… Even if you don’t understand the words.
I’m American - I don’t speak or understand french - but this song really resonates with me:
Assuming you mean by “moves” that it makes you feel sad, a couple came immediately to mind:
Cai Qin - Ferry (Chinese)
Spirited Away - Always with me (Japanese)
I listen to foreign-language operas and operettas all the time, and in most cases don’t speak the language. For the more familiar ones, I have a general knowledge of what they’re singing about, but many times not even that. I still love the music. The trick is to treat the voice as just another musical instrument, and the music as an instrumental. But learning about the context and general meaning do add to the experience. But there have been times when I’ve been damn surprised at what the words actually meant.
When I was in high school, the county chorus program I participated in one year did “Erev Shel Shoshanim”, which instantly captivated me and has remained lodged in my brain and heart ever since (some 27 years or so now).
No, I don’t necessarily mean sad but it could be. Just if you feel a connection.
I love the two you linked to. That’s the kind of thing I was looking for.
Also, thanks JJ for turning me onto that. Beautiful.
I’m a sucker for sentimental movies. At the end of Comrades: Almost a Love Story, two true loves (almost lovers) meet each other in New York City after some years by chance, when both are attracted to a news account of the death of their mutual idol, singer Teresa Teng. I’ve fast-forwarded the above Youtube (the complete movie) to the (almost*) final scene; but go forward another 60 seconds to hear the song “Tian Mi Mi” which begins just before their eyes meet. (Even watching this now, my eyes tear up! :smack: ) (* - After the final scene, the movie flashes back to their first chance encounter ten years before, as Mainlanders unfamiliar with Hong Kong’s subway.)
Matador by Los Fabulosos Cadillacs is on workout playlist.
Hebrew Slaves Chorus from Nabucco.
Fado Português, Amália Rodrigues
con ti partiro is about the only thing I can think of. I don’t listen to a lot of foreign music.
I hate music with words I can understand. My entire playlist is of songs in foreign languages. Currently, Aster Aweke’s “Ashe Weyina” (Amharic, from Ethiopia) is at the top of the chart.
Antonio Carlos Jobim’s Águas de Março is one of the best songs ever.
As is Insensatez, by Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes.
Here’s a lovely little song, with great ear-worm potential, by the hugely popular Indonesian singer Raisa, complete with lyrics on the screen so you can follow along:
In our own backyard, there is Marie Jo Therio, a New Brunswick stylist who composes and self-accompanies her own unique style of music.
And who wouldn’t fall in love with this stunning Swiss yodeler, Melanie Oesch?
Also, I stumbled across Indica, a Finnish band on YouTube a few years ago that really caught me. They record Finnish and English versions of their songs, but I like listening to the Finnish versions even though I have absolutely no understanding of Finnish at all.
Pida Kadesta (minus the diacritics…I’m not fiddling with that here)
Vuorien Taa
Linnansa Vanki
You’ve heard bits of this song in a regrettable number of commercials, and possibly a movie or two. But listen to the end. I end up feeling a little defiant and with shoulders back and chin up. I did look up the English translation at some point, so I do know what it’s about.
I like this performance of that. And I don’t speak French at all but Edith Piaf singing Non, Je ne regrette rien is great.
A beautiful Filipino song by Ted Ito. Ikaw Pa Rin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvwFV9Uu5vs
Another Jobim tune: Corcovado.
Here is one of my favorite songs. It’s a very famous love song, from an operetta by Franz Lehar.