New Hanoi sounds - a colorful, endless flow

Hanoi has always been an endless source of inspiration for musicians. Musician Hoang Lan once shared: There is no musician in Hanoi who has not composed about this place.

From that inspiration, new melodies constantly resound, filled with love and beauty of the Capital, contributing to creating the image of Hanoi and nurturing the souls of Hanoians in the new period.

Many new musical works written about Hanoi are performed in major art programs. Photo of the art program “Hanoi - Forever shining Vietnamese aspiration”. Photo: Thang Long Media

The fusion of generations

Hanoi has always been a constant topic for many generations of musicians to immerse themselves in, devote themselves to, and explore.

Veteran composers continue to regularly release new songs. Recently, musician Le May continues to be inspired by the suburbs of Hanoi through the songs “Tay Tuu Flower Village”, “Suong Moon”, “Lang Communal House” or “Summer Rain” in rock style. Musician Dinh Nghi with the poetic “Hanoi in the Season of Leaves” and “Oh, the Waves Covering West Lake”. After the song “Hanoi Glory”, musician Nguyen Anh Tri introduced the work “Doc Huyen Cam Ngan Ha Noi” based on Nguyen Huu Quy’s poem, with the Ca Tru melody to express the image of Thang Long - Hanoi from the past to the present and the future.

Musician Le Thong Nhat has 7 songs dedicated to the Capital, including “My Hanoi”, “Hanoi on an autumn afternoon” and most recently “Hanoi the sacred heart”. Each song is a new perspective, adding to the “unsaid” things in previous compositions. The musician chose a deep chamber music style, so that his melodies are like a message from his generation to his descendants about the image of Hanoi - the city of memories, love and pride.

The next generation has musician Nguyen Thanh Trung with the song “Thanh am Ha Noi” full of nostalgia for this land. Musician Quang Huy composed the song “Hon thinh Ha Noi” based on the poem of Ngo Xuan Binh. Meanwhile, “Ha Noi mua yeu thuong” by Vu Ngoc Dam was written in a youthful blues jazz style, reflecting the beauty of the four seasons in Ha Noi. Following “Ha Noi day... month... year” and “Ha Noi den de yeu”, musician Ta Duy Tuan introduced the romantic and poetic work “Ha Noi spring summer autumn winter”.

Violinist Trinh Minh Hien surprised everyone with the album “Hanoi Hanoi”, a collection of 10 songs composed over 20 years, newly arranged with the violin, creating a multi-style picture. Some examples include “Hanoi Hanoi” (classical), “Oh the power outage” (Latin blues jazz), “Wet stain” (pop), “Call me Hanoi” (alternative rock), “When we intertwine our fingers” (country)...

Young artists also bring their own colors, full of contemporary, such as Wren Evans who attracted attention with “Cầu Vĩnh Tuy” in the album “Loi Choi”, reaching over 3.5 million views and appearing on Billboard Vietnam. Rapper Obito brings a new perspective through the rap “Hà Nội”, currently with over 44 million views on YouTube. Despite their different styles, they all add the voice of Gen Z to the Hanoi music scene.

Endless inspiration and new aspirations in creation

What makes music about Hanoi last long is the endless inspiration from the land of a thousand years of civilization. Musician Le Thong Nhat shared: “The inspiration for Hanoi is always present. A song cannot express all the love, so every time I have new emotions, I write. And I think I will continue to compose about Hanoi, because the capital is growing strongly.”

Sharing the same view, musician Nguyen Thanh Trung expressed: “Hanoi always has a very unique and special beauty. This place is not only beautiful in its natural scenery, but also beautiful in the souls and emotions of its people. Today, the capital is also constantly growing, renewing and modernizing. Like many children of Hanoi, I want to express my love and gratitude for this land. And music is probably the most interesting way to express it.”

From that inspiration, the young generation of musicians has been searching for many new paths. They harmonize tradition and modernity, combine familiar melodies with traditional instruments, and experiment with rap, R&B, blues jazz, drill or electro-pop. This exploration helps Hanoi music put on a "new coat", keeping up with the international flow while still maintaining its inherent identity. Young musician Ta Duy Tuan confided: "When writing songs about the capital, I always want to convey my own story and message, from the historical beauty to the personality of Hanoi people. Each composition hopes to spread the love, vitality, image and people of Hanoi to friends around the world." Through that lens, Hanoi appears both familiar and new - a modern city but still imbued with memories.

According to musician and music researcher Nguyen Quang Long, the movement of Hanoi music today is different from before. While in the past, works were often general in nature, associated with the national spiritual position, now musicians choose to tell from slices of life, putting into songs the breath of everyday life. "New works still carry the love of Hanoi, the nostalgic beauty and also new existences. Although the space is narrower, they have a spreading color, integrating with the youth of the region and the world " - musician Nguyen Quang Long affirmed.

Innovation also comes from the way of approaching the audience. Many young musicians do not stop at composing, but also directly produce MVs, combine live performances and release on digital platforms. This is how Hanoi music steps out of borders, connects with international trends, and spreads widely.

Musician Nguyen Duc Trinh, Chairman of the Vietnam Musicians Association, affirmed: “Hanoi is the locality with the most beautiful songs. Every year, hundreds of new works are born. Many of them have high artistic value, expressing the deep feelings of the artists. Along with the development of technology, these songs will quickly spread into life.”

It can be said that music about Hanoi today is the resonance of many generations and many styles. The biggest common point is still the love for the Capital - the city of memories, aspirations and integration. Each new work, whether nostalgic or modern, is a piece contributing to the endless, multi-colored harmony about Hanoi.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/thanh-am-ha-noi-moi-dong-chay-da-sac-bat-tan-718478.html