# Rita Reyes and a Jazz question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 1, 2009, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rita-reyes-and-a-jazz-question/515900 "2009-11-01T01:32:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rita-reyes-and-a-jazz-question/515900/1 "2009-11-01T01:32:07Z")
I recently came across Rita Reyes, a Norwegian Jazz singer. She has a nice voice, and just as Eric Clapton sings with a Southern USA accent, she sounds like an American singer. Now, time to fight my ignorance. Is Jazz usually sung in English? Did she start singing Jazz in Norwegian? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rita-reyes-and-a-jazz-question/515900/2 "2009-11-01T17:08:55Z")
I’ve never encounter her, and the wiki article on Norwegian Jazz singers doesn’t mention her. Do you have any links to her stuff? There is a Dutch Jazz singer named Rita Reys - is that who you mean? Yes, jazz is primarily sung in English as the majority of its song repertoire comes from American sources. That’s not to say there are no jazz songs that were originally in other languages - ‘Autumn Leaves’ is the first thing that comes to mind, being based on the Kosma/Prévert ‘Les Feuille Mortes’, English lyrics by Johnny Mercer. But most of the repertoire gets sung in English, even by singers whose first language is something else. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rita-reyes-and-a-jazz-question/515900/3 "2009-11-02T00:47:49Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > There is a Dutch Jazz singer named Rita Reys - is that who you mean? > > That’s not to say there are no jazz songs that were originally in other languages - ‘Autumn Leaves’ is the first thing that comes to mind, Yes, I spelled her name wrong. I believe she also lived in Holland and of course the United States. Mac the Knife also comes to mind. 🙂 Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rita-reyes-and-a-jazz-question/515900/4 "2009-11-02T00:52:24Z")
Her is a [link.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rita_Reys) Thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rita-reyes-and-a-jazz-question/515900/5 "2009-11-02T01:43:28Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > …Eric Clapton sings with a Southern USA accent… 😕 I have been a Clapton fan since he was in Cream and I never thought he sang with a US accent of any kind, much less one from the South. Can you suggest a song as an example? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rita-reyes-and-a-jazz-question/515900/6 "2009-11-02T02:17:53Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > 😕 I have been a Clapton fan since he was in Cream and I never thought he sang with a US accent of any kind, much less one from the South. Can you suggest a song as an example? This album comes to mind. Really, he sings in a familiar accent to me, like many British rockers, but for example, is interviewed by Larry King, and has a British accent. Crossroad Blues, for example, which strangely enough is not on this cover album. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rita-reyes-and-a-jazz-question/515900/7 "2009-11-02T02:25:59Z")
I notice you are from Northern Virginia, so your Southern accent is probably quite a bit different and better sounding than mine. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rita-reyes-and-a-jazz-question/515900/8 "2009-11-02T02:45:23Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I notice you are from Northern Virginia, so your Southern accent is probably quite a bit different and better sounding than mine. 🙂 Northern Virginia is really a big suburb of Washington, D.C., and we sound like Northerners 🙂 If you travel 100 miles away to Richmond or most other places in Virginia it’s the real South, but not Fairfax County where I live. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rita-reyes-and-a-jazz-question/515900/9 "2009-11-02T02:53:33Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Northern Virginia is really a big suburb of Washington, D.C., and we sound like Northerners 🙂 I beg your pardon. One of Mrs. Plant’s fellow dog people from Virginia at some convention out of state had a beautiful tidewater accent, and I hung around listening to them talk about canine fecal matter just to hear her voice. I wanted to take her home to give Mrs. Plant voice lessons. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rita-reyes-and-a-jazz-question/515900/10 "2009-11-02T13:30:18Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I beg your pardon. One of Mrs. Plant’s fellow dog people from Virginia at some convention out of state had a beautiful tidewater accent, and I hung around listening to them talk about canine fecal matter just to hear her voice. I wanted to take her home to give Mrs. Plant voice lessons. 🙂 The Tidewater is not part of Northern Virginia. What city was Dog Person from? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rita-reyes-and-a-jazz-question/515900/11 "2009-11-02T13:41:38Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > The Tidewater is not part of Northern Virginia. What city was Dog Person from? I don’t know. I was to busy listening to her to ask any questions.