Strange thought, is there one language that we all can speak, that we all can feel and understand? Sure some of you might say feelings, body language etc but the only problem with those is that they differ from culture to culture. Some cultures are more expressive than others, some have really stiff postures which makes one think that they are unfriendly.
Music is the one language that no matter what language it is sung in it is understood, our souls feel its rythym, its beat. Music can bring us to tears, make us laugh, have the urge to get up and dance or to lie back on the couch and just relax, it does it to all of us. When you hear a song, you often immediately like it or not, sometimes it takes a while or at a different time in your life you latch on to it like a crutch. Its beat or lyrics can affect anyone no matter their sex, age, race, country of origin or culture taking a person to highs and lows in a heartbeat.
As a universal language it can also bridge the gap between two totally different languages. Have you ever tried to speak to someone who has no comprehension of what you are trying to say?
In my travels I have often landed up in a country that does not speak my mother tongue, English, I’d always try to learn a bit before I left but there is only so much you can learn without actually being submersed in it, living it. While in Brazil I was chatting to someone at one of the markets in Copacabana, he saw my bag with all my country flags on and we got to talking. It was amazing except for one small detail, neither of us had mastered the others language.
I spoke in broken Portuguese and he in broken English, you can just imagine it. I am normally expressive with my hands, talking to him, both of us were standing there making shapes of Table Mountain, the best wine, river rafting with the funniest being my impression of hang gliding off the cliffs near Ipanema. He and I really connected because the whole time we were laughing at each others sign language, but then came the time when he asked “Brasilia like?” and you know, the Portuguese words to express my deep love for his country and its people escaped me. So I stood there and moved my hips, shook my arms and said Shakira Whenever, Wherever. He claps his hands and smiles good good yes Shakira, don’t laugh but he understood what I was trying to get across… the fact that I loved his country and the vibe of the Copacabana, it was energising and beautiful.
Perhaps ridiculous example, but music helps when there are no words to express what you want to, it gets your message across regardless of the language. Shakira’s beat transferred the fact that I thought Rio was a vibey place full of fun and amazing, The Stones got me a whole bunch of CD’s instead of the required listening for women.
Music is without borders, timeless, ageless, colourless, sexless, it is everything and anything to anyone.
Here are some non English songs – listen to them and see what it makes you feel, what story does it tell you?
Shakira – En Tus Pupilas
IsmaĆ«l Lo – Jammu Africa
Sigur Ros – Hoppipolla
Kraftwerk – Autobahn
Gipsy Kings – Volare
Johnny Clegg
We all speak through music, music speaks to all our souls, it is within us as we are within its beats in time…
One language that connects each and everyone of us š
vishesh
•15 years ago
true…music sounds sweeter when you don’t know the language,because you let your mind and body free without bothering to listen to the lyrics…the lyrics also become a part of the music..
SanityFound
•15 years ago
How true Vishesh, it’s one of the reasons why classical music still thrives today š
Martha
•15 years ago
One language – how true! I love your choices!
Visionary
•15 years ago
I had a 5-year relationship with a Brazilian girl whilst living in Brussels. She spoke no English and I spoke no Portuguese. We both spoke a smattering of French. By the end of our relationship we were both pretty good at French lol.
Not speaking the same mother tongue added a lot to the relationship. With so much possibly being lost in a 3-way translation, we had to be very tolerant and careful not to make assumptions about meaning. We had to spend a lot of time clarifying what the other was trying to say or what they really meant to avoid misunderstandings.
Whenever I found myself biting my tongue and making myself slow down to ask what she was trying to say I realised that if we didnāt have the language barrier to save us we may already be mid-argument.
Interestingly the Jehovahās Witnesses believe that God created language to slow down mans technological progress, to give us time to develop the maturity to deal with our unique abilities. They estimate that if all mankind had spoken the same language since biblical times, we would have reached our current level of technological advancement about 5000 years ago.
Since we still don’t seem to have the emotional intelligence to prevent our own demise, would we be here today if we had all spoken the same language from the beginning?
Maybe itās a good thing the only common language is music š
SanityFound
•15 years ago
What I really love about your story is the fact that you had to listen and understand what the other was really saying, so often we jump to conclusions even when both parties are speaking the same language fluently. So often we don’t really listen at all!
I can see why the JW’s might think that it is not only their idea but more an adopted philosophical one. Their methods and manipulations I do not agree with. I was forced into a situation with them once during one of my homeless periods, one that cemented my views on them. The one philosophy they have regarding blood fascinates me… is it the devil snakes work that helped humanity develop a way to do blood transfusions?
I will never forget hearing that there was limited space in what they call heaven and that everyone needs to make sure they work hard enough in order to get their place with a snooze you lose attitude. To me that is pure manipulative cultishness. Sorry I don’t mean to offend I just have really strong views on JW’s as I mentioned.
A lot of their philosophies are fine in the fact that they make you think but then so are so many others like Leibniz, Aristotle, Plato or Kripke…
… perhaps I just ate too much chocolate cake today š
Visionary
•15 years ago
LOL dont wouldnt offend me even if I was a JW which I’m not. I’m just chatting with them at the moment to find out what they are all about. I found out that they have some unusual points of view which I have arrived at independantly and just wanted to figure out how we had both arrived at the same conclusions on certai issues.
SanityFound
•15 years ago
LOL aye it looks like we have a philosopher in our midst… careful they might be excited to get a new recruit…
Visionary
•15 years ago
They will have their work cut out for them then – I may even end up converting them š
I don’t think to 2 dears who visit me every Tuesday have ever been asked so many questions.
hehe…
SanityFound
•15 years ago
LOL Eish you are cruel š you sure they aren’t just being tortured for the coffee you serve them?
k now I am giggling can just picture it š sounds so mean to say it but I am
@mmonyte
•15 years ago
One language? Esperanto. And we might not even need that for long as, apparently a Universal Translator is, apparently, possible.
SanityFound
•15 years ago
Oh wow! This is good news for I feel my hips won’t move so well to Shakira as I get older!!!
Äu vi parolas Esperanton?
The Culture difference – Sanityfound
•6 years ago
[…] and cultural differences that we all have. Ā From one my early postsĀ Language of Elephants toĀ One Language?Ā it will never stop enchanting my mind with questions or […]