Do you listen to music in different languages?

@Awinds (2468)
United States
July 5, 2011 9:59pm CST
Do you listen to bands or songs that are not in your native language? If so, do you understand the language they are singing in or do you just listen? Do you like the sound or the language? :)
1 person likes this
15 responses
@Arnel_24 (155)
• Philippines
6 Jul 11
Yes, but in just two languages. English and Filipino. What I look in songs is it's message, not just, it sounds great but what it wants to deliver to listeners.
1 person likes this
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
6 Jul 11
That's an unusual trait, especially in this day and age where the only thing people care about is the base and the beat. When it comes to songs, what specifically do you like to see communicated? :)
@Lore2009 (7378)
• United States
6 Jul 11
Yes I do. I like the sound and the language and the fact that it's unknown to me.. the mystery is intriguing.
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
7 Jul 11
That's a fascinating point. When you hear a song in a different language again is the mystery as fresh as when you first heard the song? Or does the mystery lose it's dazzle after a number of repeats? :)
@Lore2009 (7378)
• United States
7 Jul 11
No, it doesn't loose it's dazzle. And it is as fresh as the first time I heard it, usually. Music always reminds me of something I've been missing.
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
9 Jul 11
If it's not to personal, what is this missing thing of which music reminds you? Of course if it is private, I won't pry. :)
@Mirsya (520)
• Indonesia
6 Jul 11
Yes. I used to listen songs in English and Japanese, occasionally in Icelandic and Hopelandic (that's not even a language). I understand English, but I don't understand Icelandic and Japanese. Well, of course I like the language.
• Brazil
6 Jul 11
I also listen a lot of songs in English and Japanese. I understand the English songs, but the Japanese songs, I don't have no idea of what they are singing! :)
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@Mirsya (520)
• Indonesia
6 Jul 11
Yeah, just having fun singing eh?
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
6 Jul 11
@Mirsya - I do as well. The Japanese language sounds pleasingly different from English. Japanese words also have a natural flow. So do you listen to J-pop or other genres? :)
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
6 Jul 11
I love listening to songs in various languages, but it has to be something I understand (or something I can look up the translation for) otherwise it just bugs the crap out of me! I want to know what I'm listening to. xD Perfect example: I was in my senior year when the song "Rompe" by Daddy Yankee became really big and it was a huge dance hit in my area. I thought it was really funny because it was so big it even got requested at my senior prom, but no one had any idea what they were dancing to so it was pretty amusing. Most of the songs I listen to are in French or Spanish and I'm semi-fluent in both. The only other language I really listen to frequently is Japanese, but that's only because I love watching anime so sometimes I'll find a really good opening or closing song that I just have to put on my iPod (like Life Is Like A Boat by Rie Fu). Disney songs are almost fun to listen to in just about any language, though, since you understand the basic gist of them. :) I like the sound of them in German lol. They're slightly different in translation from one language to another, but similar enough.
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
6 Jul 11
Well, we've met the veteran in the language range! I hear what you mean with the Disney songs. That "I won't say I'm love" song from Hercules just sounds better in French. How did you get started in listening to songs in other languages? Anime or did something else pique your interest? :)
1 person likes this
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
7 Jul 11
I actually really started because of French class. I don't really remember what we were learning or anything, but I do remember that they mentioned MC Solaar as French rap and I was really curious wondering what that would sound like so I looked him up and listened to "Solaar Pleure" and I fell in love with the song, so I started listening to him. From there it kind of just expanded to what I heard by word of mouth. One of my friends turned me on to Mylene Farmer. I also heard La Tortura by Shakira and loved Alejandro Sanz's voice in that song, so that started me listening to him and when I was listening to one of his songs on YouTube I found a song from Juanes and really liked him too. It usually pretty easy to find foreign music you like if you kind of look for it. xD
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
9 Jul 11
I know! You find one song, then you hear another artist or see another song in the sidebar. Sometimes there are just to many great songs to listen to! :)
@llbo1981 (1237)
• China
11 Sep 11
Music has no national boundaries.So i would like to listen to music in in different languages.Such as Chinese,English,Japanese,and so on.There are many kinds of good nusic on the internet,i try to like them and share them
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
11 Sep 11
I agree! The internet is a great gateway to music from all parts of the world. :)
• United States
6 Jul 11
Yes, sometimes I listen to japanese, german, and french music. I find it relaxing and it makes me want to learn a new language more
• United States
7 Jul 11
All are great equally to my ears
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
7 Jul 11
That's a great point - music might motivate some less than willing students to study a new language! Out of three languages you listed, do you prefer one over the other? Or are all equally great to your ears? :)
@fluffysue (1482)
• United States
11 Jul 11
I used to take salsa lessons, and I really started to like listening to salsa and bachata music, although I only understand about half the words. I love the sound of the music, and it is fun for me to try to understand the words using the Spanish I learned in school. The more I listen, the more I understand.
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
11 Jul 11
That's great - building off of what you are learning with the dance lessons! :)
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
10 Sep 11
I often listen to music in other languages than my own and I used to collect pop and rock music from around the world. When I visited another country, I always bought some cds and some of my friends from other countries sent me music from their countries I have a Japanese friend who spent some time in Denmark. Before she went back to Japan she stayed at my house and she had too much luggage so she gave me all of her cassette tapes. I got a lot of Japanese music that way and I often listened to those tapes, because there were many beautiful songs. Today I don't listen to cassette tapes very often, but I still have some of her tapes. I understand a little Japanese and I am able to understand a small part of the songs, but most of the words I don't understand. I often listen to Russian music because I am trying to learn the Russian language at the moment. One of my Mylot friends gave me some links to Russian songs on YouTube. I am listening to those singers as well as some other singers that I have found.
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
11 Sep 11
You are very lucky to have gotten that much Japanese music all at once! It's even better that you can understand a bit of the words. :) Listening to songs does indeed seem like a great way to learn a new language!
@chazzief (237)
• Malaysia
6 Jul 11
I'm the kind of listening to music more than the lyrics, although people says that music and lyric can't be separated.. personally, I hardly listen to music from my own local music industry. I listen to Taiwanese, Japanese, Korean, Philippines, Thailand, Germany and Spanish music, depends on my mood on that day. I interpret the music most of the time, more than the lyrics since I don't know the language.. but later on, I will find the lyrics and try to relate it with the music that I've interpreted listening to international music somehow inspire me to learn the language so far, I've learned Mandarin and Korean, in addition to Arabic and English that I learn in school.. but music beats everything. music can stand without lyrics but lyrics without music will become.. poetry?
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
7 Jul 11
Poetry or babble. Somehow p-p-p-p-poker face just looks lame when alone on paper. I find your method of interpretation fascinating. It sounds like with the way you do it, you get a complete picture the song. I should try that next time I listen to something foreign. :)
@chiwasaki (4694)
• Philippines
10 Sep 11
I listen to some songs in different language. There are times that I checked on the lyrics and their translations. Mostly it is an anime songs from Japan that I listen to.
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
11 Sep 11
I listen to a few of those to! Isn't amazing how musical styles - despite similar instruments can vary so much from country to country? :)
• Indonesia
6 Jul 11
I came from Indonesia and big fans of West music.It's english and american-english.I enjoy that music even sometime need to open my dictionary, lol :D
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
7 Jul 11
We all need to do that occasional - especially when some of the more insane artists are involved.:D
• Malaysia
6 Jul 11
Yes.. I do listen to any great songs even though I don't understand the language.. as some might say "Music is universal".. even though I don't understand the words.. i still can enjoy the music as long as its great.. korean and japanese have a lot of great songs..
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
7 Jul 11
I can appreciate that! I myself hold several Japanese songs. Of course I have no idea what they're saying, but the songs are still quite colorful.
@thetis74 (1525)
9 Jul 11
Hi! I don't just listen to them. I sing some of them too. When the beat sounds good and if it is popular, I used to sing them when I was still singing with my band. I totally don't understand them though, but I love exploring songs with a different languages and lavish the joy of knowing how to sing them. I like both the sound and the language. My favorite is Lambada by Koama and the Spanish version of Where Do You Go by No Mercy. There is this Como La Flor by Selena. There is this Spanish version of Genie in a Bottle and Answer The Phone by Mina (I think it's Korean), etc. I just love saying different languages. I do it by singing them.
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
9 Jul 11
That's great that you get that into it! I just my next songs to look up on Youtube as well. :)
@dkboss (133)
• India
11 Jul 11
I love my music i am listen in Hindi and English songs.
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
12 Jul 11
I've never listened to Hindu music before - looks like is going to go on my list. :)
@moneywinner (1864)
• Brazil
6 Jul 11
Yes, most of the music that I listen is not in my native language. Most of the songs that I listen is in English and I understand what they are saying on the songs. When I don't understand at the first time, I search the lyrics and try to find what it means. I also listen songs in Japanese, but that's only because my mom likes and when we are at the car, she always put this type of songs on the radio.
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
6 Jul 11
You have an interesting range there! You said you looked up the translation of the songs you don't know the first time. When you do find out the meaning, does this impact your liking of the song? :)