Doan Chuan: "King" of Hanoi's autumn love songs, "Bac Lieu's son of the North" - affluent and pompous for a while

Doan Chuan was named "The Musician of Autumn". There are many people who respect his gentlemanly character, and many people who are immersed in his love songs and since then people have passed on anecdotes.

Musician Doan Chuan (SN 1924) was born in Cat Hai, Hai Phong. He is known as a typical musician of Vietnamese lyrical music in the 1950s.

The songs composed by musician Doan Chuan have beautiful, romantic melodies and lyrics, attracting listeners. Therefore, although the number of compositions is small, the songs he composed and released have become lifelong works and most of them are familiar to music-loving audiences and listeners.

Some of his "legendary" songs can be mentioned such as: The Road to Viet Bac, Leaves Falling Forever, Artist's Love, Charming Autumn, Ta green shirt, Sending the wind to thousands of clouds, To the sister of the South...

Not only is he famous as a talented musician, Doan Chuan is also considered to be a flamboyant, rich and playful artist. At that time, he was given many nicknames such as: "The King of Love Music", "The Duke of Bac Lieu of the North" or "The Musician of Autumn"...

Born into a bourgeois family in Hai Phong, he grew up in Hanoi and is a Hawaiian guitarist. From a young age, Doan Chuan studied the violin with Nguyen Thien To, then studied the violin with William Chan - they are all talented guitarists of the first generation of Vietnam.

He composed his first song "Autumn Moonlight" in 1947 in Dong Nam village, Dong Hung, Thai Binh. This song is associated with a memory of Khuoc village (the land of Cheo).

A very special thing - all of his songs are recorded with the author's name "Doan Chuan-Tu Linh". Actually, Tu Linh was not directly involved in composing, but Doan Chuan wrote the two together to honor his best friend - he honored the friendship that contributed to creating artistic inspiration.

Tu Linh's real name is Ha Dinh Thau, he is a photographer. The common name this musician has chosen to use remains a mystery to the public.

Returning to the life of a talented musician, in 1946, Doan Chuan and his family moved to Thanh Hoa, he went to Interzone 4, where he met To Vu, Ta Phuoc, sang with Ngoc Bich and composed the song "The Artist's Love" (1947).

After that, Doan Chuan followed an ambulance crew to Viet Bac and composed the song "Road to Viet Bac". In 1950, Doan Chuan returned from the protest area, at this time he began to release a series of previously composed songs, and at the same time wrote some new songs. At that time, the songs he composed were all broadcast on the radio and were warmly received by the audience.

There are many famous singers who performed the compositions of Doan Chuan such as: Moc Lan, Thai Thanh, Le Thanh, Minh Hieu, Le Thu, Khanh Ly, Mai Huong, Anh Tuyet, Bang Kieu, Tung Duong,...

Referring to Doan Chuan, people remember songs about autumn. Of his 10 most famous love songs, there are 9 songs written about autumn, only the song To The Sisters of the South is written about spring, although the song still appears in the image of a distant autumn.

During his lifetime, Doan Chuan once shared: "The earth gives us all four seasons, but it seems that only autumn is the season of love, because summer is hot and noisy; winter is cold and lonely; spring is when everything is busy ...". Perhaps that is why this musician has composed songs about the emotional autumn - captivating generations over the decades.

Author Nguyen Thuy Kha once commented on Doan Chuan's music as follows: "In his melody, I feel the soft sound of leaves falling, the cold pig's blood, and the fragrance of lotus leaf nuggets. Listening to his melody, I feel wistful, loving, and nostalgic.

Moreover, in that melody, the magical silhouettes of "beautiful beautiful women" can be seen more than once, stirring the heart of this gentle and amorous "man of Hanoi".

Still the same artist love, still the same blue shirt, still meeting and parting forever. But in the tune of Doan Chuan, the autumn of Hanoi has slipped into every corner, in every step...."

Doan Chuan married quite early, when he was still studying at Louis Pasteur High School. As a pompous, elegant guy with a wealthy family, he fell in love with a female classmate named Nguyen Thi Xuyen. A girl from a not-so-well-off background, but her family is very well-to-do with beautiful and dignified beauty. Never had a date, but Doan Chuan insisted on asking his family to marry the girl he secretly loved as his wife.

The son of musician Doan Chuan once told his parents' story as follows: At that time, Doan Chuan and Mrs. Nguyen Thi Xuyen were in the same class, both spoke English and French very well. Too infatuated with the beautiful girl, Doan Chuan returned to beg his parents to marry him.

He shared: "My grandmother immediately went to my mother's house to find out, and found that my mother's family was very religious and immediately agreed. The war separated, my family was divided into two, half went to the Viet Bac war zone, the other half stayed. My mother often wore purple that day, when my father went to visit her, she wrote the song "Road Returning to Viet Bac", so there was a picture of a girl in purple in the song.

After getting married, Doan Chuan continued to live a life of adventure with music and love affairs with the pink shadows expressed in his lyrics.

However, in the program "Love Storyteller", the son of the late musician - artist Doan Dinh said that his father never mentioned any woman other than his wife. He said: "Dad never mentioned any woman other than my mother. My family is very strict. Things that are rumored by public opinion, in my family are never heard and are not allowed to be curious."

With the late musician Doan Chuan, his wife - Mrs. Nguyen Thi Xuyen was the only person he mentioned in his family solemnly. Referring to her mother, artist Doan Dinh said that she is a woman who loves her husband, loves her children and is devoted to her husband.

Although her husband is a musician, it is always rumored that there are many "pink balls" around, but she still believes in him and never gets jealous or does anything to upset him.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Xuyen once shared: "He is very romantic and amorous. Only then can he write such good songs. He wants horizontal, then horizontal, wants vertical, vertical, I respect him all. My duty is to take care of my husband, raise children, always endure. He does not know family livelihood, children...

His life was liberal. Listening to your music always amazes me - why are you so talented? Each song is a celebration of a love that passed through his life. He only wrote one article for me, at that time he did not dream of anyone. He wrote The Way Back to Viet Bac, homesick, missed his wife and the purple Ha Dong silk shirt I wore when I was at school. Sometimes I also feel sad because he gives love songs to other women. But getting married to an artist, that's what I can afford."

In early 2000, Doan was having a cerebrovascular accident and fell into a coma. After that, he regained consciousness but lost his voice and could only write until his death. On November 15, 2001, musician Doan Chuan peacefully returned to eternity, leaving behind a heart full of grief for his family and admirers.

The house of Doan Chuan's family is still at number 9, Cao Ba Quat street. Since the day his grandparents died, his descendants have used the old room he used to live in both as a place of worship and as a souvenir room with many images and artifacts that have stuck with him for 77 years of his life.