International music (in general)
 

Hello everybody :hphones:
I am big fan of music in many languages. As we can see - spanish, german and finnish music have their own threads here. But many other languages are interesting too.

Could you recommend me some non-english bands or singers?


I like these bands:

Iceland - Sigur Rós (post-rock, ambient) - You probably know this band.

Mongolia - Altan Urag (folk-rock, metal little bit) - If you like odd music or Apocalyptica, you may like it too.

Denmark - Valravn (experimental, electronica, folk) - It reminds me Sigur Rós little bit although it's different style.

Poland - Myslovitz (pop-rock)

Japan - Dir En Grey (rock, metal, experimental)


If you want some czech music, I like folk singer Radůza, Jaromír Nohavica, folk band Čechomor, pop-rock singer Anna K. and pop-rock band Lucie.


Do you know something non-english? Please, post it here :)

Fokofpolisiekar - South Africa - Afrikaans.
Punk/Alternative Rock.

Youtube them, sorry I am too lazy.

Italian: Zucchero, Valeria Rossi (pop), Franco Battiato (progressive rock, pop...), Jovanotti (funk, disco).
Portuguese: Madredeus (modern folk music), Rodrigo Leão, Sepultura (Brazilian, metal).

Thanks for recommendations :thumb:


Here are some videos of my favourite mongolian band Altan Urag :)

Hi Petula07,

I am also a fan of international (world) music. Thanks for sharing some of your favorites!

Below is an old Israeli song, Erev Ba ("Evening Comes"), that I have loved ever since I was five and first danced the accompanying folkdance with candles and a circle of loved-ones. I was able to dance Erev Ba at my wedding also, which was very special for me because many of those loved-ones were still alive and part of the circle. The music is performed by Arieh Levanon. The singers are Shimon Bar and Aliza Kashi Oshik Levi, and various others. The song is from the CD Such A Beautiful Country Track 14, Audio link from the Jewish Music.com website. (EDIT: Oh! I now see you just started an Israeli music thread, so this post could have gone there!)



Lyrics from Hebrewsongs:

EVENING COMES
(Words transliterated by Henry Lederfeind of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Words translated by Aura Levin Lipski of Melbourne, Australia.)

Again the flocks wander
along the village street
and the dust rises
from sandy paths.

And far away the bells
merge with the gathering shadows.

Evening falls, evening falls.

Again the wind whispers
amongst the garden fences
and from the tops of the cypress
the doves coo

And in the distance
the last rays of the sun caress the hilltops
Evening falls, evening falls.

Again the rose dreams
languorous dreams
and gradually on high
the stars begin to twinkle

And afar in the dark valley
the jackal accompanies the approach of night.
Night falls, night falls.

EREV BA (Lyrics by Oded Avishar)

Shuv haeder noher
Bimvo'ot hakfar
Veolech haavak
Mishvilei-afar

Veharchek od tzemed inbalim
Melave et meshech batz'lalim

Erev ba, erev ba.....

Shuv haruach lochesh
Bein gidrot ganim
Uvtzameret habrosh
Kvar namot yonim

Veharchek al ketef hagvaot
Od noshkot, karnaim achronot
Erev ba, erev ba...

Shuv havered cholem
Chalomot balat
Uforchim kochavim
Bamaron at at

Veharchek, baemek ha'afel
Melave hatan et bo baleil
Layil rad, layil rad...

@VEGANGELICA - thank you for this video, I really like this song! Do you know more of israeli music? You can post in in the right thread. But it's ok, this thread is for everything international ;)

If somebody is interested, I have Youtube playlist of international videos.
Here is the link - International videos - Youtube - Petula1985

Unfortunately, "Erev Ba" is the only Israeli song I knew before reading your two threads...besides "Hava Nagila," that is. I'll check out your international videos, Petula07! It's nice that you've collected them all together.

Yes, I collect international songs, now I found more hebrew music, two bands which seems to be interesting. But now I am too busy for something new to check it, I will do it later.

Oh yes, I know "Hava Nagila", we sang it in music camp 8 years ago, it was a lot of fun :D

I forgot to mention two well-known Italians: Andrea Bocelli (opera, pop) and Adriano Celentano (rock, pop, and he's an actor too).

Also, Toto Cutugno, best known for his hit L'Italiano (1983):

They are really well-known :) But nice, thank you.

Here are my two favourite songs by Valravn. Maybe too experimental or electronic for somebody...

Hey Petula07,

I've been listening through your Youtube collection of over 50 videos. I especially enjoyed Faun's "Egil Saga." I like the somber, ominous echo sounds, the meshing of new instruments with old instruments (a recorder or block flute and a lovely stringed instrument). Plus, the lyrics in Icelandic are interesting to hear!

I read that the group sings songs in a variety of languages. I'll plan to listen to more of Faun, because this video you posted on your site definitely piqued my interest:



I found the translation of the Icelandic lyrics to EGIL SAGA on someone's MySpace:

Hi VEGANGELICA,
nice to know you found something nice for you :)
This song is my loved one, you can listen to it on album Licht and all my favourite songs are from this album so I would recommend this one like first.
Thank you so much for lyrics and translation! I didn't have it.



Now something new...

I know one folk-rock italian band - Modena City Ramblers

Now I got new recommendation for some other italian band - Argine. It's mixture of neofolk, classical and post-punk.

Both bands are interesting for me.

Modena City Ramblers - Morte di un poeta



Argine - Memorie



Argine - Le luci di Hessdalen

And again something new although it's different music genre.

If somebody likes progressive metal...
I just found band Orphaned Land. It's mostly english but they have also some songs in hebrew. Influenced by oriental music.







This one song seems to me more oriental / hebrew music than metal...

I've always loved traditional Arab instruments, the last song above is really cool.

Nothing to do with the subject but does anyone know what the top 20 international music producers are in terms of sales?

Thank you so much, Petula07, for the link to the Faun album "Licht." I didn't realize one can listen to whole albums like this. That's wonderful.

Thanks also for posting all the other videos, too! I'll have fun listening to the songs. I'm glad you include the YouTube videos like this, because then while I am doing computer work at the office I can play through them easily to listen to the music. (Unfortunately, usually I have to multitask by listening to music while doing other things, or else I'd never get any work done...but I try to give songs I really like my undivided attention.) You have an eclectic mix!

Hi PuebloFuerte,
I don't know the top 20 international music producers in terms of sales. I tried to find this on Wikipedia
List of music recording sales certifications - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
but it didn't give a simple ranking!

Erica, thank you so much for your interest, I am glad somebody enjoy this thread :)

I add from time to time some songs to my International videos list on Youtube but not all what I like - it would be too big list.


Today I am in mood of Greece, I listen now new album (Welcome to Greece) of greek singer Maraveyas. And album of band Alximistes.
Maraveyas is ska, Alximistes is folk-rock.

Maraveyas - MySpace
Alximistes - MySpace


Here some videos of Maraveyas...










Alximistes

One of my favourite german songs... Lyrics are sad but this is for me the best song of this band.



Mein Mund, er findet einen Weg
Zu deinem bleichen Munde
So gehen wir beide nun zugrund
In dieser wehen Stunde

I like some Italian Prog:





and Balkan Beats are great but I'm not too Knowledgeable about this area and just go by the Balkan Beat and Gypsy bangers series of albums for some great tracks.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yKaSJWAXHr...Y/s320/bal.jpg

The French Music? thread is closed, but the naked truth about French pop is not completely unveiled yet...

And this is an International classic from 1987:

I love this thread!

I had one funny thing with Last.fm this week... One guy from United States recommended me some czech music! :D Czech prog and somehow I didn't know it. World is really small in this century, it made me laugh :)

So you can try it.... :D :D Blue Effect. They sing in czech and english.

Modena City Ramblers started off sounding exactly like an Iowa barn dance song! (Yes, there are still barn dances in Iowa.)

The song by Argine. Mmm...well, you know how I feel about Italian men! ;) (I'm joking...I really just like that one sculpure!) The singer has a lovely, warm voice. Very pleasant to listen to. It's a beautiful, simple, restful song. I like the integration of strings in the piece. I didn't care so much for the opera singing or the drums at 2:40, but up until that point the song really drew me in. Thanks for sharing it, Petula!

This Orphaned Land Norra El Norra sounded very folksy, then metal, and I liked the mixture of traditional sounds. I felt the chords in the background during the metal portions tracked too cosely to the melody, making the song sound too simple or straightforward to me. I did like the lilting, jazzy piano at 3:00, though.

This video was funny and disturbing! Well-acted. I wish I could understand the lyrics, though the video makes the point of the song very clear! It made me laugh...and feel thankful I don't have a paper bag over my head.

@VEGANGELICA Thanks, it's interesting to know your opinions how you analize these songs.
About Orphaned Land... I get your point of view, it's some easy traditional song... but I still like it a lot :D
And yes, they have some metal songs (folk-metal) but I am not sure if it's fit to this thread... But it's not typical metal so let's try :)







@Zaqarbal - Hmm, it seems you know really a lot of international music :) Can you share with us some your top 10 or something like that?

Hi there,

Scanning through this thread got me to thinking, even though it is Monday...

In this area of music which we seem to be calling 'International', how important is it for the band or singer to actually be from that country. By this I mean, surrounded by and soaking up the culture of that particular country.

Thing is, I have always loved reggae music even though I'm not Jamaican. I also happen to be a musician so when it comes to me writing a song, I tend to lean to the type of music that I have listened to the most. Hence, a lot of my songs are reggae influenced. I also like the guitar music from Zimbabwe, especially TUKU although I have never been to any part of Africa. I reckon I can come up with a pretty good version of TUKU style guitar playing even though I'm a white guy originally from the north part of England and via Scotland now live in Georgia, U.S.

Personally, I think it's fine for any musician or any other artist for that matter to be influenced by any music or art from any part of the world. Where it starts to get dodgy is when the songs tend to stray into areas which really can only be based upon the actual experience of growing up in that particular culture, whether it be African, Jamaican, Japanese, whatever...In these cases, the songs are starting to become based on guess work rather than actual experience.

There again, if I was to read a book on the suffering of slaves and this had a genuine effect on my emotions, would it be acceptable for me to try and put those feelings into a song even though my experience of slavery would only be second hand from the pages of a book....

What are your thoughts on this, anyone ?:)

Gordon.

That's an interesting equation, Zaqarbal! I'll have to listen to those groups so that, like you, I can hear their styles combined in Argine!

Hi Gordon, I agree that it is completely fine to be influenced by music and cultures throughout the world, regardless of our birth culture. We are all human, after all!

Songs do not have to be based on our personal experience. I feel it is perfectly acceptable to write about an experience you have not had, such as being enslaved. Today, unfortunately, the world has many people who are slaves...children, women, men...and human trafficking continues to be a serious problem. I do not feel that the people enslaved are the only ones who may sing about the experience. In fact, they may not be in the position to make music at all. Part of trying to show or experience our empathy for others *is* to sing about how we feel life feels for them.

A more concrete example of why singing about slavery is okay: no one alive today, whether African American or tan with freckles and moles (Caucasian), experienced slavery in the U.S. South. This doesn't mean that people can't sing about it.

Also, I feel it is good to keep in mind that just because someone is viewed as part of a group (say, people whose great grandparents were slaves) doesn't mean that person has any more sense of affiliation with the group than you do. Just because an outsider might say that someone *looks* like part of a particular ethnic group, doesn't mean that the person *feels* part of the group. The reverse side of this observation is that someone born in England and living in Georgia could feel greater emotional ties to the experiences of people enslaved than someone whose own great grandfather was a slave.

Another example: I'm not Scottish, but I've done more Scottish dancing than probably most Scottish people, so I know the music and dance form quite well. I didn't have to grow up in Scotland to be familiar with Scottish music and feel influenced by it.

A listener might at first feel surprised to hear you singing in a Jamaican accent (as I was! :) ) but then hopefully will feel how wonderful it is that cultural influences aren't things owned, but rather creative expression and tradition shared.

Hi there,

Thanks Vegangelica for your point of view on my above question. I tend to agree with you on that although on the Jamaican thing, I would draw the line at becoming a rasta,I think I'm too much of a Pagan for that, ha, ha..

As for the different accents when singing. Honestly, that's a subconscious thing that just happens. If I write a song with a reggae beat I guess the natural thing is to be influenced by everything I've heard in that style and it may come out sounding a little Jamaican, not planned that way though. Same as on that bluegrass type song I recorded. There I sounded like 'Cowboy' Daktari. If I recorded everything in the accent I speak with, then everything would sound a little weird and forced. Same with musical instruments. If I joined a reggae band I would probably play guitar in that style. If I joined a thrashy, punky band, the style would change to fit that kind of music.

I've been working on a few Zimbabwe type guitar tunes. Thing is, the vocal on this type of music always sounds better in their local language to me. Never stopped Paul Simon though....

Cheers, Gordon.

Little


Rose


Claire Denamur

That's very kind of you, but I'm afraid I'm not an "expert" at all. What happens is that, about ten years ago, I used to listen to a New-Age-music radio program frequently. So I remember several names and songs. But regarding other genres, I just know a few famous musicians, the ones who have had an International success, at least in Europe. And some Italians and Portuguese, due to their similar language.

Anyway, if you liked Rodrigo Leão, I can recommend you some similar Portuguese music. Portuguese have a reputation for making the most melancholic music in the World. In fact, they have a specific word (saudade) to express a particular feeling, a mix of nostalgia, sadness, love and emptiness.

R. Leão is a former member of Madredeus. This band's music speaks for itself:

Guess I'll contribute with some musical culture from Norway. This song is called Fanitullen which name means "Devil's tune" because, as legend will have it, the first fiddler to play it learned it from the devil who, of course, is really good at fiddle-playing. There are a few variations of this tune being played in some of the inland valleys, but this 70s recorded version by famous norwegian guitarist Øystein Sunde and his band is quite popular.

An audible slice of Norway as it were. :)

Hello ikvat, I especially liked Rose's song, La Liste: very pretty and soft. I assume all 3 female French singers are singing about love? I thought I heard the first singer saying "je t'aime" quite a bit. I would also enjoy hearing French songs that are hard and gritty, because it is so hard for me to think of French as sounding anything other than sensuous and melodious.

How interesting that the Portugese have a special word, Saudade, for the feeling of nostalgia/sadness/love/emptiness! I agree with you that the Madredeus song has that feeling! The video unfortunately cut out around halfway through, so I couldn't hear it all.

Heh-heh...maybe this is why a heathen like myself wanted to play the violin as soon as I saw one being played when I was 6.

Hmm...have *you* been practicing this upbeat fiddle tune on *your* violin, Tore? Torturing people with high-pitched squeals? One of the benefits of playing a violin as a child, especially when one has siblings, is the violin's remarkable capacity for making excruciating sounds. ;-)

I can imagine! A problem with me and fiddle is I can't really cope with my own excruciating squeals. When I play, it's really only a step above trying to make music by scraping on a blackboard. I can only imagine how awful it must be to have a learning sibling doing this frequently.

The song above is probably played with a hardingfele (traditional violin-type instrument) which is possibly in a special "troll" tuning according to that wikipedia article .. One of my friends have a hardingfele, but since noone can play it, it just hangs on the wall as decoration. ;)

I didn't know about the existence of the hardingfele, Tore! The information about religious beliefs frowning on this instrument and its music (often used for dancing) is very interesting, especially because my mother-in-law is of proud Norwegian ancestry and talks about how her Lutheran mother and she herself as a child (in Minnesota) were not allowed to dance. Or play cards. Because, of course, dancing and card-playing are devilish activities. Sigh.

About violin and siblings: yes, my brother was not a fan of my practicing when I was little. I don't know if his growled complaining made me practice less or more! Probably more.:D

About *your* violin playing: hey, a step above black-board scraping is a start! :) Do you have a teacher, Tore? Based on your pictures of yourself playing, I actually had some technique suggestions!

I agree about the interestingness of the hardingfele's history. I love trivia like that and I'm a sucker for stuff that has to do with superstitions and folklore! Playing the fiddle seems like it's been a sinful activity indeed and the devil wasn't the only one who could teach you. There's a folklore creature called Fossegrimen (sometimes confused with Nøkken) who's usually described as a beautiful man who lives in waterfalls. He lures young women by playing his fiddle and then drowns them, but if you go to the waterfall at the right time (night time probably) with an offering, you can ask him to teach you how to play.

Fun to hear there are some norwegian genes in your family even if they're not by blood! Sounds like your mother in law has had the sort of religious upbringing my own mother had where everything from listening to the radio or talking to boys was sin. She's told me about how people would speak in tongues during church meetings and how it kept her up at night! Needless to say, I never had a religious upbringing myself. :p:

About my own fiddle-skills, I thought about practicing and trying to get into it, but the last time I tried (when those pictures were taken), I thought .. Nah! I have a flute I'm gonna try and dedicate more time to instead. If I ever change my mind, I'll nag you for tips, though. ;)

I am little bit lost in my loved thread. So it's time to join discussion again :)

I don't know so much about regaee and Jamaica so my point of view is more universal... I am not sure if my poor english is good enough to write about it but I will try.
I think international music can be played wherever but you are still influenced by the place/country. Of course you can write good song about slaves although you live in another continent but it will have different mood than similar song played or written by slave.
We can try to copy styles of musicians and we can be really really good in it but in my opinion it is still little bit different.

In my opinion some countries have so typical and special musical technique that for other people it's very difficult to do it. For example throat singing of Mongolia... Maybe we can learn it but will it be the same?






Would you be able to learn it? I guess only with some mongolian musician. Maybe I am wrong but it's only my feeling.

Probably somebody is able to absorb international music more than somebody else. It is similar with english singing... I think some singers try to be very good and they are - some people don't know if they are native English or American or not. Some other singers have so horrible english accent during singing but they aren't able to be better.

For me some magic of international music is in feelings, emotions and strange sounds. I think everybody is able to feel emotions although we don't understand lyrics.

For example this mongolian song... You don't understand but I guess you would agree with me that it's full of emotions.




Music can touch people all around the world because everybody loves, dies, eats... Sufferings and passions are the same or at least very similar.
For example I was surprised how many listeners from abroad czech singer Radůza has. Why they like her? They say her voice is very powerful and they don't need to understand because they just enjoy her voice...








I can show you how the same song is different by different musicians around the world. The same song, different voices but like one song it's very interesting.




Thank you :) This portuguese music is interesting. We don't have some czech radio with songs from abroad so mostly I find something on Youtube, Last.fm or from some people on internet.
I was afraid I am only one crazy person who needs more languages but I am happy to see some people are on the same way.
I think english is international language and it's really good but on the other hand some musicians have more magic in their own language. Aviv Geffen from Israel is one my example.

Tore, are you from Norway? And which flute do you play?

Ops! It's true. I didn't realize. This one is complete. Vem ("Come to Me", trans. here) is also great. And The colors of the Sun (trans.). Their album O Espirito da Paz ("The Spirit of Peace") is really full of masterpieces.

Yep, I am and the flute I'm referring to is a C-Flute I bought about a year ago. I also have a kazoo and a recorder. :D

Ah, good old throat singing! Absolutely extraordinary sound, especially if you're approaching it who thought the term had a nice ring to it and have no idea what to expect. Anyone who wants to hear this in the context of good old rock 'n' roll should hunt down Yat-Kha's Dalai Beldiri as if your life depends on it - gives a very familiar form of musical expression such a dark and unique twist.

:thumb: That's good! Nice to meet another flute player!
If you need some help or sheets of music, tell me, I play a flute about 10 years. And all types of recorder flutes. Well... all except bass recorder :D

:D When I listened throat singing for the first time, I was amazed. "How is it possible to create such a strange tone only by voice and throat" ?!
Now my sentence will be strange and funny too but... somehow this throat singing helped me to accept growl singing in metal. I hated it some years ago.
Now both types of singing are really interesting for me and still almost impossible to understand how the sound is created.

Yeah, I see what you mean there. I listen to hardly any metal myself, but throat-singing's a good way to begin to appreciate it. Very weird style as you say - it's like they pull off two or three different notes at the same time. The way to do it is to kinda use the front side of the very depths of your throat as you sing; keep your voice kinda bubbling under your mouth at all times (if that makes any sense). It's bloody hard to pull it off convincingly though.

Somehow I realized it later how variety singing can be. I don't know a way how to learn it but at least I found some articles about it...

Throat singing - http://www.tarbagan.net/nodo/how/how.html

Growl - http://www.wikihow.com/Growl

I read it but I am not able to do it :D

About metal... I'm not typical metalhead, I appreciate some metal bands as well as some pop, rock, folk bands. My first big metal love was (and still is) band Opeth. They are proggressive metal so they have some growl and clear singing in one song. It's not easy to cathegorize them - they have also some jazzy and and blues parts. Some people who don't like death metal can enjoy Opeth.




Another band with throat singing - Huun-Huur-Tu