Nguyễn Quốc Trung is a prominent musician, instrumentalist and music producer in Việt Nam. He is also the founder and director of Việt Nam’s biggest international music festival – Monsoon Music.

The 60-year-old artist has staged a concert reflecting on his four-decade artistic journey – Lối (Path) – blending elements of Vietnamese folk arts with electronic, minimalist and polyrhythmic music. It is also an experiment through which he explores his artistic identity and the essence of his music. He talks to Việt Nam News reporter Lương Hương about the project.

Why have you chosen a 'small path' at this point in your career? What changes in your life and music does this path reflect?

At a certain age – or, more precisely, as we grow older – we come to understand what we truly want and what we are capable of. We also learn to recognise what is unnecessary, avoiding needless words and things that waste our time, perhaps because we become more aware of how much time we have and how quickly it passes.

Perhaps people like me want to walk more slowly, not simply because our legs are weaker, but because we want to see more clearly and feel more deeply.

My music has changed in much the same way. I try to make it as simple and clear as possible. Whether it can also be deep depends, of course, on what I am capable of.

After years of exploring traditional musical materials, what is it about tradition that continues to inspire your curiosity and creative exploration?

I am not a researcher or a collector. My exploration comes through my creative work. I am simply someone who enjoys exploring and experimenting with all kinds of things. Tradition offers so much that is fascinating, but I only draw on certain elements of it. I do not try to cover too much or delve too deeply into it.

Lối brings together artists from different generations, from veteran traditional music performers to younger artists such as Kiều Anh and marzuz. What differences do you see between these generations of artists?

If younger artists are fascinated by tradition, their interest often lies in how it can be applied and adapted. Veteran artists, on the other hand, pour their heart and soul into showing just how beautiful the art they love can be.

You have undertaken large-scale, highly experimental projects driven by an ambition to bring Vietnamese music to the world. With Lối, however, you have chosen a more pared-back and personal approach. Do you feel that, in doing so, you are letting go of something in order to hold on to what matters most?

I learned from a friend: never to undertake a project without thinking beyond it. My dreams have never stopped, and I still have many plans for Lối. At this point, I am not letting go of anything; I simply know how to focus more than I used to.

In fact, I have put aside several fairly large projects so that I can concentrate on Lối.

Six months of working continuously on the project is not particularly extraordinary. In a professional setting, it might not even be enough time. I was able to push myself that hard only because I was working on my own terms.

Lối is conceived as a multisensory experience, with music in dialogue with lighting, visuals and stage movement. How have these elements been brought together in the project to create harmony without overshadowing the music?

When I create music, I already have an idea of how it should be performed and what emotions it should evoke. Once I have the artists I am working with on board, that vision becomes even clearer, and we only make minor adjustments.

How exactly we bring it to life depends on the artists’ talent. We usually share the same perspective when discussing what to add and what to leave out.

Lối has no narration or pre-determined story for the audience to follow. How would you like audiences to 'find their own way' through this musical space? 

The more at ease I am, the more I hope the audience will be, too. There is no longer any need for tension or expectations. I am confident, and I have enough experience to know how audiences will respond for the most part.

Perhaps what I hope my audience will feel is that this is still the Quốc Trung they have known, but with a little surprise and something new – a sense of joy, like meeting an old friend again.

Could you share some details about your upcoming music projects that will help Lối reach a wider audience?

For me, Lối marks the beginning of a new journey – one that is slower, steadier and deeper. I hope it will take me further and bring me more good fortune. But whatever happens, the journey will not end here.

Depending on the circumstances and scale, Lối can take different forms to adapt to different settings and reach a wider audience. Once everything has taken shape clearly, it will not be difficult to bring the performance to different audiences and venues. The important thing is securing enough funding to stage it as Lối can be performed anywhere and adapted to different scales. — VNS