What did musician Van Cao's son say about the "Marching Song" sung by 50,000 people?

Recently, the art program " Fatherland in the Heart" at My Dinh Stadium ( Hanoi ) had 50,000 spectators participating.

This is a national-scale political art program, organized to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day September 2 - two brilliant milestones in the nation's history, marking an important turning point on the path to independence and freedom.

The opening performance of Tien Quan Ca at the event was an unforgettable moment, when more than 50,000 spectators joined the choir, amplified through the microphone system at the Fanzones.

The red color of the national flag blends with the light from the flash to create a majestic image, evoking intense national pride.

Appearing with the choir was the presence of 68 soldiers - the Vietnam People's Army contingent that participated in the parade at Red Square (Moscow, Russia) - making the atmosphere of the event more sacred, touching the hearts of the audience.

Sharing with Dan Tri reporter, painter Van Thao - son of musician Van Cao - said that in the art night " Fatherland in the Heart", he and his extended family were also present. When witnessing 50,000 spectators singing Tien Quan Ca together, he was so moved that he trembled.

"My family arrived early to attend the music night " Fatherland in the Heart". When I saw many people, especially young audiences singing the song "Tien Quan Ca" , I was very happy. When I stood in the middle of a large square, witnessing many people singing the song together, I found it a very beautiful and meaningful image", Mr. Van Thao shared.

Painter Van Thao said that when he appeared at the event, many people recognized him as the son of musician Van Cao and asked to take pictures with him.

"Some people think that young people have more modern means of entertainment as information technology develops, but in my opinion, the young generation really respects traditional culture and always loves history through good songs...", Mr. Van Thao said.

The song Tien Quan Ca was composed by musician Van Cao in 1944. The song was printed in the first issue of Doc Lap newspaper of the Viet Minh Front.

On September 2, 1945, at Ba Dinh Square, tens of thousands of people sang the Marching Song during the flag-raising ceremony at the Declaration of Independence, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

Later, musician Van Cao wrote in his memoirs about the moment that moved him to tears.

He recounted: "I understood that from this moment on, the Marching Song belonged to the people, even before it was recognized as the National Anthem of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1946."

After 9 years of resistance against the French, the first lyrics of Tien Quan Ca were still used, until the 2nd National Assembly in 1960 when some places were changed.

Mr. Van Thao said that in September 1959, musician Van Cao was invited to revise the lyrics of the National Anthem as it is today.

In July 2016, musician Van Cao's family donated the song Tien Quan Ca to the State. At that time, the National Assembly Office held a ceremony to receive the song Tien Quan Ca and posthumously awarded the Ho Chi Minh Medal to musician Van Cao.

The song Tien Quan Ca has accompanied the Vietnamese people throughout the struggle for independence and national reunification as well as in times of peace, development, construction and defense of the fatherland.

The 2013 Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam continues to acknowledge that "The National Anthem of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is the music and lyrics of the song Tien Quan Ca ".

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giai-tri/con-trai-nhac-si-van-cao-noi-gi-ve-man-tien-quan-ca-do-50000-nguoi-hat-20250812104121144.htm