Cultural Post #1

[Mae Ariel Harter]

The song Là Anh Đó by Trương Nguyễn Hoài Nam was performed live for the first time on a Vietnamese show called Bài Hát Hay Nhất. The show is organized in a similar fashion to The Voice. The song was sung in the perspective of the spirit of a girl's dead boyfriend. It tells the story of her crying while hugging her boyfriend's body after a traffic accident as his spirit watches the scene. Trương Nguyễn Hoài Nam had witness an accident where this happened (minus the boyfriend's spirit) and has also been in a car accident where he needed to be in physical rehabilitation to resume normal life. I thought the story behind the song is interesting. As a developing country, Vietnam's traffic regulations (traffic lights, crosswalks, etc.) is not the best. The combination of heavy traffic and lack of regulations leads to a high rate of accidents in major cities such as Sài Gòn. This is especially true during major holidays like New Years where everyone is rushing to return home. I asked some of my Vietnamese friends and they say that crossing the street in Vietnam is not difficult, but you have to be prepared because drivers will continue driving around you. I think this song became so popular not only because it was so moving, but also because it is relatable to many city dwellers.

https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/traffic-accidents-kill-111-over-four-day-new-year-holiday-in-vietnam-3862261.html