| Archive for langcafe2.myfreeforum.org Come in and have your daily cup of languages! |
| Porthos |
Pop Music on Global ScaleFor those of you from non-Anglophone countries, do you listen to English rock music, and such? I've heard French rock music, and my god, let me tell you, it does not sound good. The Swedish and German music wasn't bad, and I don't mind Spanish rock music, but Italian songs also sounded strange.Anyway, I'm rambling. What kind of music do you guys listen to overseas? What are some bands which are especially popular in your home countries? I know Fab posted a link to French pop star, Corsican hottie, Alizee. Dude, she was fine!!!! |
||||||
| fab |
Alizée is not really my cup of tea, musically speaking, but she's very pretty. I know she had a succes in foreign countries, which is quite rare for someone who sing in french.
In France this kind of music is generally viewed as just a commercial product, even it is well made by two specialists of french pop since 25 years: Mylène farmer and Laurent Boutonnat (good commercial pop in my opinion). I personally used to listen a lot of English-speaking music when I was teenager, like all the people who had that age around 94-97. We listenned groups like Nirvana, oasis, etc. I liked quite much also the old "british rock classics" like Pink Floyd (and still love it, even if I listen it very rarely) Since a few years I have been to other styles, from very different genre : from electro, techno, salsa, classical, jazz, lounge and "chanson française" of different times, even quite old ones. So i can say that I am more "eclectic". Nowadays I tend to find english-rock (and other in general) too much a "teenager music". |
||||||
| Tiffany |
So I am from America, but feel I can confidently say that Italians listen to a lot of English music, both from America and Britain. Even MTV Italia plays a ton of English music. Last time I was there, popular songs were "Hung up" by Madonna, "Cash Machine" by Hi-Fi and MTV Italia seemed to be playing Gavin DeGraw's "Chariot" every half-hour. There are also popular Italian bands like Capparezza and Subsonica, singers like L'Aura and Tiziano Ferro, but what we get in the states (like ANDREA BOCCELLI) is really not that popular.
My husband absolutely loves the Beatles - that was his staple growing up. |
||||||
| Benjamin [inactive] |
Pop music?! What's that? ;)
I have to admit to being more interested in classical music, folk music and traditional hymns. Although I do often listen to BBC Radio 2, which tends to play pop music from the 60s, 70s and 80s, mainly in English. |
||||||
| Loic |
I don't know anything about the solfege abilities of Paris Hilton, but her video is really hot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhfjEYvyVqM When I was younger, I used to listen to many boybands. Ironic, eh, as boybands are usually the staple of girls. But the Backstreet Boys were certainly in a league of their own. Westlife wasn't too bad - an unusual punishment back in school was for the chastised pupil to stand on his desk and to sing "Flying without Wings", much to the derision of others. I have listened to a few songs by French soft rock groups such as Indochine and Kyo. I especially like this single from Kyo: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Uuj3D9wPIpM&search=derniere%20danse I once spent the whole afternoon listening to that when I was supposed to be doing my homework.... |
||||||
| Deborah |
Yeah, yeah, whatever...what I want to know is, who wrote the song? I know that someday it'll be considered one of the greatest pop music classics. :roll: |
||||||
| Loic |
It is obvious that the Hilton heiress doesn't have any exceptional ability in singing. Listening to the song on the radio is tolerable; her come hither sashaying in the video makes it compelling viewing material. | ||||||
| greg in noord-frankrijk |
Same for me really. Surtout la tech, la house et la lounge. Et puis tout le reste aussi ! Comment choisir ? I like almost all kinds of music but not to the point of spending my money on CDs and my life getting mp3 on internet because... that's what friends are for ! :twisted: No, seriously, musicwise I'm used to pick up things I like from people I know because I'm too lazy to ferret them out by myself. For instance I was given Lakmé — a French-sung opera by Léo Delibes — a fews days ago and that was a splendid revelation. I knew the famous flower duet from La vita è bella by Roberto Begnini, but reading the original French livret while music and voices unfolded was a great experience since words sung by the latter are hardly recognisable by laypeople — even natives. |
||||||
| fab |
Kyo is sound sounding but a bit like a paste-copy of the British pop-rock groups in French.
Other rock bands : "Noir desir", Bertrand Cantat, the leader is a complete mad guy, he is now in jail for having killed his girlfriend (a famous french actress) in a jalousy crisis... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrOUPHGcpqY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E5xPbm2v6E http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUvApC0bwUk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfQz-9olu_g "Indochine", a fmous band of the 80's, which continues to have succes now in the "gothic style" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t72UTZIhpM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND-sQGflb2s Mano negra was also a group of the 80/90, now the singer Manu Chao is singing in solo mainly in Spanish. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvOvQZIiHDw More recent, the singer "M" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPzyNBZfENI OUtside of pop-rock, In a more "french" style, more in the tradition onf the "text song" : Benabar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu34bV0FXws Eletro-pop, a bit bjork style : Emilie simon : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMDunGVx7uU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3koM_0VdVI |
||||||
| fab |
A big part of music on FM is called "variété" (easy listening pop?): e
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmwfuauBvcI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73T9CUGydf0&NR http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjoDQC1ieaU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHs3kzfwIGA Most of the time this is the kind music of people in their 30/40's. Most young people don't like it. Actually I like some of it, its not bad to listen in your car. I liked much this old one from Renaud: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAg7BsDSVWM |
||||||
| fab |
But french music can also be that "chanson à texte" :
The very parisian "intellectual" style of Vincent Delerm, with very second degré songs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVTsKGJSxd0 more or less in the same style Thomas Fersen : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJZQME5NvVs Or Benjamin Biolay http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHtkvOhLAMY In this "intimate song" we can also speak of the ex-model Carla Bruni: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsUlSvtziXU |
||||||
| fab |
Loic, French rap of the 90's : MC solaar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj...PItw&mode=related&search= |
||||||
| fab |
For LAA,
I know you liked Bocelli, do you knwo this version ? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XH...N7UE&mode=related&search= |
||||||
| fab |
Josh,
You should know manu chao, he is very famous in latin America. Could you give us some exemple of modern Mexican music (rock, pop, tradtional or other ?) I don't know much Mexican music ! |
||||||
| fab |
Josh,
You should know manu chao, he is very famous in latin America. Could you give us some exemple of modern Mexican music (rock, pop, tradtional or other ?) I don't know much Mexican music ! |
||||||
| fab |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt...2gKs&mode=related&search= | ||||||
| Loic |
Fab, que penses-tu de Marc Lavoine? | ||||||
| fab |
J'aime bien,
En particulier j'adore cette chanson : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFm-E5OZKe8 Marc Lavoine est aussi un acteur, il est très bon dans "le coeur des hommes". L'as tu vu ? |
||||||
| Loic |
C’est pas mal, ce duet de Marc Lavoine. On finit par l’aimer même si les paroles sont un petit peu pessimiste. En fait, je pensais à la chanson qui s’appelle « Elle a les yeux revolver » de Marc Lavoine.
Quand on parle de MC Solaar, il faut pas oublier « Solaar Pleure ». C’est une chanson qui se trouve dans « l’air du temps » chez les jeunes de nos jours, non ? PS: Une question un peu indiscrète, Fab : tu as quel âge environ ? C’est difficile de deviner d’après ta photo. PPS: Marc Lavoine est aussi un acteur ? Je ne suis pas au courant de ça ! Tiens, je suis pas un grand fan de lui ; c’est juste quelques chansons de lui qui me plaisent, c’est tout. |
||||||
| fab |
Salut Loic !
" même si les paroles sont un petit peu pessimiste. " Oui, mais j'aime bien les chansons tristes :D "En fait, je pensais à la chanson qui s’appelle « Elle a les yeux revolvers » de Marc Lavoine. " C'est drole que tu connaisses, c'est une très vielle chanson des années 80, ça me rappelle mon enfance. Aujourd'hui j'ai 28 ans. Ou as tu connu les chanteurs français ? je ne pense pas qu'ils soient très connus en dehors des pays francophones. Si tu aimes les années 80 tu dois connaitre Daniel Balavoine ou Jean jaques Goldman ? "Quand on parle de MC Solaar, il faut pas oublier « Solaar Pleure ». C’est une chanson qui se trouve dans « l’air du temps » chez les jeunes de nos jours, non ? " En fait je ne connais pas ses trucs plus récents. Quand j'étais adolescent j'ai un peu écouté l'album de 1994 "prose combat", qui a eu beaucoup de succes à l'époque, mais c'est tout. " PPS: Marc Lavoine est aussi un acteur ? Je ne suis pas au courant de ça ! Tiens, je suis pas un grand fan de lui ; c’est juste quelques chansons de lui qui me plaisent, c’est tout. " Oui, moi de même, je connais ses chansons parce qu'elles passent à la radio. A singapour, quel type de musique les gens écoutent ils ? En dehors de la musique "internationale", y a t'il des groupes ou chanteur typiquement singapourien - ou bien s'agit t'il de musique chinoise ? |
||||||
| fab |
I just discover this video of a song of Marc Lavoine, The video is very poetic and the girl so cute...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RpuH7LlcXM&NR |
||||||
| Loic |
T'as raison. La fille est super mignonne! J’espère que je puisse faire sa connaissance.
Bon, j’écrirai en anglais pour que tout le monde puisse nous comprenne mieux. I have a French friend so I allow her to recommend me songs which she thinks I'd like. I have an ecletic range in music: I don't understand why nobody nowadays likes songs which are from the 80s, 70s and beyond. Nobody in this forum talks about Abba or Blondie or Doris Day. In my opinion, the music nowadays sucks: it is inferior to the music of my parents' days. I have heard of Jean-Jacques Goldman, but I can't say it has made a big impression on me. If you ask me, I do not really like a French singer in particular, but it's more about their songs which have made a positive impression on me. I like Jacques Brel's "Ne me quitte pas" and quite a number of Edith Piaf's classics. As for Serge Gainsbourg, no question about that. It has to be that quasi-erotic duet with Jane Birkin: Je t'aime...Moi non plus. |
||||||
| fab |
Do you know Anggun, she a malaysian singer who has in carrier in France today
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE...hVKg&mode=related&search= I'll be interested if you could give us some exemples of Asian music of all styles (modern or older) ? |
||||||
| Loic |
I know her, but not very well. She's Indonesian, actually, of Javanese extraction.
To tell you the truth, I am the last person you want to approach with regards to Asian music. I don't listen to Chinese songs, but there are one or two very good and famous ones which do not elude me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yo...vH0I&mode=related&search= I suppose Patrix would know who he is. Jay Chou is big in East Asia. This song was released last year and it was virtually hard to escape it. Almost every girl had the tune incorporated into their mobile ring tone. This is a melancholic song, really. He is mourning about a dead lover and it's entitled "Ye Qu" or Song of the Night. |
||||||
| Loic |
I have found another Asian song which was rather popular in the 80s. This song would be unknown to Patrix as it is in Cantonese: Yat Sen Hor Kau/Yi Sheng He Qiu.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mV2U7hfEGQ |
||||||
| Joanne |
The first twenty songs on my current iTunes playlist:
Dancing in the Moonlight - King Harvest Bed of Roses - Bon Jovi Me and Mrs. Jones - Billy Paul Callin' Out - Lyrics Born Alright - Red Carpet (Louis DeVito RMX) Boys of Summer - The Ataris Pick Up the Pieces - Average White Band Friday I'm in Love - The Cure My, My, My - Johnny Gill Gasolina - Daddy Yankee feat. Pitbull, Lil John, Noreaga Raining on Sunday - Keith Urban Superstar - Ruben Studdard Inside Your Heaven - Bo Bice Wedding Bell Blues - Laura Nyro Home (U.K. Radio Mix Edit) - Michael Bublé Man Machine - Robbie Williams Do You Feel Like I Do (Live) - Peter Frampton Winter on my Mind - Raghav By Your Side - Sade Brown Sugar (Fine) - Mos Def As I type this, Callin' Out by Lyrics Born is playing |
||||||
| Loic |
Not a bad list, Joanne. I think most of the songs on your ipod get quite a bit of airwave on the radio.
Here's the first twenty songs on my mp3: 1. As I lay me down - Sophie Hawkins 2. Derniere Danse - Kyo 3. Je saigne encore - Kyo 4. Spending my time - Roxette 5. Je crois en toi/I believe in you - Il Divo 6. Mama - Il Divo 7. The tide is high - Blondie 8. We are the Champions - Queen 9. Imitiation of Life - REM 10. The Sign - Ace of Base 11. Barbie Girl - Aqua 12. Roses are Red - Aqua 13. I'll never get over you - Expose 14. Your baby never look good in blue - Expose 15. Imagine - John Lennon 16. Jealous Guy - John Lennon 17. Total Eclipse of the Heart - Bonnie Tyler 18. California Dreaming - Mamas and Papas 19. What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong 20. Leaving on a Jet Plane - John Denver Say, Joanne, I recognised a few American Idol singers on your list. |
||||||
| Joanne |
Oops, I wasn't paying attention (or I'm a little toasted :wink:). I accidentally deleted tthis post of mine:
Well, they used to, back in their day, but thanks! :) The list was actually for the workers and (Anglo) friends that were in the apartment yesterday and today. I didn't want to freak the guys out with ragtime, zydeco, 80s freestyle, and Filipino rock, so I had to adjust a bit. A few of yours are in my player: 1, 5, 6, and 19. And I should download "Total Eclipse of the Heart." Why don't I have that song? How remiss of me. :?
I can't help it. Bo Bice's version of the song is really beautiful, and I like Ruben Studdard's cover of "Superstar" even better then Luther Vandross'. I know, I know, I know...SACRILEGE! I can't help it, man. A girl likes what she likes! :D |
||||||
| Walker |
Young people listen to lots and lots of American music. Which bands that are especially popular depends on who you're asking. R'n'B music seems to be big with young girls. Some kids just seem to swallow what MTV feeds them. Eminem, 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes, The Black Eyed Peas and so on. But fortunately there's a lot of pop and rock bands that are big here as well. Many of those bands aren't that good in my opinion, but I'd rather have the kids listen to mediocre rock music than R'n'B and such, because I find much of the latter degrading for girls. I rarely watch TV nowadays and I almost never listen to the radio so I can't name that many bands that are especially popular. I get a lot of music from my brother and some from my friends, and they are not the ones who go and buy the music the media tells them buy, and neither am I. But it's very likely that those bands in the US that become big there also become big here. I'm not saying that American pop/rock music is generally bad, it's just that so much of what you hear sound the same, or like a bad copy. Take Korn for example, they started the nu-metal wave, and other bands have tried to sound the same. Sometimes that might work but often it doesn't. Most Swedish bands sing in English. You might've heard The Cardigans, I know they were in an episode of Beverly Hills 90210. I think they're pretty decent, although I liked them better before when they were still original. Other Swedish bands that are popular are Mando Diao, The Plan, The Soundtrack Of Our Lives and Håkan Hellström (none of which I listen to). Most of the bands I listen to are American and those are mainly rock bands. I also listen to some British bands like Radiohead, Massive Attack and Ian Brown. Some Swedish bands I listen to are Khoma, Burst, The Radio Dept., Entombed, Breach and José González. And as I am typing this bugger I'm listening to one of my favorite bands, namely Deftones. The song's called Beware. BTW, I read something hilarious the other week. There was a list of what irritates the British the most. There was stuff like parking guards, disturbing neighbors, people who make a lot of noise when they eat and Americans. I don't recall what came first but at number four was James Blunt! :lol: Can't say I blame them for putting him there. Apparently several radio stations in Britain have banned his music. |
||||||
| Elaine |
Hmm... my iTunes lists songs alphabetically, so here's what I get when I set it on shuffle:
2. The Girl From Ipanema – Stan Getz/Astrud Gilberto 3. A Strange Kind of Love – Peter Murphy 4. Sympathy for the Devil – Jane's Addiction 5. If You Don't Know Me By Now – Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes 6. Que Son – Tekameli 7. Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana 8. Paloma Negra – Chavela Vargas 9. Je t'aime…moi non plus – Serge Gainsbourg/Jane Birkin 
10. Holiday – Green Day 11. Set Adrift on Memory Bliss – PM Dawn 12. Ring of Fire – Social Distortion 13. La Vida es un Carnaval – Celia Cruz 14. Un Poco Mas – Lila Downs 15. All These Things That I've Done – the Killers 16. Everlong (acoustic version) – Foo Fighters 17. 16 Candles – Danielle Dax 18. Nasty Girl – Vanity 6 :lol: 19. Wonderwall – Ryan Adams 20. You Shook Me All Night Long – AC/DC |
||||||
| Porthos |
You have good taste in music Elaine.
Hey Walker, Have you ever heard of the band called "The Hives"? I think they're Swedish. They had a popular album in the U.S. I have one of their songs called "Guerre Nuclear". |
||||||
| Loic |
Elaine: Don't you always get this impression that Jane Birkin has just completed a really long marathon at the end of her duet with Serge Gainsbourg?
Walker: For a relatively small country, Sweden is a genius when it comes to exporting bands. The Cardigans made me think of my secondary school days when they sang Lovefool. How about Roxette or Ace of Base? I remember this huge party hit called "I saw the sign" by Ace of Base, but for many years, I thought they were singing "I saw the sun". I felt so foolish when I realised otherwise. Of course, the biggest export of all time: ABBA. I don't even know where to begin. |
||||||
| fab |
for those who don't know this mythic song :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nHNrk9pj-o |
||||||
| Elaine |
Yeah, a really long marathon of sex. |
||||||
| Elaine |
Lovely. Although, I must say, M. Gainsbourg lost me with "Lemon Incest". shock. :blurp: |
||||||
| Porthos |
Yeah, that's just frickin gross. I understand that's his real daughter! That's perverted.
That would so not fly in the U.S.!!! |
||||||
| Elaine |
In another thread, fab wrote (to Porthos):
Around here there seems to be a big difference in the musical sensibilities (among other things) of Mexican inmigrantes and Chicanos. Chicanos tend to like the same stuff Anglo-Americans like, with a bit (or maybe a lot) of Latin flavor thrown in. The Mexicans, on the other hand, tend to be heavy into mariachi, banda, and ranchera music, which Chicanos and urban-dwelling Mexicans view as "provincial". Some of the popular artists are Banda el Recodo, Yolanda Pérez, Vicente Fernández and his son Alejandro. Popular Mexican pop acts are Luis Miguel, Paulina Rubio, Thalía, and a few others whose names escape me. For some reason, the Chicano youth gravitate towards bands like Slipknot. :roll: I guess it's the influence of watching too much Luche libre. :lol: |
||||||
| Porthos |
Yeah, basically what Elaine said. We consider ranchero music to be kind of embarassing if our parents play it. It's like country music, and it just sounds hick. But I still listen to a lot of music in Spanish, just not the traditional stuff like mariachis and ranchero. | ||||||
| Porthos |
Here's one of my favs:
http://vidsearch.myspace.com/inde...individual&videoid=1181193235 Lustra: http://vidsearch.myspace.com/inde...individual&videoid=1222655745 Spanglish - Cholo - Chicano Rap: This song was really popular for kids in East Los when my brother was my age http://www.hotget.com/videocode/Proper_Dos-Firme_Hina--7354.html Fab, It also shows what most Mexican-Americans look like. I obviosly, being European-Mexican, don't look like them, so I didn't fit in in some bad neighborhoods that I lived in sometimes. |
||||||
| Porthos |
Here's another one:
http://vidsearch.myspace.com/inde...individual&videoid=1298783257 http://vidsearch.myspace.com/inde...individual&videoid=1297842648 http://vidsearch.myspace.com/inde...individual&videoid=1289230545 http://vidsearch.myspace.com/inde...individual&videoid=1253973722 A swedish band (I think) http://vidsearch.myspace.com/inde...individual&videoid=1258179913 Irish-American punk rock (mix of Irish folk and punk rock, very popular in cities with large Irish populations like Boston) http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm...individual&videoID=1258014783 West Coast stuff http://vidsearch.myspace.com/inde...individual&videoid=1287909355 And, I kind find most of the good Spanish language songs that I know online. There's more Chicano stuff though if you guys want it |
||||||
| Icke |
Well, in Germany the musician Xavier Naidoo is very popular at the moment. He makes a kind of german Soul music.
http://vidsearch.myspace.com/inde...individual&videoid=1270950519 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g21RDMfqp-Q http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6ESD2ckbjM and this is the live version of the same song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxGFQTtKKcE and this must have been young Xavier 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzstMw2ZB30 |
||||||
| Pauline |
this first song I've heard very many times, because sometimes I listen german radio, and it seems it's the most popular song this year in Germany ! I like it, but the video was completely different that I expected.
Icke, I'm wondering, you like this songs, or you put them here because they're typical of the german taste ? |
||||||
| Porthos |
Fab,
Could you post a few links of popular French rock music, from the last couple of years? And could somebody provide some rock songs or music videos in Dutch or whatever language they prefer? |
||||||
| fab |
I have already posted quite a lot of different kinds of french music a few days ago in this forum, from pop-rock, rock, "chanson française", gothic, etc. Did you listen it ? If you like old Rock musicof the 70/80, you should listen "telephone", one of the main french rock groups. Today's rock is not always interesting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-m...UNfI&mode=related&search= More recent (2003), MicKey 3D http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEexx5BR5eY |
||||||
| Pauline |
Probably the song most played on the belgian francophone radio this year was by Florent Pagny :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX...YvN4&mode=related&search= I think the song's beautiful and the lyric also. |
||||||
| fab |
" Yeah, that's just frickin gross. I understand that's his real daughter! That's perverted. That would so not fly in the U.S.!!! "
Gainsbourg was very provocative, it was his way of being. It doesn't to have been taken at the first degree ! |
||||||
| Porthos |
No, no way. That just doesn't fly with me. To even *suggest* that he had some sexual relationship with his own daughter, his "real life" daughter, is disgusting. It's perverted to even pretend that that was the case. It's okay if he was just trying to make a political statement, or to be provacative with a consenting adult, but his own daughter? No. That's just immoral, plain and simple. | ||||||
| Loic |
Serge Gainsbourg had a talent for startling common sensibilities. I was told of an infamous interview on a French chat show where Serge Gainsbourg told Whitney Houston to her face that he fancied her and that he wanted to fornicate with her - much to the horror of the talk-show host Michel Drucker.
He is what we would call a cheeky bugger and of course, that album 'Lemon Incest' is just cheekier than usual although personally, I consider it to be pushing the limits of normal taste and decency. |
||||||
| fab |
Yes, it was more or less a actor's role. One person was Gainsbourg (the real person, with his shyness and sensibilities), and the character he payed in medias was "Gainsbarre" (a pervert, alcoholic, cynical and provocative man). He played well with these two opposite personalities, often even in the same songs. | ||||||
| Elaine |
I was referring to little Charlotte's ghastly singing. 
|
||||||
| Walker |
You bet they are! I don't have any of their albums but the one I've heard the most is Veni Vedi Vicious. I don't believe I've heard Guerre Nuclear, though. I think they're kind of funny, and the singer sounds as if he's 15 when he screams!
|
||||||
| Porthos |
You know who they really remind me of? They sound just like the Beatles. They have a throwback, retro style, reminiscient of the '60s. | ||||||
| Porthos |
I imagine most Scandanavians also speak English, because it seems like most of your bands rock out in English. Or mabye English is just more popular for teens and young adults? | ||||||
| Porthos |
Walker,
Swedish is an East-North Germanic language right? |
||||||
| Walker |
Yeah, they have that "old" sound that's pretty cool.
Yeah, most of us do. And English is much more popular for teens and young adults. Moreover, it's much easier to write lyrics in English and make it sound good. If you'd take almost any pop or rock song and translate it into Swedish it would only sound ridiculous. So that's one reason why most such lyrics by Swedish bands are in English, I think.
That's right, ese! Along with Danish. The West-North Germanic languages are Norwegian, Faroese and Icelandic. |
||||||
| Benjamin [inactive] |
Although rather ironically, both Swedish and Danish are more mutually intelligible with Norwegian than they are with each-other, as Walker could also tell you.  (And Norwegian is more mutually intelligible with Swedish and Danish than with Icelandic and Faeroese).
Don't people say that Norwegian is Danish spoken with a Swedish accent, or something?
|
||||||
| Elaine |
 ¡Órale, guey!
|
||||||
| Porthos |
LMAO!!! Hey Elaine, what do you say you, me, and the vatos go have some cervezas over in the alley behind the Carniceria?
Walker, Yeah, because at my schools there has been a lot of Scandanavian exchange students, and I was hanging out with them, and I didn't even know they weren't Americans! Their accents were almost flawless! They must be speaking from a young age. How prevalent is English speaking over there? Could I just go up to people my age, and start rattling off in English with no problem? Also, when the lead singer from The Hives sings, his accent disappears, but when he talks, you can pick up on it. |
||||||
| Elaine |
Nel pastel coronel. Me and my ruco are gonna meet up with Blinky, Gordo, Freckles, and Baby Boy y vamos a grifear.  " alt="" border="0" /> 
|
||||||
| Porthos |
Oh esta bien. Later "homegirl". | ||||||
| Walker |
Well, you know, you pick things up. Now, can you tell me (or verify) what "ese" really means? Wikipedia says "friend" or "buddy". I've asked two people whose native language is Spanish, and one (a Chilean) of them said it means "boy" (I think, I was very drunk at the time), and the other (a Mexican) said it means "that one". Perhaps it's just hard to translate "ese" correctly?
From what I understand, it's relatively easy for Scandinavians to learn to speak English without much of an accent. Like a classmate in High School who spent a year in the US, she sounded like any young American when she spoke English in English class. Not only did she have the pronounciation but she also had the intonation that seems to be so prevalent amongst young Americans. At the end of every other sentence her voice went up as if she was asking a question? I also remember her saying "aahm" a lot. We don't start speaking English that early, but we start hearing English when we're very young. The media is full of it. We start learning English in 4th grade, but it's the media that does it. You'll hear kids say stuff in English, mostly it's just a word here and there but sometimes you'll hear a whole sentence. But what's really silly, in my opinon, is when adults use expressions in English. The other day a was watching this debate program on TV and this serious guy was talking (with an ugly accent) and suddenly he said "win-win situation". I laughed, I tell you that. If you walked up to a person your age and started rattling off in English you'd probably not have that much of a problem. It depends, of course, some people are better and/or more used to speaking English than others. But I wouldn't suggest you go rattling off in English, though, because you might be intimidating. Partly because the person in question might not understand everything you say, and partly because we're not used to people walking up to us rattling off - in any language. I would suggest you start off slow. |
||||||
| Elaine |
"Ese" is Spanish for "that (one)", but in the Chicano slang that the vatos in the hood speak it means "dude, homeboy (homes), pal, buddy, etc." It's a very versatile word that can be applied to any guy. However, I think it would be in poor form for a non-Latino to call a Latino that he wasn't tight with "ese". |
||||||
| Porthos |
Yeah, if a white guy called a Latino guy "ese" it might be taken as a forum of sarcasm. In that case, you can find yourself with a black eye. | ||||||
| Walker |
Okay, thanks for the explanation! |
||||||
| Porthos |
I've come to that conclusion that I really like Scandanavians! They always seem to be very nice and accomodating. And I love the fact that they often times speak English, unlike some other Europeans who feel like they're condescending to our level by speaking English when they are in the U.S. | ||||||
| Walker |
What other Europeans won't speak English when they're in the US? |
||||||
| Loic |
This is an incredibly funny parody of Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie". A word of advice: Don't drink anything while you are viewing it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djxVJ0VBkqM |
||||||
| Porthos |
Southern Europeans especially, but particularly French people. They come here, and almost refuse to speak English, even though they admit they know how to speak it. Northern Europeans are generally more friendly to Americans, and usually speak English. The kids my age almost always speak English. A lot of the Italians and others simply do not speak English, so it isn't their fault, but Scandanavians seem to almost always speak English and usually very well. |
||||||
| Porthos |
That was a great one Loic. LMAO | ||||||
| Elaine |
How often do you encounter European tourists and where? I work in the downtown area and see my share of internationals all the time. And back in the day I waitressed at a popular bar & grill in West Hollywood, and in my teens I had a summer job at Universal Studios. Never once have I met a French, Italian, Spanish or Greek tourist who didn't at least try to speak English when dealing with Anglophone Americans. I don't know what's with this refuse business. Did they tell you themselves that they know how to speak English but refuse to? |
||||||
| Porthos |
I used to work and live at a hotel which recieved about a hundred European tourists per day. So I've met hundreds of foreign tourists here, from countries as diverse as Italy, Portugal, Brazil, Columbia, Spain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium (both Walloons and Flemings), England, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. We didn't get any Eastern Europeans though. And I noticed that the southern Europeans were friendlier if you spoke to them in Spanish, even if they did not speak Spanish. Some even preferred that I speak in Spanish, even if they were educated in English, and yet never studied Spanish, if you can believe that. | ||||||
| Loic |
Seriously, those two jokers have nothing better to do. But 'Shakira' really cracks me up with 'her' booty. |
||||||