songs in a language other than English

[nwhoopfan]

I did some looking around, it's easy enough to find Bebe Rexha, Ava Max, Dua Lipa and Rita Ora speaking Albanian, but I can't find anything where any of them have released music singing in Albanian. I'm not familiar w/ this singer, but based on views of her You Tube clips she's plenty popular (this song is an outlier w/ over 800 million views, but all of her stuff goes well over 1 mil). Figured it was justified putting something on here in Albanian given how popular some of these artists are worldwide.

I've found myself kind of fascinated by Albania. More ethnic Albanians live outside the country than within. I gather there is a strong cultural identity, if you are of Albanian heritage, you are Albanian, regardless of where you were born or where you live.

 

[nwhoopfan]

The actress in Claudia Cardinale and the singer is Fran Jefferies

Dang, I thought I did some good detective work. I guess that won't be my new career.

 

[Hoops66]

Here's a solo Irish song from Mairead ni Mhaonaigh from her first album with Frankie Kennedy (proto-Altan):

Simple and pure. Thank you.

 

[Kaizen]

The Love Song of Kangding, a Chinese folk song.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I didn't do an exhaustive search, but looked up a number of artists. Sweden and Norway have produced a whole bunch of pop stars, many who are popular in the U.S. Seems like it's pretty much English language songs. I just thought I could find some stuff in their native languages, but I'm not finding it.

edit--obviously there must be music released in those countries in non-English; I just meant the stuff that gets known over here, they seem to sing exclusively in English

 

[nwhoopfan]

Aha, I found something. This Swedish singer had a minor hit or two ("Cry For You" is nice) using the stage name September, singing in English. Later she used her given name and sings in her native Swedish.

 

[Hoops66]

If you haven't heard Ayub Ogada (RIP) from Kenya......

 

[Hoops66]

Why I love Afro-pop...from the Congo

 

[McFly]

Several mentions of Edith Piaf, and not even one Milord? How is that even possible?

 

[Hoops66]

Ernesto Lecouna (Cuba) and Elayne Celis (France) combine in this classic 1930 song of Lecouna's...an old recording but beautiful, I think.

 

[Bigboote]

The Path by Ralph Macdonald (mostly the second part with the steel drums) was big on WLIB (The only station in the nation with a Caribbean education) when I was in high school. The lyrics and a translation were in the gatefold of the album, but I ripped it to CD about 20 years ago and traded the LP in. I think the original lyrics are in Yoruba, but could be (way) wrong on that, as this is pretty much all I know about West African languages.

 

[Hoops66]

These beautiful and talented young ladies are all deaf! It's hard to believe.

 

[Hoops66]

There are a number of top Greek women singers. My favorite is Haris Alexiou. This song sounds familiar from Greek movies, maybe, but what she's singing...well it's Greek to me.

 

[Hoops66]

The Path by Ralph Macdonald (mostly the second part with the steel drums) was big on WLIB (The only station in the nation with a Caribbean education) when I was in high school. The lyrics and a translation were in the gatefold of the album, but I ripped it to CD about 20 years ago and traded the LP in. I think the original lyrics are in Yoruba, but could be (way) wrong on that, as this is pretty much all I know about West African languages.

I just got a chance to listen to this. Really fun. Thanks for another good pick.

 

[Hoops66]

I first heard this 30 plus years ago on PBS radio. They played it every day on my drive home. It took me two months to get it. It was on top of the Reggae charts for a while....still sounds good to me.

 

[Bigboote]

I just got a chance to listen to this. Really fun. Thanks for another good pick.

Back at you for the Thousand Hands Dance, totally captivating.

 

[Plebe]

This achingly beautiful piece by the legendary Fairouz, "The Nightingale of the East", has reached iconic status. Released in 1984 at the height the Lebanese civil war, it's at once a lament for war-torn Beiruit, an ode to its grandeur, and a cry of hope for its future.

Fairouz steadfastly refused to perform in Lebanon throughout the 15-year-long the civil war — both as a quiet protest and to avoid any perception of favoring any faction — but just as remarkably, she also refused to abandon residence in her country.

Expanding on the international dimension of this song, its poetic Arabic lyrics are set to the music of "Concierto de Aranjuez", a well-known classical piece titled by Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo.

A fantastic article on the import of this song and its interpreter:

Fairuz, Li Beirut and Lebanese Nationalism - Raseef22

In 1994, the nightingale of the East had finally returned to Lebanon. She came, she sang, she stole hearts. She performed for those who had been yearning to...

raseef22.net

 

[Hoops66]

This achingly beautiful piece by the legendary Fairouz, "The Nightingale of the East", has reached iconic status. Released in 1984 at the height the Lebanese civil war, it's at once a lament for war-torn Beiruit, an ode to its grandeur, and a cry of hope for its future.

Fairouz steadfastly refused to perform in Lebanon throughout the 15-year-long the civil war — both as a quiet protest and to avoid any perception of favoring any faction — but just as remarkably, she also refused to abandon residence in her country.

Expanding on the international dimension of this song, its poetic Arabic lyrics are set to the music of "Concierto de Aranjuez", a well-known classical piece titled by Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo.

A fantastic article on the import of this song and its interpreter:

Fairuz, Li Beirut and Lebanese Nationalism - Raseef22

In 1994, the nightingale of the East had finally returned to Lebanon. She came, she sang, she stole hearts. She performed for those who had been yearning to...

raseef22.net

Yes, it's a beautiful song, both with her singing and the lyrics. A friend's family had fled to Beirut during the WWI era Armenian genocide. She was born there. Her family came here to the US in the 1960s. She said that it was a most beautiful city, which many compared to Paris. With civil wars etc. and the recent explosion, she feels
that a part of her is lost forever. (I also read your attachment. It was excellent.)

 

[BlueDolphin]

Some of this is in English but we have to have something from Ladysmith Black Mambazo. South Africa of course.

 

[Bama fan]

It's kinda crazy how some stuff that is totally obscure in the U.S. is definitely NOT obscure globally. I'd never heard of this band til about a month ago. This video has nearly 77 million views. Obviously somebody knows about them.





As a side note, the hurdy gurdy has to be one of the strangest, but coolest instruments ever invented.

Donovan seemed to think so!

 

[Bigboote]

Here's Caroline Lavelle, barefoot English cellist, singing in Armenian. The name she gave the tune is the name of the poet who wrote the lyrics:

 

[Kaizen]

Bésame mucho (in french) - avalon jazz band

 

[chrissaran]

Con Tu Amor/Jaci Velasquez Como la Flor/Selena Cualquier Cosa Por Ti/Gloria Estefan Nada/Shakira

 

[nwhoopfan]

I hadn't even thought to check. Here's long time German rocker Doro Pesch, not singing in English like she normally does. This just popped up on one of my Pandora stations.

 

[Hoops66]

Carlo was the "King of the Tango" in Argentina during the twenties, through to his death in 1935, in an airplane crash. An all-everything in Argentina he rivals Evita in the hearts of most Argentinians.