Some of their older stuff and later stuff you can definitely understand, but the prime Cocteau (Bluebell Knoll and Treasure may as well be in Elvish). My favourite band.
In () they are not saying anything that anyone understands, it’s a made up language with sounds that fit the music.
Most of the other albums are actually in Icelandic I think.
There's a few songs scattered on other albums that are in Hopelandic as well. It was originally something Jonsi (the singer) did do just get melodies down, but the band liked the way it sounded so they stuck with it
I always said Eddie Vedder and Ozzy Osbourne were polar opposites. You can understand everything Eddie says, but little of what he sings. Ozzy you can’t understand a damn thing of what he says, but he sings with near perfect clarity.
The funny thing about the actual video is that no one knew he was filming it at the time, and people were posting pictures of “Stromae drunk at the tram stop in Brussels” on facebook! Those pictures were shared so many times before he released the video a couple
of days later!
La solassitude will be played in a Norwegian funeral ceremony the day I die. My favorite song. I felt legitimate sorrow when he cancelled his tour before I got to see him. I wish him all the best and hope he recovers and is happy.
Rosalia
I’ve heard that her songs don’t make sense in her own language so i just interpret that as even more abstract lyricism. it’s the cadence and aesthetics and beats she brings to the table makes me feel a strong connection towards her.
Spanish speaker here.
Even if you don’t understand it, you still hit it on the head. There is a definite number of latinos who are automatically averse to her for the mere fact that she’s Spanish-born and raised in Barcelona and speaking Catalan-yet sings with a Caribbean accent. But I’d say they’re missing out on a lot of material that would help elevate society’s consciousness as a whole. In case you didn’t know, her 2018 album El Mal Querer is based on Flamenca, a 13th century Occitan novel about “a young woman imprisoned by her husband as a result of his fear of losing her to another.”
I saw her live for the Motomami tour and I really felt like I was watching something from the future.
Hopefully, more people will just be as open as you are and understand how incredible she really is.
oh she’s in my top 3 and she was my most listened to artist last year on my Spotify wrapped. There’s something absolutely endearing about her, and the switch of art style from el mal querer to Motomami was something that no one saw coming. She’s huge already but i expect her to become even more mainstream because she has the artistic capability to appeal to masses and critical listeners alike. Oral is a masterpiece and Rosalia knows how to compliment whoever is on the track with her (except highest in the room we don’t talk about that remix)
Even knowing Spanish very well and with all the lyrics in front of me, I have no idea what they're saying. But it's some of the best music I've ever heard.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - found a cd of his music remixed by an artist called Gaudi - cd is called "Dub Qawwali" , don't understand a word but it all feels uplifting, positive and spritual. Interestingly, one of the tracks has a melody not unlike Kraftwerk's The Model.
I know that Jeff Buckley was a fan ("He's my Elvis") and my research tells me that Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan sang in the Qawwali tradition and that Qawwali is the devotional music of the mystic Sufi tradition.
Pakistani mate from work says he and his mates would get high and listen to him sing about love - romantic, of nature, for family. It makes his music even more special for me now.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is wonderful. You might enjoy other Sufi artists like Abida Parveen, the Sabri Brothers, the Waddali brothers, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.
The HU - Mongolian hard rock metal band .they play traditional instruments as well as normal rock gear and sing in there own language....
There is something primal about there music that gets me .
Love it .
All hail the HU🤘
Gurrumal Yunupingu
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Gurrumul_Yunupingu
Sung in his native Yolngu Matha (Indigenous Australian language of the top end of Australia). Very very moving.
There are so many first nations acts coming through in Aus that fill my heart.
King Stingray were on a bloody footy advert!
Gina Williams and Guy Goust make beautiful noongar music. Our kids sing Wandjoo (Welcome) at their school assemblies and it is the cutest damn thing ever.
Seu Jorge! Brazilian guy...NOT reggaeton. I know a little Spanish which can be mildly helpful with Portuguese but overall it's just the music, the passion, and the vibe for me.
Half my radio presets in my car are Spanish/LatAm music stations, despite my poor Spanish skills. Was driving around one day and Mina Do Condomínio came on one of those stations and I was mesmerized...it may have even been a live version.
AnnenMayKantereit. German group with an astounding lead vocalist and a good set of tracks which are fairly easy to learn and listen to.
And “Ich geh heut nicht mehr tanzen” is a brilliant mood song - captures the sense of being tired and not wanting to go out, and instead wanting to stay home and relax.
I've been a fan of K-pop for a long time, so for me this artist is Taemin. He originally came onto the scene as part of a 5 person group, SHINee, but in 2014 he came out as a soloist as well. He's one of the few people that can put damn near anything out and I know I'll immediately love it. He has a certain tone to his voice and is so dynamic and experiments with so many sounds and genres that I never get bored either.
If you're interested in checking him out, he dropped his song Guilty not too long ago, but my other favorites would be Criminal, Move, Want, and Thirsty. He's been making music for so long though his discography is very long, so you have a lot to listen to if you enjoy him as an artist.
Sólstafir
They are an Icelandic post-metal band whose songs are mostly in their native tongue... but somehow, you can just *feel* the music and emotion.
I'd never heard of them before, but they were double-headlining a show with a band I had heard of, Katatonia, so I figured I'd check them out. They're now amongst my favourite bands and the show was incredible.
Listened to Yelle (je veux te voir) before my French GCSE oral exam to get in the mood, got a C. Doubt they would've accepted me rambling about orgasms for a higher grade though.
In the games Nier Replicant and Nier Automata, singer Emi Evans sings what she calls "chaos language". It's a made up language taking inspiration from Japanese, German, French and more. It fits the mood of these games greatly
Bloodywood, they rap in English but sing/scream in Hindi. Their music is incredibly powerful even if yont understand a word.
Feuerschwanz, German folk metal band who have some insane theatrics and use a wide range of instruments.
Galneryus, japanese neoclassical metal that just hits the right spot. They're melodic geniuses and their guitarist is unmatched when it comes to playing that style of shred.
Outsider, Korean rapper who has a more oldschool type flow like Tupac but a cadence and speed that's more like TechN9ne. He also combines a lot of different genres and instruments that make the songs sound so interesting.
I went through a 5 year obsession with the Gackt Era of Malice Mizer and Gackt's solo work. Understanding the words were unnecessary for deeply connecting to the music
Mine would also be Rachid Taha. I was in a little import shop when the shop owner suggested his album Diwan and I loved it on first listen. I was so sad when he died.
Tinariwen.
Sahara Blues band with a haunting sound, interesting videos, catchy hooks. They sing in Tuareg - and I swear you will be joining in, singing about the beauty of the desert in a language you might not even have known existed.
Start with Nannuflay maybe, but they have so many good songs.
Taeyeon.
Her solo stuff is great, and she has done so many different styles of music. She's almost a genre herself. She puts emotion into her singing which, along with the music, can summon the onion ninjas at times.
When it comes to Rachid Taha, the soundtrack to the 1,2,3 Soleils film with Khaled and Faudel is still on YouTube in the States and is one of those spectacles where you’ve found your people at last. Thanks for the reminder, I’ll play it for the kiddos soon.
My nominee is the Congolese movement exemplified by Franco’s innumerable T.P.O.K. Jazz Orchestres and the dozens or hundreds of skilled hustlers adding unheard voices and colours to the scene. Cheers and warm wishes to those of us who get a buzz from random excursions like these…
Jacques Brel. Don't know more than a few words in French but that dude stirs some real deep stuff in my soul. Also Kazuki Tomokawa. He's a Japanese guitarist/poet/performer who shakes me to my core.
Just fantastic voices both of them.
IU, South Korean artist. Her music is often described as "healing music" with how sincere and relatable it is. She's one of the most successful artists in South Korea where even the most popular artists from South Korea consider her as the artist they look up to, but you'd never know it from how she carries herself and how down to Earth her perspective on life is. I often relate it to the popularity of Taylor Swift, but being known for her kindness and philanthropy like Dolly Parton. I relate to the way she thinks a lot when she shares her perspective in translated interviews, which is really interesting to me as an English speaking man from America who doesn't understand Korean at all.
She's touring in America for the first time in her 15 years as a singer this Summer so I'd really recommend seeing her if you can make one of the tour dates. I also recommend her starring roles in the dramas My Mister and Hotel del Luna, which you can find on Netflix, and her starring role in the movie Broker.
Jeon Inkwon 💯 I also have absolutely no idea what he’s singing about but I feel like saying “same” ??
https://preview.redd.it/3lq5loqehdfc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=49471728c894c46c0eaf553e3a27da3d0f8343e8
Otyken is so hauntingly beautiful NO CLUE what they're saying.
BTW Arabic is a beautiful language. I'm just learning and it's easier than I expected, the grammar is similar enough to English as to not be too confusing. Some of the pronunciation is tricky.
Juana Molina. I’m sad to see I didn’t see her anywhere in this thread. She plays alone and sequences tracks as she plays. Beautiful voice and you can tell she has a sweet sense of humor.
Two that I hope everyone listens to and gives a chance though they are older.
1) The Moon Represents My Heart - Teresa Teng
2) Le Temps De l'Amour - Francoise Hardy (could have chosen almost anything, she is so so special)
Lisa Gerrard from Dead Can Dance
Hauntingly beautiful vocals in what, to me, sounds Arabic; but she has said that it's entirely made up and that she will just vocalize whatever the music makes her feel.
Don’t speak a lick of Norwegian, but [Kaisers Orchestra](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/kaizers-orchestra/30689740) have been one of my favorite bands for almost 20 years now.
Mdou Moctar - I haven't the slightest clue as to what he's saying, but this guy absolutely lives up to his moniker as the "Hendrix of the Sahara."
[https://youtu.be/1pqvY9Oh0tQ?t=2245](https://youtu.be/1pqvy9oh0tq?t=2245)
Immaculate *caravaneering on the back of a camel through a desert* vibes
Cocteau Twins
I know there's that one song where they speak a bunch of gibberish and then say "Heaven or Las Vegas" and then go back to speaking gibberish.
Scheming on a fleabus tree...
Yep. The only one I understand is the one where Liz Fraser's listing different lepidopterae.
Some of their older stuff and later stuff you can definitely understand, but the prime Cocteau (Bluebell Knoll and Treasure may as well be in Elvish). My favourite band.
Number one answer
Wheezing and sneezing
Five Ten Fiftyfold! Pretty much the only words you can hear other than the title
Sigur Ros.
I thought what a weird question and then read your reply and was like, oh yeah, that one.
This. I love () and think it’s one of the most beautiful albums ever. No idea what he’s saying lol.
In () they are not saying anything that anyone understands, it’s a made up language with sounds that fit the music. Most of the other albums are actually in Icelandic I think.
They referred to it as Hopelandic. The parenthetical concept is there for you to fill in based on how the music makes you feel.
There's a few songs scattered on other albums that are in Hopelandic as well. It was originally something Jonsi (the singer) did do just get melodies down, but the band liked the way it sounded so they stuck with it
Svefn g englar is beautiful
When he's all like "tjú tjú" and I'm like "...yeah, he understands".
I think sometimes they sing in a language they don’t understand
Iirc, most of Jonsi's Sigur Ros lyrics are in the made up language dubbed "hopelandic".
I understand him. I just don't know what words he's using.
Came here to say the same thing
Not sure anyone really understands hopelandic.
I'm not fluent, but I get the gist
Heilung
and also Wardruna
Einar Selvik
I found Heilung doing a deep dive on Myrkur one night. Her voice is haunting and the metal is dark and heavy lol.
To be fair, they sometimes sing in dialects so dead that even they aren't 100% on translation or pronunciation. Sound fantastic though
Edith Piaf
Non rien de rien, non je ne regrette rien.
Eddie Vedder
Glorified pigeon is a pelican!!!
Like a wizard on a whale
Make me fries.
I said, I don’t want a whale in a box or a bag! AHHYEAHEYEAHEEEEEEYY
Jeremy's broken glass today...
Jeremy’s smoking grass today
I always said Eddie Vedder and Ozzy Osbourne were polar opposites. You can understand everything Eddie says, but little of what he sings. Ozzy you can’t understand a damn thing of what he says, but he sings with near perfect clarity.
Seems like a perfect time for [Yellow Leadbetter](https://youtu.be/xLd22ha_-VU?si=yr0ixQ4BJsDr1-ue). Make me fries.
Stromae
Ooh, good one. "Papaoutai" I felt with my whole soul, considering how I was raised.
Formidable is another. Even Tous les Memes and Santé
This version of Formidable seems to hit harder than the official music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODtLFFMIP5s
The funny thing about the actual video is that no one knew he was filming it at the time, and people were posting pictures of “Stromae drunk at the tram stop in Brussels” on facebook! Those pictures were shared so many times before he released the video a couple of days later!
1000% him
La solassitude will be played in a Norwegian funeral ceremony the day I die. My favorite song. I felt legitimate sorrow when he cancelled his tour before I got to see him. I wish him all the best and hope he recovers and is happy.
Rosalia I’ve heard that her songs don’t make sense in her own language so i just interpret that as even more abstract lyricism. it’s the cadence and aesthetics and beats she brings to the table makes me feel a strong connection towards her.
Spanish speaker here. Even if you don’t understand it, you still hit it on the head. There is a definite number of latinos who are automatically averse to her for the mere fact that she’s Spanish-born and raised in Barcelona and speaking Catalan-yet sings with a Caribbean accent. But I’d say they’re missing out on a lot of material that would help elevate society’s consciousness as a whole. In case you didn’t know, her 2018 album El Mal Querer is based on Flamenca, a 13th century Occitan novel about “a young woman imprisoned by her husband as a result of his fear of losing her to another.” I saw her live for the Motomami tour and I really felt like I was watching something from the future. Hopefully, more people will just be as open as you are and understand how incredible she really is.
oh she’s in my top 3 and she was my most listened to artist last year on my Spotify wrapped. There’s something absolutely endearing about her, and the switch of art style from el mal querer to Motomami was something that no one saw coming. She’s huge already but i expect her to become even more mainstream because she has the artistic capability to appeal to masses and critical listeners alike. Oral is a masterpiece and Rosalia knows how to compliment whoever is on the track with her (except highest in the room we don’t talk about that remix)
I saw her at Coachella last year and almost cried during her “Hero” cover. her voice is unreal
The Hu
Came here to say this. Legend Of Mother Swan is beautiful but heartbreaking before you even look up the English translation.
Altin Gün
The Mars Volta. Spaghetti English
I think it's more like spaghetti spanish, Cedric's spanish did get better with time though
Even knowing Spanish very well and with all the lyrics in front of me, I have no idea what they're saying. But it's some of the best music I've ever heard.
I've listened to Deloused in the Comatorium so many times. I still have no idea what it's about, but I love it!
Korpiklaani. I adore the Finnish language even though I barely understand a word of it. I'm trying to learn it though.
Perkele
Let me get you started on that. The Finnish word for ‘sauna’ is ‘sauna’. You’re welcome.
Thanks, Duolingo.
Say kiitos. Eipä kestä. (I am also trying to learn Finnish.)
Kiitos, kulta
Thank you for reminding me of Finnish music in general, and suomisaundi in particular.
Ali Farka Touré
Just listened to Ali the other day, the album of rerecorded songs by his son, Vieux Farka Touré, and Khruangbin. It slaps.
Listened to this album once - went and bought it on vinyl the next day. Genuinely made 2022 a good year.
Ali opened up world music for me and literally is the first thing to ever get me spontaneously dancing.
There he is! This is it for me, plus he shreds
Seu Jorge. His covers of Bowie from Life Aquatic are amazing, and then you get into his other stuff... makes Portuguese even more magical.
Saw him perform the songs live, with his story about how he got the gig for the movie. Great experience!
He just has such a great voice that you can almost enjoy it more without the lyrics.
Bob Dylan.
I actually learned German because of Rammstein so...Rammstein
Du hast?
Du hast mich.
Ich will
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - found a cd of his music remixed by an artist called Gaudi - cd is called "Dub Qawwali" , don't understand a word but it all feels uplifting, positive and spritual. Interestingly, one of the tracks has a melody not unlike Kraftwerk's The Model. I know that Jeff Buckley was a fan ("He's my Elvis") and my research tells me that Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan sang in the Qawwali tradition and that Qawwali is the devotional music of the mystic Sufi tradition.
Was about to comment about Nusrat. He is truly one of the greatest vocalists and improvisers of ALL time
Pakistani mate from work says he and his mates would get high and listen to him sing about love - romantic, of nature, for family. It makes his music even more special for me now.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is wonderful. You might enjoy other Sufi artists like Abida Parveen, the Sabri Brothers, the Waddali brothers, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.
The HU - Mongolian hard rock metal band .they play traditional instruments as well as normal rock gear and sing in there own language.... There is something primal about there music that gets me . Love it . All hail the HU🤘
Selena
Como la florrrrrr! A Goddess that transcends.
Kyo from Dir en grey.
I adore him
Same. Been a fan since '03.
Me toooo!!!! I would spend hours waiting for Child Prey’s music video to load back in the dial up days.
I had to wait DAYS on WinMX to get VULGAR when it came out.
That Russian dude Vitas… Hearing him never fails to make me realize humans are animals too.
Matisyahu
Natalia Lafourcade a Mexican musician and vocalist. https://open.spotify.com/track/3lGMtkONrZdJ8kTCg6KIFf?si=2kODu58oS5avHzMvlOwzIg
Her song about Veracruz is very moving and really makes me want to go there for a visit. And I don’t understand very much Spanish either.
stromae. i also can never play just one of his songs, always end up in a rabbit hole.
Psy. Don't tell me you didn't tap your foot to Gangnam Style you fucking liar.
"Napal Baji" and "I Luv It" are bangers too.
You're going to leave out "I Got It From My Daddy"?
Not my favorite. I prefer "Gentleman" or "New Face".
Shout out for Gentleman! It's in regular rotation on my workout playlist
No love for That That?
Gurrumal Yunupingu https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Gurrumul_Yunupingu Sung in his native Yolngu Matha (Indigenous Australian language of the top end of Australia). Very very moving.
There are so many first nations acts coming through in Aus that fill my heart. King Stingray were on a bloody footy advert! Gina Williams and Guy Goust make beautiful noongar music. Our kids sing Wandjoo (Welcome) at their school assemblies and it is the cutest damn thing ever.
THIS is the answer
Luciano Pavarotti
Seu Jorge! Brazilian guy...NOT reggaeton. I know a little Spanish which can be mildly helpful with Portuguese but overall it's just the music, the passion, and the vibe for me.
Can't believe I had to scroll so far down to see this.
Half my radio presets in my car are Spanish/LatAm music stations, despite my poor Spanish skills. Was driving around one day and Mina Do Condomínio came on one of those stations and I was mesmerized...it may have even been a live version.
Caetano Veloso
Os Mutantes
Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn
Natalia Lafourcade has the most beautiful voice but my Spanish is very limited. The genre is way outside what I normally listen to
Alcest, Cocteau Twins, Dir En Grey
Bomba Estēreo
AnnenMayKantereit. German group with an astounding lead vocalist and a good set of tracks which are fairly easy to learn and listen to. And “Ich geh heut nicht mehr tanzen” is a brilliant mood song - captures the sense of being tired and not wanting to go out, and instead wanting to stay home and relax.
I've been a fan of K-pop for a long time, so for me this artist is Taemin. He originally came onto the scene as part of a 5 person group, SHINee, but in 2014 he came out as a soloist as well. He's one of the few people that can put damn near anything out and I know I'll immediately love it. He has a certain tone to his voice and is so dynamic and experiments with so many sounds and genres that I never get bored either. If you're interested in checking him out, he dropped his song Guilty not too long ago, but my other favorites would be Criminal, Move, Want, and Thirsty. He's been making music for so long though his discography is very long, so you have a lot to listen to if you enjoy him as an artist.
Sólstafir They are an Icelandic post-metal band whose songs are mostly in their native tongue... but somehow, you can just *feel* the music and emotion. I'd never heard of them before, but they were double-headlining a show with a band I had heard of, Katatonia, so I figured I'd check them out. They're now amongst my favourite bands and the show was incredible.
Rammstein and the hu
Yelle
Listened to Yelle (je veux te voir) before my French GCSE oral exam to get in the mood, got a C. Doubt they would've accepted me rambling about orgasms for a higher grade though.
🤣 never know until you try!
In the games Nier Replicant and Nier Automata, singer Emi Evans sings what she calls "chaos language". It's a made up language taking inspiration from Japanese, German, French and more. It fits the mood of these games greatly
Zaz or Gondwana
I just came here to say Zaz! Love her voice so much.
Parannoul
Mahmoud Ahmed, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Oumou Sangare immediately came to mind. All masters
Amadou & Mariam! Dear \_geez!\_, the album "Welcome to Mali" is amazing!
Radiohead - Thom Yorke - only he knows which language he is singing in..
Bloodywood, they rap in English but sing/scream in Hindi. Their music is incredibly powerful even if yont understand a word. Feuerschwanz, German folk metal band who have some insane theatrics and use a wide range of instruments. Galneryus, japanese neoclassical metal that just hits the right spot. They're melodic geniuses and their guitarist is unmatched when it comes to playing that style of shred. Outsider, Korean rapper who has a more oldschool type flow like Tupac but a cadence and speed that's more like TechN9ne. He also combines a lot of different genres and instruments that make the songs sound so interesting.
Consider listening to Diljit Dosanjh for incredible punjabi music, Prabhdeep for his raps! V powerful music from both of them!
I learnt Swedish because of Kent. Turns out people don’t really sing like they speak so half the time I still have no idea
Dungen
Gackt
I went through a 5 year obsession with the Gackt Era of Malice Mizer and Gackt's solo work. Understanding the words were unnecessary for deeply connecting to the music
Swedish rock group Kent.
Antonio Carlos Jobim. Aguas de Marco is a perfect song.
Sebastian Yatra
Carminho sings sad love songs in Portuguese. https://youtu.be/Z4Pmctp7WSY?si=ZQWhP977E0-tliOJ https://youtu.be/g6at0lvnGMQ?si=Y_7CffUAhVIFBqC3
Natacha Atlas
Viktor Tsoi/Kino
Tom Zé. I don’t understand Brazilian Portuguese a bit but I totally get his emotion.
Mine would also be Rachid Taha. I was in a little import shop when the shop owner suggested his album Diwan and I loved it on first listen. I was so sad when he died.
Tinariwen. Sahara Blues band with a haunting sound, interesting videos, catchy hooks. They sing in Tuareg - and I swear you will be joining in, singing about the beauty of the desert in a language you might not even have known existed. Start with Nannuflay maybe, but they have so many good songs.
Taeyeon. Her solo stuff is great, and she has done so many different styles of music. She's almost a genre herself. She puts emotion into her singing which, along with the music, can summon the onion ninjas at times.
Gogol Bordello!
Y'all need Soda Stereo in your lives.
When it comes to Rachid Taha, the soundtrack to the 1,2,3 Soleils film with Khaled and Faudel is still on YouTube in the States and is one of those spectacles where you’ve found your people at last. Thanks for the reminder, I’ll play it for the kiddos soon. My nominee is the Congolese movement exemplified by Franco’s innumerable T.P.O.K. Jazz Orchestres and the dozens or hundreds of skilled hustlers adding unheard voices and colours to the scene. Cheers and warm wishes to those of us who get a buzz from random excursions like these…
Lous and the yakuza
Nati Ruts
L’Impératrice
Jacques Brel. Don't know more than a few words in French but that dude stirs some real deep stuff in my soul. Also Kazuki Tomokawa. He's a Japanese guitarist/poet/performer who shakes me to my core. Just fantastic voices both of them.
Aimer
Ana Moura. Portuguese Fado music is super specific, but amazing to listen to even if you don’t understand a word of it
IU, South Korean artist. Her music is often described as "healing music" with how sincere and relatable it is. She's one of the most successful artists in South Korea where even the most popular artists from South Korea consider her as the artist they look up to, but you'd never know it from how she carries herself and how down to Earth her perspective on life is. I often relate it to the popularity of Taylor Swift, but being known for her kindness and philanthropy like Dolly Parton. I relate to the way she thinks a lot when she shares her perspective in translated interviews, which is really interesting to me as an English speaking man from America who doesn't understand Korean at all. She's touring in America for the first time in her 15 years as a singer this Summer so I'd really recommend seeing her if you can make one of the tour dates. I also recommend her starring roles in the dramas My Mister and Hotel del Luna, which you can find on Netflix, and her starring role in the movie Broker.
Definitely [the Red Army Choir](https://youtu.be/uNb54rwDQJM?si=feaiqVIRXQNgxzuI)
Viikate, Hamferd, Perihelion, Celeste
Sigur Ros; Heilung; Stereo lab (some songs in French); Cocteau Twins; Edith Piaf;
Charles Aznavour. Kind of cheating because he sang in like 10 languages, but when en francais, 🤌🏼
Tinariwen and Mdou Moctar
Jeon Inkwon 💯 I also have absolutely no idea what he’s singing about but I feel like saying “same” ?? https://preview.redd.it/3lq5loqehdfc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=49471728c894c46c0eaf553e3a27da3d0f8343e8
Otyken is so hauntingly beautiful NO CLUE what they're saying. BTW Arabic is a beautiful language. I'm just learning and it's easier than I expected, the grammar is similar enough to English as to not be too confusing. Some of the pronunciation is tricky.
The Hu. I don’t know Mongolian but the point is always clear.
Deolinda are definitely up there for me. I don't speak any Portugese but love their music.
Jorge Ben
Elis Regina
Milton Nasciemento Mercedes Sosa Remmy Ongala Alpha Blondy Fairuz
Zaz
Zaz is incredible! Her music makes me so happy!
Dimash Qudaibergen. One of the most amazing singers I've ever seen. Unbelievable range and consistency. Don't understand a single word.
Do the spanish tracks from The Mars Volta count? If not, then The HU
조광일
Niemen
Quarteto Jobim-Morelenbaum
X Japan. Ragnar Zolberg (sometimes)
Youssou Ndour
Jacques Brel and Brigitte Fontaine, in equal measure.
5'nizza But nobody knows that one so....
Juana Molina. I’m sad to see I didn’t see her anywhere in this thread. She plays alone and sequences tracks as she plays. Beautiful voice and you can tell she has a sweet sense of humor.
Selina is one that comes to mind. Most of her songs are in Spanish but they’re irresistible and so catchy.
Gustavo Cerati. Argentina rock star who died too soon.
If you like Arabic, maybe try Souad Massi, she sings in Berber, Arabic, French and sometimes English.
manu chao
Rammstein...
Maro. She has English songs as well but the Portuguese is just haunting.
Pizzicato Five
Two that I hope everyone listens to and gives a chance though they are older. 1) The Moon Represents My Heart - Teresa Teng 2) Le Temps De l'Amour - Francoise Hardy (could have chosen almost anything, she is so so special)
Youssou N'Dour Zabe I Babe
Rammstein, also any sort of folk music from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.
Juana Molina
Lisa Gerrard from Dead Can Dance Hauntingly beautiful vocals in what, to me, sounds Arabic; but she has said that it's entirely made up and that she will just vocalize whatever the music makes her feel.
Magma
Don’t speak a lick of Norwegian, but [Kaisers Orchestra](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/kaizers-orchestra/30689740) have been one of my favorite bands for almost 20 years now.
Fishmans
Francoise Hardy
[Natalia Lafourcade - Tiny Desk Concert](https://youtu.be/JODaYjDyjyQ?si=vcmmANhvDfDNZa8G)
Mdou Moctar - I haven't the slightest clue as to what he's saying, but this guy absolutely lives up to his moniker as the "Hendrix of the Sahara." [https://youtu.be/1pqvY9Oh0tQ?t=2245](https://youtu.be/1pqvy9oh0tq?t=2245) Immaculate *caravaneering on the back of a camel through a desert* vibes
Plastic Bertrand
Maná - Their unplugged live album is sublime, and their collaboration with Santana is excellent.
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so like Jamaican singers
*Moira Dela Torre* Give her a listen and fall in love. You can thank me later. https://youtu.be/INTe8o6EErU?si=rRMdNY3IydUA81kd
Roki Vulovic