Inspired by Other Medium Writers: Music
My Ten Favourite Songs in a Language I Don’t Speak
This is “World Music”
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This list, in no particular order, could change tomorrow, but for now, these are my Top Ten picks in Great World Music. Some of the tracks have a smattering of English, but to qualify they must be predominately Non-English. So great songs like “Asimbonanga (Mandela)” — by Johnny Clegg & Savuka, with lyrics in Zulu, English & French, will have to wait for another list, “10 Great Songs In Multiple Languages”.
If you agree with any of the choices or are inspired to add one (or 10) to your playlists please let me know in the comments below.
10 songs in 10 Languages and 10 Genres.
1. “Jusqu’ici tout va bien” — Clou (France/French) — [Pop]
I find this song by Clou (aka Anne-Claire Ducoudray) just as relaxing as the image above. Great for driving to pick up one’s warm morning baguette, or coming home after a few craft “Sira” beers at your local Brasserie! Where would this take You?
Did You Know? She was discovered during a France Inter talent show in 2014. In 2021, she was nominated in the category of Female Newcomer of the Year at the “Victoires de la Musique” awards ceremony.
2. “Vienna Calling” —Falco (Austria/German) — [Schlager & Volksmusik]
While this has a few English words it’s predominantly German.
I enjoyed it more than “Rock Me Amadeus”, do you?
Did You Know? There’s no Trivia about this song. I can find nothing interesting.
3. “Lolole (Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood)” — Alabina (France/Arabic/Spanish) — [World Music]
When is a group not a group… (No this is not the beginning of a preschool joke)? When they are Alabina.
Alabina the “group”, consists of Ishtar the “lead singer” and the “band” Los Niños de Sara, and if anyone could claim the crown of “ World Musicians” it would be them. The band are based in France and performs; Middle Eastern, Arabic, French, Hebrew, Spanish, and Gypsy World Music.
Ishtar was born Eti Zach (Hebrew: אתי זך) in Israel. She grew up there with parents who are of Moroccan-Jewish and Egyptian-Jewish descent. She speaks and sings in Hebrew, Arabic, French, Spanish, and English; she also says she “half-speaks” “Moroccan.” (source: Wikipedia)
Did You Know? She started performing at the age of 15 in clubs and continued when she enlisted in the Israeli military (IDF), and served as a helicopter technician.
Los Niños de Sara (in Spanish, “Sara’s children”), four cousins from Montpellier, France are Spanish-speaking Gypsies.
Did You Know? Los Niños de Sara also speaks French, but only sings in their native Spanish. Their songs often speak of family, love, and God.
4. “Sê Valente” — Marcos Almeida (Brazil/Portuguese)-[Rock]
Despite being a cool video, what do you think of the song?
Did You Know? He was the former leader of the band Palavrantiga.
5. “Township Jive” — Ladysmith Black Mambazo (South Africa/Zulu) — [Afrobeats]
I challenge you not to tap your feet or shake your hips listening to this joy-filled song.
Did You Know? “Township Jive” (TJ) is also a style of music. It is better known as “Jaiva”, Soweto Jive, Soweto Sound or Soweto Beat, and is a sub-genre of South African township music and an African dance form that influenced Western breakdance and emerged from the shebeen culture of the apartheid-era townships. (source: Wikipedia)
If you want to dig deeper check out “The Indestructible Beat of Soweto” (1985) a compilation album featuring; Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Mahlathini and seven other groups/artists. One of the notable tracks is “Qhude Manikiniki” by Umahlathini Nabo
6. “Jai Ho” — A R Rahman, (India/Hindi) — [Indian Film Pop]
This Song also features Sukhwinder Singh, Tanvi, Mahalakshmi Iyer, & Vijay Prakash.
Sadly you never get to experience this kind of excitement when waiting at London Paddington, to catch the 12:04 to Exeter St. David’s or are at Pennsylvania Station in NYC waiting to catch the 15:40 for your three-day journey to Union Station, Los Angeles, CA. Can you imagine if the staff of “Great Western Trains” or “Amtrak” suddenly broke out into a Flashmob?
Did You Know? This song from the film “ Slum Dog Millionaire” (2009) became so popular in India that the title was “borrowed” for a film called “Jai Ho” (2014) starring Salman Khan, Abhinay Raj Singh & Daisy Shah.
7. “Hautoa (Warrior)” — Oceania (New Zealand/Maori)-[Maori, House]
Francis and House Music are not normally words you find in the same sentence, but while in transit to Brisbane in December of 1999, this extraordinary music drifted out of one of the shops at the Auckland, NZ airport. I had to enquire as to what it was, and when I boarded the plane for Brisbane, my CD collection had grown by 1. The most popular track on the eponymously named “Oceania” album is “Kotahitanga” (Union), but I slightly prefer this track.
Oceania is a collaboration between New Zealand vocalist Hinewehi Mohi and English producer Jaz Coleman. Sung in Māori, the album is a blend of Māori music traditions and instruments with 1990s house and pop. (Source: Wikipedia)
Did You Know? The inspiration for many of the songs on the album came from the early life of Hinewehi Mohi’s daughter Hineraukatauri, who was born with cerebral palsy.
Her collaborator in Oceania, Jaz Coleman was formerly in the English group “Killing Joke” (vocals, keyboards), described, variously, as “Post-punk “Industrial rock” “Gothic rock” “New wave” “Synth-pop” & “Industrial metal”. But by the time they met in New Zealand he had become “the composer-in-residence for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra”.
One could say a diverse life well lived, “Post-Punk” to “Classical” to First Nation “Maori”.
8. “Óró Sé do Bheatha Bhaile” — Seo Linn (Ireland /Gaelic) — [Celtic Trad.]
The band Seo Linn are part of the Gaeltacht movement, where the Irish language is the predominant spoken language. Though they sing in English as well as Irish.
If this song sounds familiar to you, that could be because you are a fan of a certain Irish Muse w/ a shaved head and many names. This song was one of the tracks on her traditional album “ Sean-Nós Nua” ( Old-style New). To paraphrase Shakespeare…
“A Muse by any other name is still a muse…”
Did You Know? Stiofán Ó Fearail (lead vocals, guitars) is also heavily involved with TG Lurgan.
TG Lurgan is a musical project launched by Coláiste Lurgan, an independent summer school based in Connemara... TG Lurgan covers many popular tunes with new lyrics in Gaelic. Its purpose is to help and support people learning Gaelic. The TG Lurgan YouTube channel is a world-leading minority language platform. Check out their cover of “Wake Me Up” by the Swedish DJ Avicii.
9. “Tri Martolod” — Nolwenn Leroy (France/Breton) — [Folk]
Like House Music, Folk Music is not high on my list of favourite musical genres. This track by Nolwenn Leroy from her album “Bretonne”, (2010), based on a Traditional Breton song of the 18th century, is an exception. If you let your imagination take you, you will be transported to a world of Blacksmiths, Fletchers, Reavers, Tanners & Minstrels.
Perhaps the song struck a chord because I was already familiar with the melody, as you might be too if you know anything about French Pop Music of the 1990's.
Did You Know? One of the “Best selling singles of all time, in France”, was “La Tribu de Dana” by Manau (1998). This song created a new style of French Music mixing Rap with Breton Melodies. The verses were rapped but the refrain shared a melody line with ‘Tri Martolod”, which had been an earlier folk hit for Alan Stivell.
10. “Bailando” — Enrique Iglesias ft. Descemer Bueno, Gente De Zona ( ?/Spanish) — [Reggaeton]
In the header above for country, I put a “?” because I don't know what country to associate with the song. US, Cuba, or the Dominican Republic?
Enrique Iglesias’s Life;
Born in Madrid (1975), Moved to Miami (1981), Has Spanish, US & Filipino Citizenship and Lives in Miami.
“Bailando” Information;
Descemer Bueno, Enrique’s collaborator, presented the song to him. Descemer Bueno is Cuban, so was the track written in Cuba? The original song was Spanish. There are 4 versions of the music video; Spanish, Spanglish, Portuguese for the Portuguese market, and Brazilian Portuguese for the Brazilian Market. Simultaneous Videos were shot in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
(Let me know in the comments what country You think should be credited?)
A “Great Music Video” starts with a “Great Song”, It can also make it “Even Greater”.
This is certainly the case for “Bailando”.
Regardless of what country claim’s this song as their own, obviously, D.R. can claim the video.
The four versions of the video are a pleasurable assault on the senses, both sight and sound, and had we been fortunate enough to be participants in the video shoot I am sure we could add smell (amazing street foods), taste (the salt from our brows as we danced up a storm) & touch (the sun kissing our faces, the soccer balls against our knees and foreheads or the touch of our dance partners hands, shoulders and back).
These videos showcase an amazing collaboration of singers, street dancers, cinematographers, camera operators, people juggling soccer balls, locals at work and Havana’s “ Ballet Lizt Alfonso” dancing flamenco. All good music should, to quote the Staples Singers' “Take you There” and these videos do that excellently.
Did You Know? As of Today, Saturday 20 August 2022, the views on YouTube for the four versions of the song are…. (Drumroll Please)!
Bailando (Español)- 3,252,032,396 (3.25 Billion) Bailando (English Version) -521,158,276 (1/2 Billion) Bailando (Portuguese Version for Brazil) -152,825,030 (152 Million) Bailando (Portuguese Version for Portugal)- 49,517,662 (49 Million)
Total Views of: 3,930, 973,364. That’s just under 4 Billion Views. The World Population for 2022 is 8 Billion (source: Google)
4 Billion People Can’t Be Wrong
The Conclusion:
I hope you enjoyed the journey and have added at least one song to your favourite playlist.
My article was inspired by Paul Combs’ article below and his challenge.
The following Medium Writers answered the challenge:
The Playlist:
Footnotes, Credits & Other Important Stuff:
Thanks for taking the time to read on…
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