Is there a linguistic barrier to appreciating music?

garylkoh · Mar 19, 2014

Some of my favorite music are in languages that I don't understand a word of.... but it also boils down to what you listen for. I need to be able to hear and understand the emotion and intent of the singer. Even if no words are sung, if the intent of the performers does not come across, then I find it too boring to listen to..... so, language is not necessary for me to distinguish between love and a proctologist.

mep · Mar 19, 2014

garylkoh said:
Some of my favorite music are in languages that I don't understand a word of.... but it also boils down to what you listen for. I need to be able to hear and understand the emotion and intent of the singer. Even if no words are sung, if the intent of the performers does not come across, then I find it too boring to listen to..... so, language is not necessary for me to distinguish between love and a proctologist.

Yeah, but what if the singer is in love with their proctologist?

Steve Williams · Mar 19, 2014

garylkoh said:
Some of my favorite music are in languages that I don't understand a word of.... but it also boils down to what you listen for. I need to be able to hear and understand the emotion and intent of the singer. Even if no words are sung, if the intent of the performers does not come across, then I find it too boring to listen to..... so, language is not necessary for me to distinguish between love and a proctologist.

I agree Gary

Just for kicks, how many of you reading this thread are fans of Deep Forest where Michel Sanchez came up with the idea of mixing the native Baka pygmy spoken word with modern music after hearing on-site recordings of these tribes conversing. Along with Eric Mouquet they created the project Deep Forest (from Wiki)

I love the rhythm and beat of this group and I don't understand one word of any of their songs and have all of their albums

mep · Mar 19, 2014

I have never heard of Michel Sanchez or Deep Forest and I guess I'm not up on my pygmies either because I have never heard of Baka pygmies.

Steve Williams · Mar 19, 2014

mep said:
I have never heard of Michel Sanchez or Deep Forest and I guess I'm not up on my pygmies either because I have never heard of Baka pygmies.

good first one to start with Mark is their "Live In Japan" album

mep · Mar 19, 2014

Steve Williams said:
good first one to start with Mark is their "Live In Japan" album

Were they live in Japan with the pygmies too or were the Baka Pygmies only on one album?

BobM · Mar 19, 2014

My kids loved Deep Forest when I turned them onto it many years ago. The idea of pygmy vocals just killed them, but they liked the music too.

Along the same lines, have you heard Do'a - not pygmys, more French I believe but similar world music vibe.

Johnny Vinyl · Mar 19, 2014

Steve Williams said:
good first one to start with Mark is their "Live In Japan" album

Do you have a link for this Steve? I admit I've never heard of it, but would like to investigate.

And as been mentioned before, if the music touches me emotionally then I'm unconcerned about the language in which the lyrics are sung. I love the French chansoniers like Aznavour and Becaud, because you don't have to understand the language to understand what they are talking about. Musical storytelling at its best.

garylkoh · Mar 19, 2014

Steve Williams said:
I agree Gary

Just for kicks, how many of you reading this thread are fans of Deep Forest where Michel Sanchez came up with the idea of mixing the native Baka pygmy spoken word with modern music after hearing on-site recordings of these tribes conversing. Along with Eric Mouquet they created the project Deep Forest (from Wiki)

I love the rhythm and beat of this group and I don't understand one word of any of their songs and have all of their albums

Cool! Steve, I didn't know that you were a fan of ambient.

garylkoh · Mar 19, 2014

Johnny Vinyl said:
Do you have a link for this Steve? I admit I've never heard of it, but would like to investigate.

And as been mentioned before, if the music touches me emotionally then I'm unconcerned about the language in which the lyrics are sung. I love the French chansoniers like Aznavour and Becaud, because you don't have to understand the language to understand what they are talking about. Musical storytelling at its best.

Check this out John: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXBjFkA-57A&list=PL5DB33080D526AF66

Made in Japan is a live album, but Deep Forest are known for their studio mixes. As with most ambient, it's "created music".

Steve Williams · Mar 19, 2014

Johnny Vinyl said:
Do you have a link for this Steve? I admit I've never heard of it, but would like to investigate.

And as been mentioned before, if the music touches me emotionally then I'm unconcerned about the language in which the lyrics are sung. I love the French chansoniers like Aznavour and Becaud, because you don't have to understand the language to understand what they are talking about. Musical storytelling at its best.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-m...296JO/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_0?ie=UTF8&index=0

Typo. "Made" In Japan

http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-m...296JO/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_0?ie=UTF8&index=0

Johnny Vinyl · Mar 19, 2014

When i typed on "deep forest live in japan" at amazon canada I got this:

http://www.amazon.ca/Live-Japan-Dee...197&sr=8-1&keywords=deep+forest+live+in+japan

typing in made in japan returned this:

http://www.amazon.ca/Made-Japan-Liv...8-1-spell&keywords=deep+forest+made+iin+japan

2 versions?

zztop7 · Mar 19, 2014

Johnny Vinyl said:
When i typed on "deep forest live in japan" at amazon canada I got this:

http://www.amazon.ca/Live-Japan-Dee...197&sr=8-1&keywords=deep+forest+live+in+japan

typing in made in japan returned this:

http://www.amazon.ca/Made-Japan-Liv...8-1-spell&keywords=deep+forest+made+iin+japan

2 versions?

ASSUMPTION - that is an assumption the CDs are 2 versions [you did type a ? mark]. You will not know until you buy both. Amazon has good return policies.

zz.

Steve Williams · Mar 19, 2014

Johnny Vinyl said:
When i typed on "deep forest live in japan" at amazon canada I got this:

http://www.amazon.ca/Live-Japan-Dee...197&sr=8-1&keywords=deep+forest+live+in+japan

typing in made in japan returned this:

http://www.amazon.ca/Made-Japan-Liv...8-1-spell&keywords=deep+forest+made+iin+japan

2 versions?

same album John with the first being an Import and hence the price

The songs on that album are a good smattering of all of their hits. You won't understand one word starting with Ekue Ekue on track one

Johnny Vinyl · Mar 20, 2014

zztop7 said:
ASSUMPTION - that is an assumption the CDs are 2 versions [you did type a ? mark]. You will not know until you buy both. Amazon has good return policies.

zz.

Meant to type "pressings"....thought maybe a different master.

Steve Williams said:
same album John with the first being an Import and hence the price

The songs on that album are a good smattering of all of their hits. You won't understand one word starting with Ekue Ekue on track one

Have ordered it! The less expensive one.

garylkoh said:
Check this out John: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXBjFkA-57A&list=PL5DB33080D526AF66

Made in Japan is a live album, but Deep Forest are known for their studio mixes. As with most ambient, it's "created music".

Reminds me of Enigma somewhat. Found a youtube vid of the entire album....

Playing it now.

Steve Williams · Mar 20, 2014

that's the album John

Starts with Ekue Ekue

jazdoc · Mar 20, 2014

garylkoh said:
Some of my favorite music are in languages that I don't understand a word of.... but it also boils down to what you listen for. I need to be able to hear and understand the emotion and intent of the singer. Even if no words are sung, if the intent of the performers does not come across, then I find it too boring to listen to..... so, language is not necessary for me to distinguish between love and a proctologist.

+1

I adore Brazilian, Mexican and Cuban music despite not understanding a word of Portuguese or Spanish.

Alrainbow · Mar 20, 2014

I do not care what language the music is performed in, and screaming is fine too. It's all music to my ears, about the only exception for me is rap . Not all though , I do not like the disrespectful over tones spoken about . I have many Latin albums
In I think the way they song is best. It's just feeled with emotion.

Al

mep · Mar 20, 2014

Alrainbow said:
I do not care what language the music is performed in, and screaming is fine too. It's all music to my ears, about the only exception for me is rap . Not all though , I do not like the disrespectful over tones spoken about . I have many Latin albums
In I think the way they song is best. It's just feeled with emotion.

Al

You need to buy some Yoko Ono music if you enjoy screaming. There is a video on YouTube of John Lennon playing with Chuck Berry. Yoko is playing a tambourine I think and at some point Yoko starts screaming while Chuck is singing. The look on Chuck's face is priceless. I'm pretty sure if John hadn't been there that Chuck would have clocked her.

Alrainbow · Mar 20, 2014

Lmao. Now that is screaming. I meant like nervana funny man.

Al

Is there a linguistic barrier to appreciating music?

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