The Ho Chi Minh City Music Association has announced the passing of composer Lu Nhat Vu at 9:30 a.m. on March 29, due to age-related health complications.

"This morning, his health deteriorated rapidly, and he struggled to breathe despite receiving oxygen support. He passed away peacefully at 9:30 a.m.," said composer Le Anh Tu, speaking to VietNamNet.

The funeral for composer Lu Nhat Vu will take place on the evening of March 29 at the Ministry of National Defense Funeral Home (Go Vap, Ho Chi Minh City). His burial is scheduled for April 1 in Binh Duong.

Lu Nhat Vu, whose real name was Le Van Gat, was born in 1936 in Binh Duong. After graduating from the Vietnam School of Music (now the Vietnam National Academy of Music) in 1962, he worked with the Southern Song and Dance Troupe, the Liberation Arts Agency, and the Institute of Music Research.

His most notable compositions include The Southern Land Song, Saigon Girl Carrying Ammunition, Be At Ease, Mother, and Afternoon on the Meo Village. Among these, The Southern Land Song stands out as the most famous, co-written with his wife, author and poet Le Giang.

Apart from composing, Lu Nhat Vu made significant contributions to the study of Southern folk music. His acclaimed research works include Understanding Southern Folk Songs (1983), Vietnamese Folk Songs in Southern Regions (1986), Music and Life (1989), 300 Southern Folk Tunes (2002), Chanting in Vietnamese Folk Music (2004), Vietnamese Lullabies (2005), Vietnamese Folk Lyric Songs (2006), Reciting Poems - Rhyming Poetry - Falling Poetry of Southern Vietnam (2010), Liberation March (2011), Searching for the Invisible Treasure (2014), and Life's Whispering Melodies (2022).

In recognition of his dedication to the preservation of folk music, the Vietnam Record Center honored him as the composer with the most comprehensive collection of Southern folk music research.

Throughout his career, Lu Nhat Vu received numerous accolades, including the State Prize for Literature and Art in 2001, the Ho Chi Minh City Prize for Literature and Art (1997–1998), the Huynh Van Nghe Award in Binh Duong (2005), and the Nguyen Thong Award for Literature and Art (2017).

Gia Bao