The veteran singer shared that he carefully balanced maintaining solemnity while preserving the emotional depth of the song. He suggested the composer add female vocals and a chorus to make the epic more academic and profound.

The work comprises six chapters, guiding listeners back to the nation's roots through historical narratives. The composer drew inspiration from everyday moments: farmers tilling fields, students' joyful laughter after school, and the emotional gaze of veterans during national celebrations. Centering on people, the author defines the Motherland as simple things like "rice roots and bamboo groves", "the sweat on a father's brow", and "the faded shirt on a mother's shoulder". Initially, the epic poem lasted about 15 minutes, but Nguyen Thanh Trung later cut many sections to make the work concise and more accessible to the audience.

Artist Quoc Hung in the music video. Photo: Provided by artist

The composer chose the epic form to fully express his thoughts on the country. He believes the nation's soul lies in its wet-rice civilization, preserved through many eras. "In English, 'To quoc' is 'homeland'. 'Home' is house and 'land' is earth. In Vietnamese, 'que huong' is not just land but also 'water' (nuoc). Within the land, there is water, an entire ecosystem that creates life", the composer explained the concept behind the work.

The music video features historical footage and images from the A80 celebration. The team spent a lot of time selecting and arranging the content harmoniously to convey the message and artistic value, ensuring the audience's emotional flow. Before "Dat nuoc hom nay", composer Nguyen Thanh Trung wrote songs such as "Toi di", "Xin rang ngoi", "Dat nuoc yeu nguoi", "Dat nuoc vuon minh", and "Dat oi no hoa".

Singer Quoc Hung, 55, from Hanoi, is a leading opera vocalist and a student of artist Tran Hieu. He possesses a rare deep bass voice and has won numerous top awards in national and international chamber music competitions. In 2019, the state bestowed upon him the title of People's Artist. He currently serves as the director of the Vietnam National Academy of Music. He was the opening singer for the parade celebrating 30/4 in TP HCM last year.

Thu Hang, 30, was the champion of the folk music genre at Sao Mai 2015. She graduated from the vocal department of the National Academy of Music. The singer has released many albums and music videos inspired by folk songs.

Ha Thu