From "Letter to Mother" to songs about soldiers
In the art program "Gratitude for Birth 2026", musician, veteran Truong Quy Hai brought the songs "Singing for the Living" and "Letter to Mother".
The song "Letter to Mother" is the first song Truong Quy Hai wrote about a soldier. Initially, he named the song "Letter to Mother", but after being advised by his teammates, the male musician changed the name to "Letter to Mother".
The song's name carries a special layer of meaning. Letters can be sent home, but for soldiers who have fallen on the battlefield, they no longer have the opportunity to return to their mothers and families.
This song also created a turning point in Truong Quy Hai's composing path.
I learned a lot of things, did a lot of different things and also composed lyrical music. But after'Letter to Mother', I started to switch to composing, writing more about the lives and confidences of soldiers," he shared.
Since then, compositions such as "Singing for the Living", "Coming Here, Comrades" have been born one after another. In Truong Quy Hai's music, soldiers not only appear with years of fighting but also with homesickness, comradeship and remorse for sacrifice.
Singing for the Living" and the feeling of filial piety
In the program "Gratitude for Birth 2026", musician Truong Quy Hai continues to choose "Singing for the Living" to tell the story of fallen soldiers.
The song has the line: "Thay toi tạ lỗi cha mẹ, đạo làm con chữ hiếu dở dang". This is also one of the lines that moved many viewers because behind the sacrifice of a soldier is an unfinished debt of affection.
When asked about the thoughts conveyed in the song, Truong Quy Hai shared that for him, filial piety is not just a story mentioned on a special day.
For Vietnam, Vu Lan filial piety is not just one day, one season, but every day is a day of filial piety to parents" - the author of the famous song "Hanoi season without rains" said.
For Truong Quy Hai, each song carries its own story and meaning. But when placed in the space of "Gratitude for Birth", the compositions about soldiers become even more special, because filial piety to parents also meets meaning with comrades, with the country.
Singing for the Surviving" can be seen as an imaginary message from those who have fallen on the battlefield. They miss their parents, miss their families, but no longer have the opportunity to return to fulfill filial piety. Therefore, those who are still alive are reminded to cherish what they have, live decently and be more responsible.
In "Gratitude for Birth 2026", those stories have more spread when placed next to the message of gratitude, family affection and filial piety.
For veterans who have gone through war, today's peace is not natural. Behind the peaceful life are those who have sacrificed their youth, even their lives. Therefore, Truong Quy Hai's songs are not only to commemorate the deceased but also to the living.
Musician Truong Quy Hai is a veteran of Division 356, who fought on the Vi Xuyen front. The experiences of a soldier have become a xuyên suốt material in his compositions, especially songs written about fallen comrades.
