Crazy young music!

VietNamNet Bridge – “Looking back at the development of modern music in Vietnam, we see insanity... Young musicians are getting too easy-going about their works,” said senior composer Cat Van at a recent workshop on Vietnamese music in Da Nang city last week.

Young singers gather at a special show on the Vietnamese Singers' Day 2007.

“Problems of modern music are not only related to lyrics, but also to performance, education and training,” Van said. “Looking back at the development of modern music in Vietnam, we see insanity. Certainly, art must be crazy to be good. But modern music is too crazy. Modern music lacks immortal songs. Young musicians are getting too easy-going about their works.”

Senior composer Do Hong Quan said that this workshop on the tradition and modernity of contemporary Vietnamese music revealed the great concerns surrounding today's music.

Professor, Doctor and composer The Bao said that looking at modern Vietnamese music, one can see the young consider western culture as the standard.

Musician Phan Van Minh from the central province of Quang Nam said outspokenly: “Lyrics in Vietnamese music are turning down a new road, but it is a set-back.”

Attendants said that modern songs are using a general language, in which the basic language is mawkish but emotionless, plus some words of chatters and daily vernacular, sometimes with several English words. All of the things create chaotic and shocking lyrics.

“Nhìn nhau rất lâu, anh đã đặt vào làn môi. Oh first kiss, you make me happy. Chẳng nói lên được tiếng chi chỉ nghe nhịp trái tim. Oh first kiss, you make me crazy...” (Looking into my eyes for a very long time, he presses his lips on mine. Oh first kiss, you make me happy. I cannot say a word, just hear the beat of my heart. Oh first kiss, you make me crazy...) Quoting lyrics of Nu Hon Bat Ngo (Unexpected Kiss) by pop star My Tam, composer Phan Van Minh analysed: “If these English words were replaced by Vietnamese, the melody would not have to be changed. But why we do have to use foreign language?”

Song writer To Hai from the Central Highlands province of Khanh Hoa said that the chaos in modern music was forseeable. The roots of the problem are musicians. Song writers have to race against time to satisfy the market tastes and to earn money. They don’t have time to review their works.

“The chaos in pop music at present is because we have so many musicians, so many singers; any singer can write their own songs and perform them, everyone can release an album and become a musician. All criteria have changed, standards are disordered. All songs can be performed on stages without being carefully censored,” musician Do Hong Quan, Chairman of the Vietnam Musicians' Association, said.

The Bao said that without being instructed and trained methodically, young song writers work on orders offered by recording firms so many "dime-store" songs are being written.

However, senior composers agreed that there are several young song writers who have created very good songs, such as Le Minh Son, Nguyen Vinh Tien, Hoai Sa, Nguyen Thien Thanh, Giang Son and Nguyen Minh Hien.

They also agreed upon the necessity to review modern Vietnamese music and establish a direction to bring into play good values of Vietnamese music.

VietNamNet/Tien Phong