Music in Other Languages

[Sir Og]

I listen to Bulgarian, English and Russian music and I understand most of it. I have some stuff that is in languages that I don't speak but I still like it because the music is what matters.

Btw can someone of the Israelis here tell me what does "Frecha" mean? It's the title of a song by Ofra Haza.

[Adalbertus]

La musica ha da essere serva e non padrona della parola

"Music has to be servant and not master to the words"
C. Monteverdi

This contains one of the greatest discoveries I had as an active singer. Vocal music becomes so much more pleasant, enjoyable and fun if you go for the words first. (I know I'm a bit lonely with this attitude, especially when I apply it to romantic music, but I think it's still worthwile )

The music I sing and listen to is (approximately in this order):
German, Latin, English, Italian, French.
In German, English, French, Latin I get the sense of the words with the usual difficulties (bad pronounciation etc.). If I'm singing something or if I like the music, I want to understand the text at least in its keywords. Works fairly well in these languages. Last Christmas we sung a concerto with also Dutch (no serious problem for me with background in German, French, English and Kölsch), Spanish, and Norvegian lyrics, and I really didn't like it not to understand the words, until we had a translation ... and worse, we didn't have anyone who I could trust in a good Spanish or Norvegian pronounciation (we have a Dutch guy in the choir).

[Q Classic]

i have some indian {hindu, punjabi}, japanese, french, german, and korean music atop my regular english music.

i understand the german and the korean all right, and japanese a few words here and there.

the rest... i like the tune.

[Sikander]

I have never cared all that much for lyrics, being far more influenced by the music. Part of this has to do with not being able to understand lyrics half the time in English, much less other languages. I usually just make up my own lyrics to songs domestic and foreign, and enjoy them my own way.

[Zero]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger


Cantonese or mandarin? Canto-pops in the last 5 years or so are trash. They make my ears bleed.

he speaks cantonese, but then again he could be listening to mandarin (hes been learning to speak mandarin)

[Zero]

Lyrics are just as important as the tune, but It really depends on the individual song.

Many times I loved the song just for the lyrics as well as just for th tunes.

[Zero]

Triple Post - Poly is acting weird again.