Are you a fan of Phạm Duy?
During Vietnam’s struggle for independence from the 1940s to the mid 1970s, the “Vietnamese” nature of the nation’s traditional music became much more conscious, as traditional composers such as Phạm Duy began emphasizing national themes. When the nation split into Communist North and American-supported South in the ’60s, Phạm Duy disputed the North’s censorship and moved to the southern city of Saigon. When Saigon fell to the North in 1975 he was able to relocate to the United States where he lived in exile for several decades, traveling the world to sing his new songs about Vietnamese refugees (tị nạn ca) and songs about prisoners (ngục ca). With Vietnamese society becoming increasingly open in the ’90s and 2000’s, Phạm Duy moved back to Vietnam in 2005; the government didn’t rebuke him or his music. He passed away in Vietnam in 2013. In this video we enjoy a stage show consisting of his songs.
