March 16, 2008 11:00 PM
C&L's Late Nite Music Club with Seu Jorge and David Bowie
I have a feeling there are a lot more David Bowie fans at C&L than there are fans of the great Brazilian samba musician Seu Jorge. So if this is an introduction to Jorge, it should be pretty easy because of the Bowie song. A couple nights ago I was at my favorite restaurant in L.A., Cru, and they were playing this song. Ironically, the biggest album of his career is called Cru, although this track isn't on it. Seu Jorge is also an actor who appeared in City of God and The Life Aquatic, and it was for the latter that he recorded this and several other Bowie songs in Portuguese. Do you have a favorite song that isn't in English?
Milton Naciamento (Brazilian vocalist)
"Le Deseteur" French war protest song
WOW! I was first?
David Bowie is incredible, truly one of the 20th century's premiere trend-setters. We owe to him everything from punk and glam rock to new wave, and everything influenced by these.
Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain - "Life on Mars" http://youtube.com/watch?v=M2ufLzGPMBQ
Bowie rocks.
Non-English fave song would most likely have to 'Heroes come back' by Nobodyknows here in Japan. I also really like 'Fighting Dreamers' by Flow. Both have been used as theme songs for the anime, Naruto (my kids and I are big fans).
I live in Rio - American expat. My wife is Brazilian and her father is good friends with Seu Jorge. He's a real humble and down to earth guy. Likes to drink, get buzzed, and likes the ladies. On weekends there are always gatherings at my father in law's house with a lot of cool Brazilian musicians, Seu Jorge, Maria Rita, Jorge Ben Jorge.
Check out some better stuff of Seu Jorge on YouTube.
I like most of Cru. Seu Jorge rocks.
I like Garden by Sugar Soul. She is from Japan.
Maybe only because a beautiful woman sang it to me once.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=FfYQSZ-TEMU
there are a few themes for Anime series that I like, performed in Russian by Russian pop star Origa that I'm into right now.... Other favorites run from Russian (Slavyanka men's chorus from SF) to Latin renaissance pieces, to Japanese and Filipino (theme from the drama series 'Sa Piling Mo' is a pop song in its own right, and a real nice lovesong)
Seu Jorge rocks! I knew about him prior to Life Aquatic but he does an awesome set on the soundtrack to the move.
*cough* ... I think it was The KiNkS who fired the opening shot in the "glamrock" scene with 'Lola' in the Summer of 1970, RueMorgue; it wasn't Bowie. And as far as 'punk' goes, there was this record called 'You Really Got Me' in 1964, but nevermind, you've made a good point. When the R&R/Pop world was concentrating on West Coast/HippieCowboy bands like Poco and 'Back-to-the-Country' acts like Delaney&Bonnie, Bowie was 'out there' doing whatever it was that he did - and doing it very well!
He was at his best before he got 'discovered'. Nobody was listening to him from 1967 through 1971 - or - from his debut on Deram through 'The Man Who Sold The World' on Mercury; and even when 'Ziggy Stardust' was released he was mainly laughed at by the marketplace. Releasing 'Starman' as the single off of it didn't help, either. It sounded lame compared to the CaliforniaCowboy stuff that was popular.
I was a big fan and supporter of his back then because he was always worth listening to. Then 'Aladin Sane' and 'Diamond Dogs' happened and I ended up regretting I'd ever opened my mouth.
Thanks for this clip, Howie! Nicely done! Great song! Interesting performance. I'd be curious to hear how he'd tackle 'Quicksand'.
Anything by the young France Gall. Her conceptual performance for "Les Sucettes" is especially...intriguing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xZuZWGU3Sg&feature=related
He was the best part of The Life Aquatic, but that's not all that much of a compliment.
seu jorge was actually the most interesting thing about the life aquatic. i saw life aquatic the same month i saw i heart huckabee's by david o. russell. that month i realized studios should never give carte blanche to hot new directors.
as for non-english songs, skippy has the old stand by eres tu by mocedades, and celos by marc anthony.
and tho i covered this when marion cotillard won the academy award for la vie en rose, you can't beat edith piaf singing non, je ne regrette rien
I have lots of favorite non-english songs. This is one of the most recent: Mariza - Povo Que Lavas No Rio
Khaled - Aicha
And a long-time favorite from the late Micheal O'Domhnaill in honor of St. Patrick's...Casadh an tSugain
i love this song by masayoshi yamazaki. it is from a movie called tsuki to kyabetsu (the moon and cabbage). yamazaki plays a musician who moves out to the country to immerse himself in music. the youtube link is the album version with scenes from the movie. in the movie he played it on the piano.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WJYeRWoFKY
Bowie did a great German version of the song 'Heroes' ('Helden') that really suited the mood of the album. Gabriel recorded interesting German versions of 'Melt' and 'Security' that gave both albums a surprisingly different flavor considering the music is nearly identical.
Mylène Farmers' French hit 'Désenchantée' gets my vote for Obama campaign song partially because the lyrics , but mostly just because anything French gets the wingnuts frothing at the mouth.
France?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suehSgf_ILs
One of my favorites of his is Tive Razão http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8NgAVHegDc
Also his cover of the Chico Buarque song Cotidiano http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lTiwGumCdk&feature=related
Gosto dele pra caralho.
Jack H. @ 21:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YIXO5Ey-H0
John West @ 14:
Them's fightin' words
I'll do you folks one better: One of my favorite songs is not only not in English, it's in a fictional language.
"Inama Nushif", from the "Children of Dune" television miniseries sound-track. They made it up from words in the Fremen language, as originally appeared in Frank Herbert's books. Gorgeous song.
good stuff. I love his version of "Rock and Roll Suicide" on that soundtrack.
and for the record, I liked the movie, too.
not as much as Rushmore. that's still Wes Anderson's swan song..
Manu Chao - La Marea, Homens and Denia,
Celia Cruz - Guantanamera,
Gloria Estefan - Mi Tierra,
Los Lobos - Con Mi Pistola y El Corazon,
Ibrahim Ferrer - Dos Gardenias,
Wyclef Jean - Jaspora
off the top of my head. There's a lot more where those came from. Are you talking covers, or just tunes not in English?
Fave nonEnglish song... I'll come across as so conventional, you may think I'm Repugnican, but "Guantanamera" still takes me to another place and time. Lately I've discovered "Moliendo Cafe," both original by Julio Iglesias and the dangdut version. There's a great instrumenal treatment by Cruz del Sur featuring harpist Mika Agematsu. All these are up on YouTube.
Ordinarily this is where I'd drop the link to a Seatbelts video, preferably with Mai Yamane belting out the high-energy soulful shit. However, most of my favorite Seatbelts songs are in English, so it doesn't fly here. So I suppose it's gotta be the monsterous, under-two-minute ass-kicker "White Ash" by The Pillows, fortified with your full day's allotment of Vitamin Rock And Roll in highly condensed, potent form. Repeat if necessary.
Irresponsible of me not to also drag Guitar Wolf into this. Rock and Roll is to Guitar Wolf as oxygen is to lesser creatures.
Becca Morn @ 26:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP9m0aspIqo
For those of us who rejected Arena Rock in the late '70's while the powers thought we might just go disco, only to find that we would perform a roundhouse attack on their AOR attempts to drag us to their nipple, there was nobody worth buying but the off-the-charter at the alternative record store but the obscure guy.
How cute to always find the staff speaking of "albums" as though we'll all be smoking joints while listening to a side and smoking a dube.
The goddamn politics here are spot on however.
Regardless of how 99 cent songs are gonna place a stranglehold on the "album" or "opus" rock production capitalist crap model.
Musicians may or may not compile 2 22 minute sides of entertainment like yer Jethro Tull, or they may evolve to kick his ass.
Sultana - Female Turkish hip hop
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V-D4TN3jfg
Jorane - singing in her own made up language
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGk56dKLVfg
Sara Tavares - from Lisbon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1C9mWN8vKHQ
misia from japan. great song, great voice, great vid.
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=WKS5WHJrFpo
Yat Kha - Tuvan band playing a Motorhead cover
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBkRI_aDFKo
Strictly speaking he is singing in English, but he brings the Tuvan vibe big time!
pizzicato five
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=c5CuZzIexfc
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=YlDOs3Cu_zk
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=TqFy8QZC_us
and their american hit
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=e5FGm6wGYxY
The Mills Brothers ("Paper Doll")
http://youtube.com/watch?v=n2m8VZBfRYo
The Mills Brothers "Yellow Bird" http://youtube.com/watch?v=bBbgZauYL1Q
The Mills Brothers - Caravan http://youtube.com/watch?v=8QS82G4bYC0&feature=related
A young friend of mine had never heard of the Mills Brothers so I told her that I would post some just for her, I hope you all will forgive me!
Mills Bros. - Hold That Tiger & I Ain't Got Nobody http://youtube.com/watch?v=aTyKPP2-B5k
THE MILLS BROTHERS - SING BARBERSHOP HARMONIES http://youtube.com/watch?v=W9pr3kTutbs
Do you have a favorite song that isn’t in English?
All time- "Flower Duet" from the opera Lakme
Sukiaki by Kyu Sakamoto.
Carrie @ 43:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZKUbI228zxc
Quiet Burp @ 44:
Kyu Sakamoto - Sukiyaki - 45 rpm http://youtube.com/watch?v=1oJkHfb58To&feature=related
Last thing on my mind - The Womenfolk http://youtube.com/watch?v=O3_1tr58ULQ
in honor of the hbo john adams series
Cool, Cool Considerate Men from 1776
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NZS2DBGGNg
the song was cut from the original film, however, it is a great analysis as to why americans vote against their best interests
Julieta Venegas:
-Me Voy
-Andar comigo
-Eres para mi
Jarabe de Palo:
-Bonito
Molotov (Rock):
-Here we kum
Johnny Cash singing in GERMAN!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuAUGLMU0T4
"Den Weg Zuruck"
Magma - "De Futura"
(Does it count if the language is made up?)
A few other non-Anglophone favourites:
Kaji Meiko
Fela Kuti
Einsturzende Neubauten
Number Girl
Fanfare Ciocarlia
greg @ 32:
Thanks Greg! I knew it had to be out there somewhere.
I like the Bowie sog "We can be Heroes" (half in German, half in English) from the soundtrack of the film "Christien F. - Von Kinder Der Banhoff Zoo." (apologies if I spelled that wrong!) I have never seen the movie but I did have the soundtrack (all Bowie songs) from the movie back in the days when they had albums... Bowie was one of my favorites when I was young(er). heh
Oh yeah! I should mention Harmonium, a French band from Quebec, and their eponymous album "Harmonium"... Every song on it is a classic, IMHO. If you enjoy 12 string guitars and folk/rock acoustic stuff, the music alone will be worth the listen even if you can't understand a word of French.
"Pour Un Instant" by Harmonium:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xG9EkGo5u7k
I love music from around the world. off the top of my head for non English songs and singers:
Ca Plane Pour Moi- Plastic Bertrand
Buena Vista Social Club (and it's offshoots)
The Indestructible Beat of Soweto
Caetano Veloso
to name but four.
Any song by Chico Buarque (particularly the ones from the 70s) -- here's one: "O que será que será..."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfYbMjbadKY -
Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethania, Gilberto Gil...
Here is another: Chico Buarque & Caetano Veloso "Menina dos Olhos d'Agua" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyUiyCInsmU
First of all, I love The Life Aquatic Soundtrack. It was great. But once again, you're posting covers, Howie. What gives??? All of these artists have great original material.
Basha Gua Suncha - Shoukichi Kina
Maybe an original would be more representative. This version seems to lack courage. Didn't even know that Bowie sang it with courage until I heard this courage free version.
I will recalibrate my listening skills in order to glean more joy from this recorded moment.
Thanks Howie. Always interested in your contribution to the musical conversation.
With respect and kindness to all.
Somewhere in the iTunes store there is a review that says "Seu Jorge is made of awesome."
I couldn't agree more.
My favorite non - English song:
Louie, Louie.
"Not only is that authentic country gibberish...."
Favorite non-English songs/bands:
Anything by Mana. Yes they are cheesy, but they write great rock songs.
A great French rapper MC Solaar
Cuban rappers Orishas
African folk duo Amadou and Miriam
Others:
Les Nubians-French pop
Manu Chao-All over the place
80 pecent of Reggae if you count Patois as non-English (look it up)
Rammstein-German metal
I hope this helps broaden someones musical world. Thee is some amazing music out there from outside the U.S. (thank god)
crap, that didn't work very well. I hope ya'll can get past the mistakes...
Hmm. I came late to the thread, but I still feel compelled to submit my favorite:
Cesaria Evora was unheard of in America when she moved to Providence around 15 years ago. She didn't have a band, didn't have an album. She went to The Custom House (a bar downtown) to participate in their open-mic night. After one song, everyone else on the list gave up their turns to let her sing, unaccompanied, for two full hours.
Cesaria Evora - "Sodade"
If you're reading this, I insist you check it out. Her voice is unique and mesmerizing, and the music is beautiful.
I've always like Placebo's "Burger Queen" en Francais.
Also the collaboration between Massive Attack and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan: "Musst Musst (Lost in his Work)".
"La Negrita" by Brave Combo, from their album "Humansville". A blistering rock version of an old Mexican mariachi tune. Sung by their bass player at the time, Bubba Hernandez. Not sure if Bubba is still in that band. This here Texan says check it out. It will make you want to eat some tamales, drink some cerveza, and shake your bootay. Ay-yi-yi-yi!!
If I have a favorite non-english song its probably something by Sigur Ros.
Mine is Águas de Março by Seu Jorge's countryman, the late Tom Jobim.
"Allah Uya" by Ali Farka Toure.
And, "Desafinado" (Jobim).
Julieta Venegas:
-Me Voy
-Andar conmigo
-Eres para mi
Jarabe de Palo:
-Bonito
Molotov:
-Here we kum
Do The Ramones count?
I listen mostly to music in Spanish and Portuguese. (Good call on Molotov, IndridCold!)
If I had to choose a single favorite in Spanish it would probably be "Alfonsina y el Mar", as sung by Mercedes Sosa. It's about a real-life female poet who committed suicide by drowning herself in the ocean, and never has suicide sounded so beautiful and inviting.
In Portuguese, I'd probably pick "Apesar de Voce" by the brilliant Chico Buarque, a scathing condemnation of the 70's-80's (U.S. backed) dictatorship disguised as a catchy samba.
Also, you can't go wrong with ANYTHING by Joaquin Sabina, who is sort of the Bob Dylan or Tom Waits of Spain.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=WQZF0vjjNhc
Comments are closed on this entry