From Tuesday 1 July 2025
Other Mother Languages
“From Tokyo to Timbuktu — just not Tshwane.”
Pick a track that sings in any tongue except our own eleven (English, Afrikaans, isiZulu, isiXhosa, isiNdebele, Sesotho, Setswana, Sepedi, Siswati, Tshivenda or Xitsonga). Extra sparkle if the video comes with subtitles so we can chant along in gloriously mangled unison.
Think Hindi hip-hop, Swedish synth-pop, Brazilian funk, Mongolian throat-metal—whatever tickles your earbuds. Hit us with the unexpected and let’s turn the playlist into a miniature world tour.
Karen
CALEMA – TE AMO ENGLISH LYRICS
I was first introduced to Kizomba through my dance classes and I have come to enjoy both the music and the dance moves.
Kizomba, a popular dance and music genre, originated in Angola in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It evolved from the traditional Angolan dance, semba, and is characterized by its slow, sensual rhythm and close connection between partners. The word “kizomba” itself means “party” or “celebration” in the Kimbundu language.
The term “kizomba” initially referred to social gatherings and parties where people danced semba and other styles.
Over time, the music evolved, incorporating electronic percussion and influenced by other genres like zouk from the Caribbean, leading to the development of a distinct kizomba sound and dance style.
Kizomba became a way for Angolans to express their cultural identity, particularly during and after the Angolan Civil War (1975-2002).
Music:
The music is characterized by a slow, sensual rhythm, often with a mix of African and Caribbean influences.
In essence, kizomba is more than just a dance; it’s a cultural expression that has traveled from Angola to become a global phenomenon, fostering connections and cultural exchange around the world.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2XNeHQsEXLI
Geraldine
Enrique Iglesias – SUBEME LA RADIO Lyrics English Translation
Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler is a Spanish singer and songwriter. He started his recording career in the mid-1990s on the Mexican label Fonovisa where he released three Spanish albums.
Enrique Iglesias performed in Cape Town on October 25, 2007, at the Grand West’s Grand Arena as part of his “Insomniac World Tour”. One of the best concerts I attended- what an entertainer.
The song “Súbeme la Radio” by Enrique Iglesias is a Spanish-language Latin pop and reggaeton track, released in 2017. Its English translation is “Turn Up the Radio”. While the official music video is available, there isn’t an animated lyric video in English. The lyric video available is in Spanish.
Sue
Nana Mouskouri – Vivre au soleil
I have chosen an icon not just for her singing career but also her role for UNICEF. She has had a long singing career and has appeared a few times in her late 80’s. She sings in a number of languages and I have chosen one in French (You may know the English version) She is of Greek origin but lives in Switzerland with her second husband. Enjoy a walk down memory lane with Nana Mouskouri.
Paul
ENIGMA Sadeness
This song is a song that explores the contrast between the spiritual and the sensual, using the figure of the Marquis de Sade as a focal point. The song questions how one perceives the expression of feelings and desires, particularly in relation to sexuality. It uses a blend of Latin chants, French vocals, and electronic beats to create a sound that is both sacred and sensual, reflecting the duality of the Marquis de Sade’s controversial nature.
Other opinions: It is a sensual track based around “questioning” the sexual desires of Marquis de Sade; hence the German release name of “Sadeness”, as opposed to the English word of “Sadness” used in the UK release.
The song attracted many positive, but also negative opinions.
I like it a LOT
Sadeness by Enigma
Liezel
Tiken Jah Fakoly – On veut nous distraire
Featured Song: On veut nous distraire
Artist: Tiken Jah Fakoly
From: Odienné, Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
Genre: Reggae / Afro-Roots
Tiken Jah Fakoly is a powerful voice in African reggae, known for using music to expose injustice and awaken consciousness. In On veut nous distraire (“They Want to Distract Us”), he critiques how governments and media keep people busy with hype and superficial entertainment, while critical issues like poverty, cultural destruction, and lack of public services go unaddressed. It’s a wake-up call to stay alert and not be lulled into apathy.
Key lyrics (translated):
“They want to distract us
While they strip us bare, put us to sleep, manipulate us…
There’s no electricity, no drinking water, no medicine, no roads, no schools, no jobs, no justice—
But there’s buzz, there’s buzz.”
Full English lyrics (translation):
“When the wise man points to the moon, the fool looks at the finger.”
(A proverb reminding us not to miss the bigger picture.)
They want to distract us
While they’re stripping us bare
While they put us to sleep
While they manipulate us
They want to distract us
While they steal our resources
While they destroy our culture
While they burn our future
They want to distract us
They want to distract us
There’s no electricity
There’s no drinking water
There’s no medicine
There are no usable roads
There are no public schools
There are no jobs for the youth
There’s no social justice
But there’s buzz, there’s buzz.
Wilfred
Schnappi Das Kleine Krokodil
Picture it: the Nile at dusk, bronze light rippling over a creature older than the pyramids themselves.
The crocodile – Crocodylus niloticus is a living fossil: 60 razor-edged teeth, a bite force that can shatter bone, and the unnerving stillness of an ambush specialist that has out-waited pharaohs, Caesars and sultans alike. Ancient Egyptians both feared and venerated it, fashioning amulets to Sobek, the crocodile-headed god who, legend says, created the very Nile by dragging his tail across the desert.
Fast-forward to modern Germany, where a wry composer began to wonder: What melody might echo inside that reptilian mind? Somewhere between the Rhine’s industrial hum and the distant hiss of Egyptian sands, a tune took shape. One that pivots on the split-second “snap” of a jaw and the mischievous glint in an apex predator’s eye.
The piece you’re about to hear channels that paradox: playful yet primal, deceptively simple but hiding serrated edges. Listen for the rhythmic schnapp -beat. It’s the musical equivalent of a crocodile lurking just beneath the surface, then breaking through with surprising speed.
At 45 million views this is the premiere ode to Crocodylus niloticus
So much fun…
Deborah
Tinariwen (+IO:I) – Sastanàqqàm
Tinariwen is a group of musicians from northern Mali. They play desert blues, mixing traditional Tuareg music with electric guitars.
In 2006 Tinariwen played in M’hamid el Ghizlane, a desert town in Morocco. A group of young boys who saw them play at that time loved their music so much that they learned all the songs, even though they didn’t speak a word of Tamasheq, the language of the Tuareg.
When Tinariwen came back ten years later, they invited the young musicians to perform with them.
You’ll see a special moment in the video when the older musicians wrap turbans around the younger ones’ heads, marking the passage from boyhood to manhood symbolizing the music and culture being passed down to the next generation.
Errol
The Gypsy Queens – L’Italiano (Toto Cutugno)
For a couple of nights I’ve been surfing forren music on YouTube. The choices are and pure joy are staggering. So uplifting!
It made a choice tonight very difficult.
I’ve settled on a song by The Gypsy Queens “L’Italiano’.
Although a celebration of Italian culture, the song was inspired by a concert in Toronto where the songwriter saw many Italian faces in the audience.
The lyrics are packed with Italian cultural references, from espresso and Fiat 600s to mint-flavored shaving cream.
Enjoy!
Chrisna
Kyu Sakamoto Sukiyaki
The song “Sukiyaki,” originally titled “Ue o Muite Aruko” (上を向いて歩こう), is a Japanese song that became a global hit. Its lyrics, written by Rokusuke Ei, express the frustration and sadness of someone looking up to the sky to prevent tears from falling, yet still maintaining an optimistic outlook for the future. While often associated with heartbreak or personal loss in its translated versions, the original song’s meaning is rooted in the political disillusionment following the ratification of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty in 1960.