Phm Duy, widely regarded as one of Vietnam’s most talented songwriters, was born in Hanoi and raised by his eldest brother from an early age. This songwriter, the youngest of five children in the family, received his musical training in Vietnam and France. His songs chronicled the tumultuous political situation in his homeland, Vietnam, both during and after the French occupation. As a result, the country’s communist regime banned his songs, which were mostly critical of the government. This exceptional writer lived in exile in the United States for thirty years, continuing to write songs with the same nationalist fervour. Despite the fact that his songs were not permitted to be performed in Vietnam, they became well-known in other parts of the world. When he finally returned to Vietnam, the government lifted all previous restrictions, and the country’s citizens greeted him with joy. Despite his widespread public acclaim, Duy’s decision to return was criticized by a few. Composers Nguyn Lu and Tuyên, in particular, decry the fact that, despite the fact that his songs are anti-communist in tone, the government and media overlook his hypocrisy. Despite having been gone for thirty years, the majority of Vietnamese mourned the songwriter’s death, owing to his brilliant lyrics that celebrated Vietnamese nationalist sentiment.
Childhood and Adolescence
On October 5, 1921, Phm Duy Cn was born in Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital city, to famous journalist Phm Duy Tn and his wife Nguyn Th Ha. His father died when he was two years old, and he was raised by his older brother, Phm Duy Khiêm, a writer and Vietnam’s ambassador to France.
The young boy received his primary education at ‘Thang Long High School,’ where he was taught by notable military figures such as V Nguyên Giáp. He then went on to the ‘College of Arts’ and the ‘Ky Nghe Thuc Hanh Vocational College’ to continue his music studies.
Career of Pham
Duy began singing with the ‘Duc Huy’ musical group in 1943-44. The French had occupied Vietnam during that decade, and the young singer joined a musical group for the nationalist organization ‘Viet Minh.’ While serving for the organization, Phm and fellow musician Văn Cao wrote their first songs together.
After leaving ‘Viet Minh,’ he studied music in France with Robert Lopez from 1954 to 1955. He also attended the ‘Institut de Musicologie’ in Paris, despite not being a student there. He returned to Vietnam and settled in Saigon, where he was barred from releasing or performing his songs.
The ‘People’s Army of Vietnam’ and ‘Vit Cng’ seized Saigon in 1975, marking the end of the ‘Vietnam War’ and the beginning of the Communist government. Phm and his family visited California in the United States. According to composer Nhun, his songs were “reactionary,” and thus could not be performed in Vietnam.
Duy’s songs, on the other hand, became quite popular around the world, and they gradually gained recognition even in Vietnam. He wrote over a thousand songs over the course of his life, which are divided into categories such as ‘Dân Ca’ (‘Folk Songs,’ ‘Tâm Ca’ (‘Heart Songs,’ ‘o Ca’ (‘Spiritual Songs,’ and ‘t nn ca’ (‘Refugees Songs,’ among others.
This prolific songwriter returned to his homeland for a brief visit in 2000, and five years later settled permanently in Vietnam. During this time, the communist government, which had initially opposed his creations, began to lift all restrictions on them.
Duy had written masterpieces such as ‘Tnh Ca,’ ‘Cô Hái M,’ ‘Ch Chng ó Thôi,’ ‘Thuyn Vin X,’ and ‘Tôi Cn Yêu Tôi Cn Yêu Tôi Cn Yêu,’ and had also translated popular foreign language songs such as ‘Khi Xa Ta Bé,’ (‘Bang Bang,’) Phm Duy also wrote his autobiography, ‘Hi K Phm Duy,’ which was published in four volumes.
Major Projects of Pham
The song ‘Tnh Ca,’ written in 1953, is his most well-known work. It is about patriotism. After the song’s ban was lifted, a company paid 100 million Vietnamese dollars for the rights to the first ten notes.
Personal History and Legacy
Phm Duy married singer Thái Hng, and the couple has eight children together. Sons Duy Quang and Duy Cng, as well as daughters Thái Hin and Thái Tho, have all made names for themselves in the music industry.
On January 27, 2013, the famous songwriter died in Ho Chi Minh City from gout, as well as heart and liver problems. As a tribute to him, a concert was held, with the proceeds going to his family.
He was cremated in the ‘Binh Duong Park Cemetery,’ with famous singer Anh Tuyet and renowned filmmaker ng Nht Minh lamenting his death.
Professor Vu Duc Vuong, the director of ‘Hoa Sen University,’ has compared the brilliant songwriter to celebrated Vietnamese poets like Nguyn Du, H Xuân Hng, and Xuân Diu. Famous music scholar Trn Văn Khê and renowned historian Dng Trung Quc were among those who lobbied hard for permission to release some of Phm’s songs, particularly albums like ‘Con ng cái quan’ (‘The Mandarin Road’) and ‘M Vit Nam’ (‘Mother Vietnam’).
Estimated Net Worth
Pham is one of the wealthiest Folk Singers and one of the most well-known Folk Singers. Pham Duy’s net worth is estimated to be between $1 and $5 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.