Vietnamese songwriter Trần Tiến recounts mountain‑top ride that inspired ‘Giấc mơ Cha Pi’

In a recent interview on the program “Trò chuyện cùng thời gian,” veteran Vietnamese composer Trần Tiến reflected on his lifelong love for Vietnam’s regional cultures. He recalled traveling to 43 countries but said no place feels as dear as his homeland, inspiring many of his songs about the highlands, the Mekong Delta and his native An Giang province.

Tiến narrated a vivid episode when, while preparing a composition for Ninh Thuận, he asked a motorbike‑rider (xe ôm) to take him wherever the driver wished. The ride led them up a mountain where they heard an extraordinary sound from a house. Inside, a husband was playing a traditional bamboo cha‑pi instrument for his wife. Struck by its unique tone, Tiến obtained the instrument as a gift and later titled the song “Giấc mơ Cha Pi,” expressing his desire to abandon worldly concerns and live simply with a woman and child.