The nostalgic sounds of a season that "fades away".

The sound of coffee being poured into a cup, the clatter of pots and pans my sister washing dishes, my mother's shrill voice from the next room, the sound of my cat sharpening its claws to wake me up... All of these sounds were amplified as my head spun with a mountain of deadlines piling up. Thinking that working from home wouldn't necessarily yield the best results, I put on some music to calm my agitated mind.

"Love songs—the most heartfelt and wonderful voices of a lifetime—always begin in a certain place, a homeland, a city, where people fell in love… All the seasons, weather, flowers, and plants of that magical land combine to create our happiness and our sorrow."

The song begins with the gentle and poetic words of Mr. Nguyen Dinh Toan, a writer, poet, and musician. The "Theme Music" program, broadcast every Thursday on the radio and founded by this artist, became a nationwide phenomenon from 1963. Each episode featured a collection of famous songs selected by theme, with introductory remarks before and after each song to help listeners better understand the meaning of the lyrics.

Literary life at that time was heavily influenced by Western cultural and intellectual currents. Modern media such as newspapers, music, and printing technology emerged, and the public developed a deep interest in innovative and creative art in line with global culture. Therefore, the program attracted a large audience because of its simple, elegant writing style, which did not blindly follow the trends of the time like other authors.

Born and raised in Hanoi, Nguyen Dinh Toan's worldview is deeply rooted in the spirit of a young man from the old quarter: romantic, classical, and profoundly emotional, reflecting the sentiments of his time. Perhaps that is why his introductions warm the hearts of listeners, stirring up feelings of nostalgia, wistfulness, and the intoxicating essence of the past, the present, and the poet himself.

Following Nguyen Dinh Toan's warm introduction are sweet melodies, reminiscent of the purple hues of a small room, the dreamy eyes of a little girl studying with headphones on, and a lazy cat sprawled out by the window… That is the genre of music.LofiFor many years now, Lofi has become familiar to young people thanks to its soothing melodies combined with various background noises such as the sound of rain, people laughing and talking, recording errors, and echoing voices… Originating in Europe in the 1950s, Lofi only began to take shape in the 1990s through some similarities with Indie and Alternative music. And through the skillful hands of composers in Vietnam, a new genre of Lofi has emerged in recent years, which can be called a creation from this line.New music recorded on old equipment.wallOld music recorded on new equipment.The vocal part of the song is often drawn from the melodies and lyrics of modern music from the 1960s and 70s, while the instrumental part is rearranged to create a gentle, tranquil melody. This genre had previously appeared in Europe, but the combination with the narration by Mr. Nguyen Dinh Toan is a unique characteristic of the Vietnamese version.

Combining two contrasting elements—old and new, classic and unconventional—the Lofi genre is far from "picky" and has become a phenomenon on music platforms like Soundcloud and YouTube. Listening to it prompts reflection on preconceived notions about the superiority of old versus new music, broadening perspectives on a new direction in Vietnamese music. The warm, deep vocals and the slow tempo of the arrangement create a Lofi "Theme Music" that acts like a time machine, transporting listeners back to the carefree, dreamy days of their youth spent chasing their whimsical desires...

I gazed longingly at the sunlight spreading across the river, illuminating an extraordinarily tranquil space. Hastily unlocking the door, I longed to step barefoot onto the balcony and feel the cool chill on the stone pavement… out at sea, out in the sun, out in the sand, out in the wind, out at the banyan tree I passed every day… It had been a month since my first day working from home. This season of separation from my compatriots and comrades had rekindled in me memories that were both near and far. A “past” filled with journeys undertaken by curious eyes and adventurous feet now awakened within me like a nostalgic love song.

"I never imagined that you could still hear my voice echoing in all the most indistinct sounds of that blissful day: the gentle breeze rustling through the willow branches, the dew drops falling on the lake, the clatter of clogs on the sidewalk… All those things that resonated in your mind from a peaceful time, now almost silent, but sometimes still powerful enough to stir up in your memory a summer of eager anticipation, a night of sudden rain, the wind carrying away gusts of memories… You suddenly realize you still love me, even though we are as far apart as two cities."

(Nguyen Dinh Toan's introduction to the song "Heading Towards Hanoi" - First cassette tape - Duy Trac)

When I hear this song, I can't help but feel a strong urge to go back.hometownthat,cityHere, one can feel the beauty of the landscapes, the flowers and plants, and perhaps search for a fragment of memory that never truly belonged to them. I can't help but imagine that perhaps someone else, burdened with their own sorrows, might find themselves immersed in a collection of Lofi music, and thus wander into this world where past and present are blurred. Here, there's no need to flee from reality, no need to seek fame or fortune; simply letting oneself be carried by the purple hues of the round clouds, the green of the tree-lined paths, and the golden glow of the streetlights is enough to transport the soul to an ancient city imbued with dreams and fantasy.

Suddenly my mother spoke.That's great music!It was then that I vaguely returned to my small room and messy workspace. Perhaps my mother saw my struggling and distressed expression while staring at the computer screen and thought I had some free time to talk. She said that the program's arrangement was good, because she used to listen to it on the radio when she was little. Later, the composer wrote even more, the most famous being "First Love Song" and "You Came to Visit Me on the 30th Night," and some popular songs sung by Khánh Ly or Hồng Ngọc such as "The Old House," "Golden Chrysanthemum Porch," "Rain on the Magnolia Tree"... But before, he used the pen names Hồng Ngọc and Vũ Ngọc Vân instead of his own name. The way my mother told the story was as if she were reminiscing about old memories from when she rode her bike with her siblings, admiring the rows of cakes and longing for them. Just a few words transported the listener to the happy days of their lives.

Humming along to the music, I'd run into the kitchen to pour myself some more coffee, then return to my workspace and turn up the volume. I imagined myself truly living in that purple city, as the little girl wearing headphones, silently listening to the music, tracing the notes of the Lofi melody with her pen, or perhaps listening to a small radio every Thursday, letting my soul drift away with the timeless love songs. Perhaps this girl is a picture that captures all the worries and sorrows of today's youth – and the youth of the past – longing to sit for a moment outside a tea house, absorbing the MC's "chapo" and humming along to immortal love songs.

Swept away by the gentle voice of Mr. Nguyen Dinh Toan, the poignant singing of Ms. Khanh Ly, the ancient resonance of the old trumpet music, and even the subtle noise of the song, I felt a longing to slow down the melody, but I couldn't. I was too accustomed to the hustle and bustle of life; every breath seemed to stir with regret as each line faded away, and I hesitated to rewind.

Searching for my mother on the path of purple, she imagined the moment she met my father by the mango tree, waiting for him to finish his course preparing for studying in Russia. Back then, she didn't think much about it, but now she has me, she has this house, and every day she feels peaceful... Ms. Thanh Tuyen's voice stopped; it turned out I was just sitting and chatting with my mother on the red-sheeted bed by the window with the rows of water spinach she had recently planted.

And so I buried my face in my laptop again... I thought that deadline was so daunting, but suddenly it faded into the depths of a journey, a quest to rediscover a part of my spirit that remained steadfast, waiting there. Past, present, future, suddenly filled with the echoing songs of ancient times, leaving behind a literary work steeped in the thoughts of a young person who had gone astray, now finding a few minutes of "refuge" through a lyrical melody.

Luu Ngan