Leading Vietnamese jazz saxophonist Tran Manh Tuan performs at field hospitals no 3 and 6 in Thu Duc City to pay tribute to frontline workers and encourage people to get well soon. File photo from the artist’s Facebook page

These performance are part of a programme to bring music to people in concentrated quarantine zones and COVID-19 treatment hospitals during the pandemic. It is initiated by MC and songstress Quynh Hoa, deputy director of the HCM City Youth Cultural House.

The programme has attracted more te Phi Hung, Quc Dai and Hoang Bach who have performed favourite songs, and MC Nguyen Khang and Miss Universe Vietnam 2017 H'Hen Niê.

Hoa said that when the artists gave support at Cu Chi field hospital, they were welcomed warmly by medical staff and patients. 

“Since then, with only some mobile outdoor speakers by our sides, we have hosted several performances for frontline workers and people to help them feel at ease for a moment,” Hoa said, adding that the stages were set up outdoors and people could only listen to the music from a distance.

On Saturday night, leading Vietnamese jazz saxophonist Tran Manh Tuan hosted performances at field hospitals No 3 and 6 in Thu Duc City to pay tribute to frontline workers and encourage people to get well soon.

The 51-year-old musician played nostalgic melodies Quê Hương (Homeland) and Về Quê (Coming Home).

He also performed late composer Trinh Cong Son’s famous songs Diễm Xưa (Diem, My Cherished Old Flame) and Còn Tuổi Nào Cho Em (Time for You).

Tuan shared on his Facebook page: “It was an emotional performance for me. When melodies of those songs were played, I heard cheers and claps from the special audiences in the field hospitals.”

“I have performed at numerous small and large stages during my music career, but the stage on Saturday night was the most special. I performed in front of hundreds of doctors and healthcare workers and more than 10,000 patients at field hospitals No 3 and 6.”

“Such unforgettable moments for me and my colleagues,” added Tuan, who began playing the saxophone in 1979.

He received a scholarship to study jazz at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts in the US and became the first Vietnamese to study there.

He has released 11 solo albums and worked with well-known Vietnamese and international singers and musicians. He has toured in Europe, Russia, China, Thailand, Singapore and the US.

Do Ba Son, a resident in Dong Nai Province, after watching the performances on YouTube, said: “I got goosebumps right after Tuan played his saxophone. I have loved his music for years, but watching his performance on the special stage moved me. Come on Vietnam!”

Pop star Phuong Thanh and her peers give performances in concentrated quarantine zones and at COVID-19 treatment hospitals. Photo from the artist’s Facebook page

Like Tuan, pop star Phuong Thanh and her peers have given performances for residents at Cu Chi field hospital and Cu Chi Hospital in Cu Chi District since June.

She have sung her favourite songs Một Đời Người, Một Rừng Cây (A Forest of Trees, A Lifetime) by veteran composer Tran Long An and Một Thời Đã Xa (A Time to Remember) by Truong Huy.

The songstress and Quoc Dai have also presented excerpts from famous cai luong (reformed opera) plays. 

Thanh, who was popular in the early 2000s, said it was hard breathing because of her mask while singing, but “I have never had such a joyful performance”.

Apart from music performances, the artists have participated in volunteer activities at quarantine zones and have given haircuts for healthcare workers. They have also cooked and bought food for people in locked-down zones across the city.

Nguyen Phi Hung, a familiar face in volunteer activities for COVID-19 prevention and control, said: “It hurt seeing many doctors and nurses with their hair shaved off so they could care for patients easily. However, their optimistic spirit and efforts help artists like us and people across Vietnam believe that with love and sharing, we can overcome any difficulty.”

Singer Nguyen Phi Hung gives haircuts to healthcare workers. File photo from the artist’s Facebook page

Source: Vietnam News

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