Hanoi (VNA) 𒀰- Revolutionary, or red, music made its debut in the fiercest period of the struggle for national independence. As a result, songs with heroic and emotional melodies have a timeless appeal.

Composing about the revolution from parents' stories

"I grew up when the country was no longer divided/ I do not know what the war was/ I only know it from my father's stories..." These are some of the lyrics in "The Flag" by 34-year-old musician-singer Ta Quang Thang. He is known for compositions bearing the breath of life and personal experiences. With "The Flag", he simply wanted to record his parents' stories with tunes. "My father gave up studying art to join the resistance war against the US. My mother was a singer who went everywhere for performances in service of both civilians and soldiers. Their stories from the past left deep imprints in my mind when I was a child and have naturally become my melodies," said Thang. "The Flag" has won the Favourite Song award and that of the Vietnam Musicians’ Association, becoming a fascinating historical story inspiring patriotism in people's hearts. But, before that, the song motivated Thang to pursue his arduous art path. "The song expresses the belief and pride of a generation that worked and fought hard for the Fatherland. My parents are my role models, so no matter how many difficulties I faced in life, I always found them incomparable to those the old generations had experienced," the songwriter said.

Young people's perspective on the Party

Hoang Hong Ngoc, born in 1992, is a Champion of Sao Mai Singing Contest 2015. Ngoc drew public attention with the song "Loi Dang hieu trieu trai tim" (The Party Calls Upon Hearts), which celebrates the 13th National Party Congress. The song expresses the perspective of young people on the Party with meaningful, youthful, and lively lyrics. Ngoc works at the Military Music and Dance Theater and has risen into stardom in the music industry with unique songs of diverse genres that inspire young people. With "Loi Dang Hieu trieu trai tim", she made her mark through novelty, not following the familiar paths of revolutionary songs. "I worried a lot whenever I was invited to perform at important historical events of the Party and the country. There are very few songs about the Party. I kept singing the old songs. So I want to have more songs suitable for younger people," said Ngoc.

Catching up with Gen Z's music needs

Musician Ta Duy Tuan was born in 1983 and the Major is currently working at the Military Music and Dance Theater. Tuan also produces music videos with youthful revolutionary songs, contributing to creating new vitality for this music genre in the new era. He is the author of a series of songs such as "Chung em yêu Bac Ho Chi Minh," "We Love Uncle Ho Chi Minh," "Co Dang sang soi Vung buoc ta di," (We Firmly March Up Under The Party’s Light), "Viet Nam ngay nang moi" (Vietnam On A New Sunny Day), with a world music style that mixes folk with other genres such as jazz and classical. The music video for "Co Dang sang soi Vung buoc ta di" was released on the 92nd anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3, 1930 - February 3, 2022). It won experts' appreciation for the approach and the creative thinking of Tuan. According to the musician, songwriters must keep up with their enjoyment needs to make songs praising the Party, Uncle Ho, love for the homeland and country, and soldiers attractive to young people (called Gen Z). Therefore, Tuan often uses modern music style, creating youthfulness and freshness in both music and image, and expresses patriotism and desire to make devotions in a unique way to the young people in the 4.0 era./.