Your favourite songs not in English

[ImpOfDarkness]

I went down a youtube rabbit hole last night and ended up listening to loads of 80s Europop. Rock me Amadeus, Voyage Voyage etc. Good times 😁 it got me wondering about other non-English songs that have hit the charts. The Macarena and Gangnam Style I guess? Any other favourites?

Soco Bate Vira

Le vent nous portera was my favourite song of all time, first heard it when I was 18 and loved it for years. Can’t listen to it now or anything else by Noir désir because of what the lead singer did - if you google Bertrand Cantat/Marie Trintignant it will come up.

open.spotify.com/track/5Ai8XBxieq1CR263UdhGdF?si=u2OHxyojRMWeABSh0rRjfw

Non Vieni Del Tardar- (Le Nozze de Figaro)- Mozart.

Die Junge Nonne (The young Nun) - Schubert

Der Hirt Auf Dem Felsen - Schubert

The glorious Buena Vista Social Club !!! we had this playing
on a loop
after watching the joyful film years ago
Cuban languor at its very best, Chan Chan !

La Vie en Rose, originally sung by Edith Piaf, but I really love Grace Jones's version (although she sings some of it in English.)

I would thoroughly recommend Kristallnaach by a German band called BAP. They sing in a Kolnisch dialect, but I'm Dutch and speak fluent German. The song dates back from the early 80s when Neonazis were on the rise and is scarily topical once again.

For French I'd recommend Sur Ta Peau by Riccardo Cocciante.

And shout to to the poster who recommended Bloodywood - my DD got me into them.

Lastly, for something completely different (Mongolian throat singing) I suggest a band called the Hu.

@NoraLuka

Le vent nous portera was my favourite song of all time, first heard it when I was 18 and loved it for years. Can’t listen to it now or anything else by Noir désir because of what the lead singer did - if you google Bertrand Cantat/Marie Trintignant it will come up.

I was very into Noir Desir for years and couldn't listen to them after that. Honestly, I saw the title of this thread and these songs immediately came to mind after having not listened in forever. It took me back.

He is an evil bastard.

Que volen aqesta gen. Maria del mar bonet

Saw this band at a festival last year - really good and got the crowd going.

open.spotify.com/track/15yqIMuawGjk7wP9oTAVbC?si=Qcud7SkKS_WpPK12RoheCg&context=spotify%3Aplaylist%3A37i9dQZF1DZ06evO44BgqE

This is great, so many brilliant syggestions, old and new! Might try and make a playlist

Another one. Fucking love this

My phone won't load the YouTube previews so I don't know if it's already been mentioned, but 50 Special by Lùnapop.

My crazy Italian teacher used to play it to us every couple of weeks, the video is completely bonkers, and when I took a group of Guides to a jamboree in Italy a few years ago both they and our host Scouts were very impressed that I was singing along word perfect at the disco one night Good memories all round !

Hymne A L'Amour by Edith Piaf

My grandparents had a wind up gramophone that me, my brother and cousin used to love playing records on when we visited in the mid 60s.

La Mer was one of the ones we played. Holds very fond memories for me.

Yes, it is so much better than the more modern version Beyond The Sea.

Dean Martin 's version of Volare (Nel Blu Di Pinto Di Blu). He does sing a little of it in English, but mostly Italian. I have a guinea pig that loves to do a sort of rumblestrutting (a kind of guinea pig) dance.

I also love L'amour Est Bleu (Love is Blue) by Paul Mauriat, but I prefer the versions by Tracy Huang and Vicky Leandros, personally.

Honourable mention for Pussy Riot

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VakUHHUSdf8&pp=ygUSUHVzc3kgcmlvdCBjaGFpa2Eg

Bella Ciao which we first heard on the Netflix series Money Heist

France Gall

France Gall - Laisse tomber les filles

by Dino Merlin. Actually quite a bit of it is in English, but he's Bosnian and it was the Bosnia and Herzegovina Eurovision entry in 2011. Lovely song.

Different vibe entirely but my other non-English favourite is by Passi. It's a French rap song from the mid-90s about a hot summers day in Paris. Very innocent and laid back and, as you'd expect, very summery.

Some good french pop songs are Clara Luciani, Tout le monde and Grenade

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7nZUe4JKpFg&pp=ygUbY2xhcmEgbHVjaWFuaSB0b3V0IGxlIG1vbmRl

I like some indie / folk by Noe Preszow or Clou

Paris Sur Mer by Morcheeba is also a really good French song

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_ACBTH1ANGg&pp=ygUNUGFyaXMgc3VyIG1lcg%3D%3D

I don’t think I’ve seen much trad music mentioned on the thread - my current faves are Latha Math by Mànran, Coire Bhreacan by Skippinish and A’ Chutag by Valtos and Julie Fowlis ☺️

Pour que tu m’aimes encore - Celine Dion ….