Quynh Hop sets the poem "The homeland seen from the sea" by Nguyen Viet Chien to music.

Emeritus artist Truc Linh, an actress and director living in Can Tho city, develops great passion for revolutionary music. Linh said revolutionary songs depict Vietnam’s history and inspire the responsibility of its people for defending national independence.  She often listens to such songs on VOV and particularly loves Trong Tan’s vocals.

“I’m so in love with Tan’s voice. He sings beautifully and is even good at ‘xam’ singing, a kind of folk music,” Linh said.

Female songwriter Quynh Hop takes photo with soldiers during her trip to Truong Sa. (Photo: Quynh Hop)

More and more pieces have been added to the revolutionary song collection. Songs in peacetime are about tribute to soldiers and Vietnam’s development, sea, and islands. Singer, songwriter, and journalist Quynh Hop is a notable name in this genre. Her songs about love for Vietnam’s sea are positively welcomed. Hop said love for the homeland is reflected from simple stories of daily life that many people can relate to. A songwriter is someone who can describe such stories with lyrics and melody.

“During wars, sacrifice was clearly seen and songs about sacrifice easily triggered sentiments in listeners.  But in peacetime, producing such touching songs require the artist to travel far to really see and feel. What makes a song successful is that its narrator is the representative of many real people. For example, my series of songs about sea and islands are inspired by a couple, of which one lives on the mainland and the other stationed in a remote area. That’s their sacrifice. Millions of soldiers can find them in my songs,” Hop told VOV.

In the bloom of trendy modern music, revolutionary music still retains its position in the heart of Vietnamese listeners - both those who lived through the wars’ hardships and young people.