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Favorite song in a language you don't understand


BSR

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To connect with a song, I think you need to understand the lyrics.  But do you have a favorite song in a language that you don't understand?  I first heard "Jo mai mai" (Catalan, I think it translates to "never have I ever") when I saw a YouTube video of the gay subplot in "Barcelona Summer Night."  Because I loved the tune & the singer's voice, i listened to it a bunch of times before looking up a translation.  Besides, since the video plays out the lyrics, you don't really need a translation.  

If you have a fave song in another language, try to post a YouTube video or recording of it so we can give it a listen.

 

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"Girl from Ipanema" is a bit of stretch since the English lyrics version has been around for decades, but since I don't understand a word of Portuguese and because it's one of my fave songs of all time, I'll include it here.  Besides, I think it sounds prettier in Portuguese.

 

Edited by BSR
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>>@BSR Quote: Thanks for the post.  Even though I don't understand a single word, I really like this song!

 

Glad you liked it. The following (Fada) is probably their second most popular song.

Victor is the guitarist and primary song writer.

Leo is the primary vocalist.

I don’t understand the words either but you can tell from the audience they are quite popular.

 

 

 

 

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And something from a different culture.

Interesting accompaniment choice and video.

 

yane-heja-hee - sacred spirit

Don’t know who the actual vocalist is.

Certainly don’t understand the words - but it kinda grows on you.

 

Edit:

The song is from Sacred Spirit II which was a 2001 Grammy New Age nominee.

The vocals are Native (North) American. Maybe Navajo?

The dancers, based on skin tone, body decoration, costumes and video setting I would guess are Southwest Pacific.

 

 

 

Edited by not2rowdy
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From a favorite Cirque du Soleil show Mystere.

Kalimando

My understanding is the vocals are actually a “made up language” by Cirque du Soleil

 

 

 

 

And there is just something satisfyingly primal to the male psyche regarding the universal language of percussion.

O-Daiko

 

 

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Some trivia:

Mocedades finished 2nd in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973 with Eres Tu.  ABBA won the contest in 1974 with Waterloo and, of course, went on to become the greatest band of the 20th century. (And with the release of their new album next month, undoubtedly of the 21st century, as well.)

"Eres tú" became one of the only Spanish language songs to reach the top 10 in the United States, peaking at #9 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart and also reaching the top 10 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The B-side of the single was the English-language version of the song ("Touch the Wind"), but radio stations preferred to play the original A-side version. There were also several cover versions of the tune in both English and Spanish, only one of which ("Touch the Wind" as done in English by Eydie Gorme), charted, becoming a minor Adult Contemporary hit. The song was re-released in English as "Touch The Wind" in later years. It was subsequently released in German (Das bist Du, or "You Are That"), French (C'est pour toi, or "It Is For You"), Italian (Viva noi, or "Long Live Us"), and Basque (Zu Zara, or "You are"). The song was the only U.S. Billboard hit for Mocedades; however, many more hits followed in Latin America and Spain.

I could only find a Spanish version by Eydie Gorme, but here's some dame singing the English version:

 

Edited by samhexum
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33 minutes ago, samhexum said:

Some trivia:

Mocedades finished 2nd in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973 with Eres Tu.  ABBA won the contest in 1974 with Waterloo and, of course, went on to become the greatest band of the 20th century. (And with the release of their new album next month, undoubtedly of the 21st century, as well.)

"Eres tú" became one of the only Spanish language songs to reach the top 10 in the United States, peaking at #9 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart and also reaching the top 10 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The B-side of the single was the English-language version of the song ("Touch the Wind"), but radio stations preferred to play the original A-side version. There were also several cover versions of the tune in both English and Spanish, only one of which ("Touch the Wind" as done in English by Eydie Gorme), charted, becoming a minor Adult Contemporary hit. The song was re-released in English as "Touch The Wind" in later years. It was subsequently released in German (Das bist Du, or "You Are That"), French (C'est pour toi, or "It Is For You"), Italian (Viva noi, or "Long Live Us"), and Basque (Zu Zara, or "You are"). The song was the only U.S. Billboard hit for Mocedades; however, many more hits followed in Latin America and Spain.

I could only find a Spanish version by Eydie Gorme, but here's some dame singing the English version:

 

My eyes popped when I read that a version was done in Basque.  With only ~750,000 Basque speakers, there's not exactly a huge market for Basque music.  A friend in Spain has a Basque friend.  Of course, I asked him to speak Basque for me.  It sounds like no other language on Earth.

Wow, you can find anything on the Internet nowadays.  I actually managed to find a video of the Basque version.  I couldn't figure out how to embed the Vimeo vid, but hopefully this link works ...

Zu zara

Edited by BSR
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"La Marseillaise" has always been my favorite national anthem, by far.  The scene in "Casablanca" sealed it for me, so stirring and patriotic.  Since my high school French was never any good, I never understood a word.  Yikes! I didn't realize the lyrics were so violent!  "They come ... to slit the throats of our sons and wives" & "Let's march so that impure blood waters the furrows of our fields."  Wow, they weren't kidding around.  Anyway, I posted the scene from "Casablanca" and another video with the French lyrics and the English translation.  Vive la France!

 

Edited by BSR
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