Having lived in a non-english speaking country for a few years in my life, I came to enjoy a lot of good music that is being played abroad.
Sure, it may sound weird here...but there is much good music being played out there that I'm sure is being over looked simply because the music is not in english.

Over the years, this has puzzled me but at the same time, I can understand it.
The puzzling part for me is the total acceptance of english lyric music abroad but for the most part...a lack thereof in english speaking countries.

So I guess my question is...do you have any foreign language songs out there that you are enjoying?
Add in the "You Tube" video or audio if you have an example that we may enjoy.

By the way...english may be a foreign language for you, so your input would especially be interesting.

I'll throw in a couple of mine later on after I see a little of what you come up with.

Just curious.

Randy

What the hell...here's a couple of originals that will be recognized.

So this is how they started out as.
I must admit, my experience lies mainly in Germany and during the 80's while I lived there.
I do have some examples that are more rock, but I believe these may be more recognizable.

Looking forward to your inputs.

I`ve got some cool stuff (IMO anyway) but kinda stressed right now, I`ll post asap.

Looking forward to it Skip.

Randy

You're point about "American" language indifference is well taken, although it's been obvious to some, esp. in biz fields, that there are advantages to becomeing multi-lingual.

The last funk band I was in, I convinced to play a version of A fantastic (Brazilian-chantuese) Gal Costa song, "O Gosto do Amor". We couldn't get anyone to translate its Brazilian-Portuguese b/c "It's too full of slang idioms".
It was hilarious rehearsing as the vocalists tried to reproduce the lyrics phonetically.

I haven't found an online version of Gal Coasta's song but here's a similarly funky offering I love.
From Jorge Ben, "Umbabarauma"...
original / http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gunfjJY6o-Q
live / http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-MazfKbB74
Catch how the bassline's like a funk/jazz variation on "She's About A Mover" (by the Sir Doulas Quintet).

& here's a low-key tune by Costa, just to give ya a taste of her voice.
Mae
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-FYqWwvjIA
Here, There & Everywhere
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjYe4c1-3po

Whaaaat???!!!! No Macarena?

C'mon, B-Ape, you could at least post some Quebecois music....

This starts and ends with Angelique Kidjo. This first one even has subtitles for you:



Santana did a version of this next one, but Angelique is better:



EDIT: Oh look, here's Angelique and Carlos together:

I remember this in elementary school.

Great stuff guys!!

Ok...one more you'll recognize.
Seeing that this is early 80's, be sure to take note of the wardrobe and choreography!

Randy

Peter Schilling - Major Tom / coming home

German



English

Another fave in this area was Ofra Haza.
Here's an introduction:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRijgRZmqvI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRijgRZmqvI
Haza died in 2000.


A great...& still relevant tune is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mtGTkKd9kE
(dig the burning wind/synth part)

Here is a band I love from Iceland. Very ambient, orchestral sort of sound. The guitarist mostly plays his guitar with a bow, but he is a great guitar player all round. Live, they often play with a string quartet or even a giant horn section.

Their music is just beautiful, and it doesn't matter that they sing in Icelandic, their music transcends words...hell their second album called () had all untitled songs and no real "words"...he made up a language called Hopelandic which is basically him just singing sounds...if you don't speak Icelandic you cannot tell the difference.

Real shame about Ofra Haza, she was great.

Well here`s a few from the international file, first is from Japan-
Love Psychedelico does a lot of songs in a mix of English and Japanese. Very straight ahead rock sound, unlike the syrupy slickness of a lot of pop-rock here. This was their first major hit:



This is a band called Triceratops, great songwriting. I have promised myself to play this one live sometime, it`s one of my karaoke favorites:


This band is Ellegarden. They do almost half their songs in English. I heard this one on a flight and went, wow. Worth listening to more, some of their stuff is hilarious:



Okay, here`s a few from the U.K.-first is LaFee. There`s a video version of this on e but I like the performance one better. Title translates as, `Who Am I?`:


This is a band from Berlin, Wir sind
Helden (We are Heroes). Another gem from inflight entertainment, I really like this one:



Here`s a couple from France. First is Nadia. Title is not usually a spoken phrase but means something like thinking about someone who is far away:



Here`s a cool rock duet. Title means `Die Tomorrow`:




This is an interesting band, my friend in Glasgow introduced them to me. Not sure where they`re based but I see that they do some songs in Icelandic:




This group is from Ukraine. I ran across them accidentally in a kind of parody video. I don`t know if they play anything but um...I think I can forgive them-the group changes lineups quite often, I believe the former Miss Russia is now a member:


Okay, here`s a couple from India. First is from Dhol, named after a kind of drum:






Here`s something for the dance floor. The title is one word but it means something like, losing oneself in the divine fire of god. It`s from a movie:

I lived in Germany on and off for about 13 years, and between the (usually crappy) radio and the club scene, it exposed me to a lot of unusual music, especially once videos become widespread.

A lot of your links are blasts form the past, thanks! I'll post some links of my own tomorrow, but it's too late tonight.

The only song to ever have hit #1 on the Billboard charts sung entirely in Japanese.

I did a Christmas show a few years back, and that songwriter`s son was the first act of the evening. Very nice guy.

WOW...great vids!!

Some show embedding denied...what a shame.

These vids are too cool.
I like to see what's out there.
These vids you guys are putting up we'd normally never get the chance to ever see.
Thanks very much.

Randy

If the embedding has been disabled by the owner, you can click on the youtube logo in the bottom right corner and it will bring you to the "non-embeded" version on the Youtube website, so you can watch it there.