Family trio sings of life in Hanoi hinh anh 1Artist trio Tran Hieu (left), Tran Thu Ha (centre) and Tran Tien (right) will sing together in a live show in Hanoi. (Source: mythanh.com)

A concert by brothers Tran Hieu and Tran Tien and Hieu's daughter, singer Tran Thu Ha, will be held in Hanoi on October 3.

The concert, titled Tran Gia Nha Nhac (Tran Family Music), offers a rare glimpse of the three artists together on stage.

The artists and guest singers Tan Minh and Vietnam Idol 2010 Uyen Linh will perform songs composed by Tien.

"I really look forward to standing on stage and singing with my father and uncle," Ha said. "A few years ago, my father was very sick and had been admitted to the hospital. My uncle and I were terribly shaken by that ordeal."

"Last year, I wanted to have my own live show. But now, I think it is more important to have a live show with my family."

The first run of the Tran Family Music concert will focus on the two veteran artists. At the concert, audiences will be enchanted not only by Tien's performances but also by his memories of his family.

Many songs by Tien, including a new release, titled Ngu Sac Bien (Five Colours of the Sea), will be sung on stage for the first time.

The Tran Family Music concert will portray the artists' memories of their family and the time they spent living on a small street in Hanoi near Hong (Red) River. The brothers have since moved to HCM City.

Tien will narrate stories of the riverside street where he and his older brother Hieu were born and raised.

"My uncle and I had previously recorded these songs for an album. His songs are always written from the perspective of a man. As a result, only male singers can sing successfully his songs," Ha said.

Born in 1936, Hieu is one of Vietnam's leading singers on the contemporary music scene. He has a bass voice, which is very rare in Vietnam.

He was awarded the title of People's Artist [highest title of its kind] in 1997. During his career, spanning half a century, Hieu performed in every corner of the country. However, he has produced only one CD, which was released in 2009.

He has also trained many students, who went on to become A-list singers. "I wanted to set up the Tran Music Family troupe with three members: my younger brother Tran Tien, my daughter Tran Thu Ha and I," Hieu said.

Tien is one of four composers whose songs were very popular in the north in the 1980s and 1990s. The other composers are Nguyen Cuong, Pho Duc Phuong and Duong Thu.

During his heyday, he composed many commissioned songs that were performed widely on many stages. Songs with lyrics supporting the State's policies, such as policies on population and family planning and HIV prevention, were especially popular and succeeded in gaining public acceptance of those policies.

By the end of the 1980s, Tien had set up his three-member troupe, and they were travelling cross-country by car. Later, he made fewer appearances on stage until he made a comeback in 2012 on the live show Nhu Cho Tung Giac Mo (Waiting for Each Dream).

"I'm eager to sing in Hanoi—my native place. Personally, it is a chance for me to enjoy Hanoi's food," Tien said.

Born to a musically inclined family, Ha is one of Vietnam's top pop singers. She has recorded several albums and appeared on numerous live shows.

Her live show Nhat Thuc (Eclipse) was called a cultural phenomenon in Vietnam in 2002 by fans and the media. She moved to the US after marrying a Vietnamese American in 2004.

The concert will begin at 8pm at the Culture Palace in Hanoi.-VNA
VNA