest with my father. Sam Lee’s song reminded me of those days of searching for suitable wind and sunlight conditions to survive in the U Minh forest,” said Khanh.
In 2022, Sam Lee wrote the song “Ca Mau in Me” and produced a music video for it that features many of Ca Mau’s well-known tourist destinations, including the Huong Tram Ecotourism Site, Hon Da Bac, and the Ca Mau Cape Ecotourism Site. Its fresh and accessible style made the song quickly popular and helped showcase Ca Mau as a beautiful land with friendly, welcoming people.
“Ca Mau in Me” received a consolation prize from the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations and was nominated for an investment award by the Ca Mau provincial Literature and Arts Association.
“I’ve promoted Ca Mau tourism through my lyrics, melodies, and music videos featuring attractive sites which are still unknown to tourists. For example, Hon Da Bac is a great place to watch the sunset but it’s difficult to get to. My lyrics are usually simple, and I always try to experience things firsthand before writing the song,” Sam Lee said.
 A music training center for children run by Sam Lee. (Photo courtesy of Sam Lee) |
Born and raised in Ca Mau, Sam Lee graduated from the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music and later worked there. In 2019, he returned to Ca Mau to establish a music training center for children. His aim is not only to teach them music theory, but also to give them opportunities to explore their homeland to foster pride and love so they can, in turn, promote the beauty of their province.
“I draw inspiration from every journey I take and hope to inspire the younger generation. There are destinations I want them to experience so they’re more familiar with Ca Mau’s culture, tourism, and beautiful landscapes,” he said.
Sam Lee’s songs have played an important role in promoting local tourism and preserving cultural values that are at risk of disappearing.