This is a thread intended mostly to throw out names. I find that there are some countries whose best releases make it to the US and make it into music magazines and such, so I've probably heard of them. But then there are enormous pools of music that don't make it into music magazines because critics don't want to recommend music their readers won't understand, and I'd like to learn they exist.

Two that I've come across so far that I'm really fond of are Hedningarna from Sweden, and Natacha Atlas who is Egyptian but I think records in the US, singing in Arabic.

There is a rising of metal bands, apparently 'folk metal' that sing in their native language like Finntroll (Swedish).
Enslaved apparently have done an album in now dead Norweigan tongue and Moonsorrow sing in Finnish.

Bit more easy listening, Elfonia sing in Spanish/Mexican i think, very beautiful vocals.

Sigur Ros, although most Americans who follow indie have heard them. If not, buy Agaetis Byrjun immediately. They're Icelandic, and sing in their native language, or in a made up language called Hopelandic, either way, you won't know what they're saying. Personally I think the lyrics not being in english add to the aura of the band. The vocals are beautiful and mysterious, and knowing what they mean would take away from that mystery. But really, Agaetis Byrjun is my #1 or #2 album of the last 5 years or so, you have to hear it if you haven't yet.

Kent is another good one, they're swedish, and have released a few english language albums as well. Sounds a little like Radiohead. I guess they're huge in Sweden.

Dungen too, Ta Det Lungt was amazing, but most people that follow music closely in the US heard that too.

I have (), and my feeling about that is that they're really good at playing music I don't like.

Ta Det Lungt...my #3 for 2004.

I didn't mention those because I found out about them in english magazines, I guess it's sort of a mental separation I have.

Juana Molina from Argentina, too. Really lush sounding electronica. Segundo is a really good record, Tres Cosas, not so much. Though, the one song she does sing in english is responsible for one of the most cringy lyrics ever.

'You are right. But I am righter. Because I'm writing this song for you, I am writer.'

I can see how somebody who is just learning english might find that a clever pun. People who already speak english however...

I cant wait to start a few threads in here myself.But i had to throw out a good album i have been listening to for a while.

Federico Aubele-Gran Hotel Buenos Aires

This is a really cool album.Trip Hoppish i Guess.Light scratching, dubed out, sweet spanish fly guitars and some very nice female singing.Very chill...but not to the point of yawning.Great album out on ESL.

Over the last 12 months, I've started picking up some 'non-english' music (In the UK we rather patronisingly call it 'world music'). I figured why should the fact I can't understand the lyrics put me off? I don't go a lot on lyrics anyhow and such an attitude compromises the type of music I expose myself to and I'm dead against that.

The best of what I have is Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, from Pakistan. Though he's now passed away he had the most incredible voice. Musst Musst is probably the most accessible to western ears, though the purists would argue his earlier work is better. I think Pete Gabriel was involved in Musst Musst's production.

I also love Souad Massi. She is Algerian and sings mainly in French now. Her most recent CD 'Deb' is very good. If she was blonde and sang in English she would be outselling Dido.

Really good intros to 'world music' I'd recommend are 1 Giant Leap (a DVD/CD compilation project) and Nitin Sawhney, who is a British Asian but who melds African, Asian and Latin influences. Beyond Skin is probably his best, though Prophecy is also excellent.

Finally, Mariza from Portugal is an outstanding artist.

I'd second Dano's recommendation of Kent, who have a few records in English but more in Swedish.

Another great band that doesn't always sing in English...Super Furry Animals, who have released one album entirely in Welsh and whose singer, Gruff Rhys, has a Welsh-language solo record.

quote:

Originally posted by philosopherEric:

Another great band that doesn't always sing in English...Super Furry Animals, who have released one album entirely in Welsh and whose singer, Gruff Rhys, has a Welsh-language solo record.

They have a new english language album in the works as well.

Lambarena is a very interesting album, it's called Bach To Africa, which explains the sound as well, Bach in African rhythms.
Musst Musst is definately the most easily accessable of Nusrat's album's for Western neophytes(as well as his other work with Michael Brook-Night Songs), but his entire body of work is amazing and inspiring. My favorite album of his is The Last Party, I love Ganj-E-Shakar! The Bandit Queen soundtrack is also excellent, especially if you are a fan of Peter Gabriel's Passion album.
The Music Of Bollywood 3-disc booklet/box set compilation is unbelievably awesome, I highly recommend it!
La Galvoude are a nice little French-Canadian folky band.
DJ Cheb i Sabbah is a favorite of mine as far as indian-electonic fusion goes, Tabla Beat Science are good too, same as Suns of Arqa, Talvin Singh and Karsh Kale are okay.
Shooglenifty from Scotland are a neat little dance-folk band, they sing in English.
I like a lot of percussionists from other countries, Zakir Hussain's Essence of Rhythm and Rhythm Experience albums are must-haves, Babatunde Olatunje's Love Drum Talk as well.
Bahia Black-Ritual Beating System from Brazil I thoroughly enjoy. Baaba Maal is good too.
Mumtaz Mahal(Taj Mahal with N.Ravikiran and V.M.Bhatt)is an excellent album.
Jamshied Sharifi-A Prayer For The Soul Of Layla is very nice, featuring the voice of Hassan Hakmoun.
Yungchen Lhamo from Tibet's album Coming Home is fantastic!
Cubanismo! and The Afro-Cuban All-Stars are excellent, although I'm sure most of you have heard them. I prefer the Jesus Alemany's Cubanismo! album the most.
Ruins from Japan are excellent, they are a hardcore, spastic 2 piece who sing in an invented language.
The Master Musicians of Jajouka featuring Bachir Attar-Apocalypse Across The Sky is another excellent Axiom album, with Bill Laswell producing. These are a special caste of musician/magicians from Morocco who are exempt from farm work and spend their entire lives playing music. As William S. Burroughs wrote of them "...the primordial sounds of a 4000 year old rock n' roll band".

I've pushed this album on several other threads here, but The Indestructible Beat of Soweto, a killer compilation from South Africa during the mid-'80s is hard to beat for pure joy and fun. There's no English anywhere, but who needs it with music this catchy? PARTEEE!

How about Cafe Tacuba. It's not "world music", but it is non-english. They're from Mexico, and probably be best described as alternative, if they have to be categorized. Quite good...outstanding sound, but I don't know Spanish, so can't comment on lyrics. I have one of their cds, which I think was released in the US. I saw recently they had a MTV Unplugged cd released, but don't know if that was US or Mexican MTV (is there such a thing?)

Definetely, Federico Aubele is good, but if you enjoy that, you have to listen to Gotan Project, which will blow your mind. It's a mix of dub, chill out music with tango...it's mostly instrumental, but when they sing, it's spanish.
As for Cafe Tacvba, their MTV Unplugged was released this year, but recorded almost 10 years ago in MTV MEXICO (yep, it exists)They have a way better live album called "Un Viaje" (A Trip). People who enjoy great music, no matter the language should check out this bands:
1) Zurdok. 2)Zoe. 3)Gustavo Cerati (a must!). 4)Enrique Bunbury (if you enjoy nick cave, tom waits). 5)Circo. 6)Ely Guerra (another must! she has an english song called "Angelito Heart"). 7)Los Fabulosos Cadillacs. 8)Plastilina Mosh (simply great). 9)Superaquello (It will be difficult as hell to find it, but give it a try). 10)Robi Draco Rosa (has an english album called "Mad Love" it should be pretty easy to find. Do it...now!. 11)Cabas (great great music) 12) Manu Chao (french and spanish. 13) Lucybell. 14)Sigur Ros (i think it was already mentioned, it's just that good).
that's all i can think for now...hope you find it useful

Madsen are a pretty decent (sung in)German rock band. I'm still learning about them, but so far so good!

I enjoy the "Ethiopiques" various artists comps. I think they are up to Vol.21 or 22 now. Ethiopian jazz/funk/pop from the '60s through the '90s, each volume has a different theme.

There's a slew of Afro-funk comps out there, such as "Afro-Funk Explosion", Afro-Baby", "Ghana Soundz" featuring artists from all over Africa, spanning several decades. A few songs are in English, or partly in English, though not many. If you like Fela, these are excellent comps to check out.

I have some good stuff that is sung in Hawaiian, but I can't remember the artist's name. One artist I can remember is an artist from Uganda named Samite. I have his album titled "Dance My Children, Dance." It is pretty tranquil. I think a few of his are available to order.

Been listening to Paolo Conte a lot lately. He's an Italian dude who sounds French to me- influenced by early jazz. His voice is a little rough, so reviews always compare him to Tom Waits or Leonard Cohen- but his music is not as rough as Tom's and not as smooth as Leonard's is these days. Yeah, I dig him.

I finally recieved by mail the two all-French vocal cds by Keren Ann. Both La Biographie de Luka Philipsen and La Disparition were released in '02, I can't listen to these enough. The former cd is more alternative with traces of trip-hop while the latter album is more romantic, her seductive voice wrapping those hot vocals in and around those songs had me squirming in my chair at work beneath the headphones. I understood few very words she sang but I understood everything she meant!

Excellent french/french-canadian albums:

Mickey 3D - Tu va pas mourir de rire
Daniel Bélanger - Rêver Mieux
Dumas - Le cours des jours : This album is my second best-personnal-unthinkable-greatest album of all time! It's a dark electro-acoustic masterpiece. Dumas, don't forget that name.

Alejandro Sanz - singer from Spain. His better albums in my opinion were Más and El Alma Al Aire. His sound is a mix of acoustic ballad, Spanish pop, and flamenco infusion. Very metaphorical and symbolic with his lyrics.

ok.
italy is now the greatest place in the world for cool music, but the little good we have is really GOOD!
to start with i must name Cristina Donà, probably the greatest female songwriter in italian pop...there's even an english version of her new album out....check her out she really deserves the thought..and the money.

next i'd like to mention vinicio capossela. he's a songwriter/singer/player himself, but his style is hooked on beginning-of-century jazz and ethnic music in general. he's very famous in our country because of his multi-instrument theater shows which transmit a lot more than just music...

quintorigo un fortunately have split. former vocalist john de leo IS the most versatile and flexible living voice (world wide now - try to believe) he left quintorigo, unfortunately, which have picked up a female vocalist.
quintorigo play rock on classical instruments...don't think of apocalyptica or shit like those english girls playing violins (what's their name!?)...these guys kick ass BIIIIIIG time...

CSI and Afterhours are the two best "regular" bands of the last 10 years, neither sing in italian

good italian bands that sing in english:
julie's haircut (pavement/sonic youthish)
joe leaman (you know belgian deus??)
rollercoaster
breakfast

later!