Music from Foreign Lands

One of my favorite albums is "Julio" (1983) by Julio Iglesias. On a long family vacation, this was one of the albums we played, and we played it constantly. It was filled with non-English songs. He sung in German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French and a bit of English. The songs became ingrained into my musical memory, and made me open to hearing non-English music. 

Here are five foreign songs which I've heard recently and highly recommend. Check it out on my Spotify playlist.

5) Rammstein - Feuer Frei! - German 

Back in February 2020, I paid for the second Tyson Fury / Deontay Wilder heavyweight fight. In one of the early fights leading up to this main event, a boxer walked out to "Feuer Frei", a menacing piece of metal. When I caught the lyrics, I guessed it was in German, and confirmed it when I looked it up later. Metal doesn't have to be in English for me to enjoy it!

4) Gigi D'Alessio - Ma si vene stasera - Italian

While watching the movie Gomorrah, about the Camorrah mafia, there's a scene in which two kids were celebrating a recent heist. This pop song was playing on their boom box and one of them was dancing and gesticulating in elation. It's a catchy and fun song. I spent some time trying to determine if it was sung in Italian or Neapolitan. I leave it to any Italians out there to tell me!

3) Grupo Limite - Te Aprovechas - Spanish

I loved Solito, the memoir by Javier Zamora about his immigration. In it he talks about the music that he and his family and neighbors loved to listen to. Grupo Limite was mentioned, and I put on a playlist of their songs. Te Aprovechas caught me with its playful accordion and Alicia Villareal's unique voice. The song and her delivery becomes more forceful as the song plays and it's irresistible.

The line I like: "y te odio y te amo, muy a pesar de mi." Google Translate gives me "And I hate you and I love you, despite myself." 

2) Erasmo Carlos - Dois Animais Na Selva Suja Da Rua - Portuguese

I happened to catch WMBR's "The Hot Rat Sessions" and DJ Abby Lyda ended her set with Dois Animais by Erasmo Carlos. The song has a driving beat, a swelling chorus, wailing guitars and a fantastic scat. The live version of this song that I found was sung by Erasmo Carlos in his 70s. The scat wasn't there but the guitar in its place worked for me.

The line I liked: "Eu não nasci pra viver mentindo" which Translate says "I wasn't born to live lying". Strong!

1) Celine Dion - "Hymne A L'Amour" - French

The 2024 Olympics in Paris introduced me to this beautiful love song. Even without knowing the words, the emotion of the song was immediate thanks to its arrangement and Celine Dion's commanding voice. Later, watching it alone, I felt the familiar lump in my throat and the tears forming in my eyes. Google Translate told me why. This: "Si tu meurs, que tu sois loin de moi... Car moi je mourrais aussi." translates to: "If you die, may you be far from me... Because I would die too."

This song is an Edith Piaf love song from the 1950s, and it has a tragic history. This, paired with Celine Dion's own return to the stage, underlines the song's theme about the endurance of love, and the possibility of love reunited. It aches, but for me the French language makes it a beautiful ache. (The Spotify playlist is Edith Piaf's version, but I am partial to Celine's version.)

Send me your favorite non-English songs!

Spotify Playlist: Music from Foreign Lands