# Do you listen to “foreign” music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [August 12, 2025, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-listen-to-foreign-music/1021991 "2025-08-12T22:12:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2025, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-listen-to-foreign-music/1021991/21 "2025-08-13T15:46:31Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > That’s probably for the best, since, a lot of it seems to be about crying and longing and crying about the longing 😆 A perfect description of Fado music and, generally speaking, the heart of the Portuguese people of prior generations. Totally opposite of Brazilian bossa nova or Carnival music. I strongly recommend the Sergio Mendes album “Brasileiro”, if you haven’t already. And of course the great Getz/Gilberto album. For great Portuguese Fado, try Amelia Rodriquez. I understand some Portuguese, but it’s not required. I love West African music, especially from Mali. Ali Farka Toure, Salif Keita, Toumani Diabate, and Habib Koite are favorites. I understand few of the words, unless they’re singing in French, but the rhythms and musicality are wonderful. I’ve seen three of them in concert and they’re great entertainers. Santana for Spanish songs. Paco de Lucia for Spanish guitar. I like listening to The Hu; Mongolian throat singers. I don’t understand a word, but the primitive sound of it is great. ---
**Author:** ![psiekier](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psiekier/32/116_2.png) [@psiekier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psiekier)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2025, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-listen-to-foreign-music/1021991/22 "2025-08-13T15:52:11Z")
> [@DorkVader](#): > > By “foreign” music, I mean music, possibly with styles, definitely with lyrics that are not what you typically listen to? If so, why? … because the original _Bubblegum Crisis_ is one of my favourite anime of all time, and the music is an essential part of the experience! [There’s a Hurricane Tonight!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0GYYH9Wj10) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2025, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-listen-to-foreign-music/1021991/23 "2025-08-13T17:08:58Z")
If Canada counts then yes ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2025, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-listen-to-foreign-music/1021991/24 "2025-08-13T17:17:40Z")
I generally don’t listen to “foreign” music, but I have found a handful of German artists whose music I enjoy. It’s a very tiny percentage of the music I listen to though. I also have to wonder how you classify this since it’s not really a language: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/sJ___C9l-W8/maxresdefault.jpg "Hubba Hubba Zoot Zoot") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ___C9l-W8) It’s not English, but then it’s not any other language either. ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2025, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-listen-to-foreign-music/1021991/25 "2025-08-13T20:29:33Z")
even in English-sung opera, they distort the words so much I still don’t understand (love the music) ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2025, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-listen-to-foreign-music/1021991/26 "2025-08-13T21:36:06Z")
I like sitar music from Ravi Shankar, and Anoushka Shankar his daughter. Norah Jones is also his daughter. ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-listen-to-foreign-music/1021991/27 "2025-08-14T21:41:37Z")
I occasionally listen to Indian (India) music. And I like Bollywood movies. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2025, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-listen-to-foreign-music/1021991/28 "2025-08-15T11:24:56Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I love West African music, especially from Mali. Ali Farka Toure, Salif Keita, Toumani Diabate, and Habib Koite are favorites. I understand few of the words, unless they’re singing in French, but the rhythms and musicality are wonderful. I’ve seen three of them in concert and they’re great entertainers. How do you feel about Tinariwen? I was a bit meh at first but they’ve definitely grown on me. ETA: Speaking of western Africa, there’s something weird and wonderful about an Algerian version of “Rock The Casbah”. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/02Sg9H2T_TQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Rachid Taha - Rock El Casbah") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02Sg9H2T_TQ) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-listen-to-foreign-music/1021991.md?page=1)