Do you listen to any funny ringtones music from a culture, ethnicity, or general group of people unrelated to you and your regional style? Languages can be both intimidating and beautiful, and music is a universal medium that helps to convey words even if you cannot understand them.

The slavic and eastern European areas hold a rich culture that aren’t part of the spotlight that western Europe has. Soviet music is bold and passionate, and I do like to listen to folk music as well.

I also find the Eurasian Steppe to be a fascinating world, with so many intermingling cultures that have clashed and traded with each other for centuries. Turkic, Kazakh, and Mongolian free country ringtones music is quite alluring. It makes you feel like you are in the open steppe.

I’m Chinese, and I can’t really say there are an awful lot of Chinese pieces I like. The Korean and Japanese and funny ringtones free music industries are more comfortable with me, although I’m not overly fond of the idol worshiping.

 

Last edited by a moderator: Apr 18, 2016

Oh, man! This is the best topic EVER! <3 I am ADDICTED to folk music from different cultures. I am in complete awe of the music from the Balkans, Ethiopia, Mali, Turkey, China and many, many more. Here are some of my most beloved "foreign" songs:

1 - This one was made famous on the western world when the Chemical Brothers sampled it

2A - This one must be my FAVOURITE piece of traditional chinese music. I love almost any and all iterations and arrangements of this

2B - This version, for example, is radically different and, yet, very faithful to the spirit of the composition. I love this one, also.

3A - Last but not least: I am completely ASTONISHED by the scales and polyrhythms of the Ethiopian culture. Man, talk about knotty grooves! (Also, the whole Éthiopiques collection is invaluable)

3B - This absolute MONSTER of a classic groovy song melts my brain (and my heart) each time I hear it. One of my top ten, for sure.

 

Hi. I'm azn. I would say cantonese/japanese/korean/hindi?, but I do know how to say hello in those languages, so those are ruled out,sadly.

But I don't know Brazilian portugese (or whatever language this is in), so here's something:

 

Of course, I tend to avoid regional style altogether. I find Irish and Celtic music overall to be great source of inspiration. But also most folk tunes from European culture such as this:

Some lyrics for your convenience:
Mae 'nghariad i'n Fenws (Venus),
Mae 'nghariad i'n fain,
Mae 'nghariad i'n dlysach
Na blodau y drain.
Fy 'ngariad yw'r lanaf,
A'r wynna'n y sir.
Nid canmol yr ydwyf,
Ond d'wedyd y gwir.

Wych eneth fach annwyl
Sy'n lodes mor lan,
A'i gruddiau mor writgoch,
A'i dannedd man man,
A'i dau lygad siriol,
A'i dwy ael fel gwawn;
Fy nghalon a'i carai
Pe gwyddwn y cawn.

 

THANKS VERY MUCH for bringing this up! I hope that everyone discovers something new to love in this thread.

Among many, this would be my prime example:

"Tahyang Salyi," by Ko Bok-Soo. It took me years to find out that it was a song about homesickness, but somehow, I'd always felt that.
The song is in a style known as "trot," and originated in the '30s, and had its heyday into the early '60s, but is still "revived" now and then.
There are MANY versions of this song, up into recent years, on YouTube. Ko Bok-Soo recorded his first version of the song in the '30s:

http://pub.chosun.com/client/news/viw.asp?cate=C03&mcate=m1004&nNewsNumb=20140414547&nidx=14669

- and re-recorded it throughout his career. To me, if it were the only song he had recorded, he would not have lived in vain (he died in 1971).

Next: with a melody and sentiment seeming to complement the other song - "Ya Rayah" ("you who must be going") by Dahmane el Harachi:

Finally: Chinese glam-rock by the Second Hand Rose Band:

I flipped-out when I first heard it.

 

Also this:

Translated it's something like "I am very glad because I'm finally returning home", but only the late singer knew that language.

 

One of the most magical tracks I've heard:
Agnes Buen Garnas & Jan Garbarek - Margjit og Targjei Risvollo
Album: Rosensfole, Medieval Songs from Norway, 1989

The most Powerful performance:
Dead Can Dance - Cantara (live)
Live at the Mayfair Theatre in Santa Monica, California, 1993

One of the biggest WOW moments:
Sigur Rös - Popplagið (from Heima)

 

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Lisa Gerrard comes to my mind. She sings more often than not in a fantasy language.

@Exidus, you have no idea what you have done to me.
This track by Agnes Buen Gamas & Jan Garbarek.......
I was looking for this one for about 10 years.
Heard it once in a meditative environment,
but i didn't know the artist - up to now.
THANKS man, i could cry!!!

 

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This music video is actually a segment from the movie Baraka, directed by Ron Fricke, a movie that was made in the same spirit as Powaqqatsi and Koyaanisqatsi, if you've ever seen those. If you haven't, you really should

Believe it or not, this video had heavy MTV rotation when it came out (Europe), and there was only one MTV channel here back then, so that's a clue.

It is, for me, the most powerful song I've ever heard.

 

Last edited: Apr 15, 2016

The "Mongolian Song" is a Tibetian ritual singing, layered (i would say pretty awkwardly ) with the Bulgarian Folk song "Pusta Mladost" (Dammed Youth)

 

Last edited: Apr 15, 2016

Have always enjoyed listening to these two.

 

I'm barely holding myself from flooding this thread... :D
I listen to alot of world/obscure music and its pretty hard to choose

These guys come from the most Southern point of the European Continent - Tarifa, Spain
Radio Tarifa - Rumba Argelina
Album: Rumba Argelina (1994)

And these - from the complete opposite part of the Globe - South-West Asia and New Zealand
Dengue Fever - 1000 Tears of a Tarantula
Live Groupee Session

 

In Gaulish language:

and in Finnish:

 

Prïtourïtze Planinata from Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares

 

Really amazing..and powerful voice..and song(s). Icelandic and/or Faroese.
.

Finnish. Kind of a bewitching song..

Turkish probably..Azam Ali her voice is really nice

French Morrocan band.. sang in Arabic

 

Last edited: Apr 15, 2016

2 off the top of my head.. Love these songs.

 

From Swedish band "De Lyckliga Kompisarna" the song "Den skattefria dunken", as one humble example of a nice foreign language song. Thanks everyone for the numerous videos, I made some lovely discoveries!

I would also like to add this haunting song by Irish bard Larla O Lionaird:

The phenomena of loving songs and musics in a foreign language is very widespread, think also of all the operas and oratorios! It proves that understanding the lyrics is not indispensable. A person can be deeply affected in any language. The universal aspect seems to be the sound of the human voice as an instrument. This was a great thread. Good day to you all

 

Last edited: Apr 15, 2016

I am not a Buddhist or any other religion and i dont know what she is singing about but i could listen to Imee Ooi for hours and just drift away