Music in minority languages

[vijayjohn]

Xadani Zapotec a.k.a. Eastern Pochutla Zapotec is a variety of Zapotec spoken in southern Oaxaca. Apparently, it is closely related to the Miahuatlán and Amatlán varieties. This is a song in Zapotec apparently being performed in Santa María Xadani where this is spoken. The song being performed is "Las mañanitas," which is the same song as in this post. I think "Soriano Orozco" might be the singer's surnames:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGVp6Mhr160

[vijayjohn]

There are two languages spoken in Oaxaca, along with one extinct language called Tequistlatec, that belong to a language family of their own called the Tequistlatecan languages or Chontal of Oaxaca. One of them is Highland Oaxaca Chontal a.k.a. Chontal de la Sierra de Oaxaca, and the other is Huamelula (Chontal) a.k.a. Lowland Oaxaca Chontal and Chontal de la Costa de Oaxaca. All three of them are/were spoken on or near the (Pacific) coast. This is a song in Huamelula. Apparently, the title of the song means "The Fishermen":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0Rpyn0RnYE

[vijayjohn]

All right, one more song in a Zapotec language! Petapa Zapotec is a Zapotec language spoken in Juchitán District, which is also where Isthmus Zapotec is spoken. Specifically, it's spoken in the town of Santa María Petapa. This is a song in Petapa Zapotec, preceded by an introduction in Spanish explaining why this singer is singing this song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84h6eeSYHU8

[vijayjohn]

This is a children's song (with the lyrics shown in the video) in the variety of Huave spoken in the village of San Dionisio del Mar, on the east coast of Oaxaca (specifically on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, in Juchitán district, which is where all the varieties of Huave are spoken except the largest, which is in San Mateo del Mar). It's called "Munamb tyiel naguxnüty":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlQBbS5yBBI

[vijayjohn]

This is the last song from Oaxaca I intend to post in a long time. It's in another Mixe-Zoquean language but from the Zoquean branch. Specifically, it's in Chimalapa Zoque, which is spoken in the villages of Santa María Chimalapa and San Miguel Chimalapa in the Juchitán District in Oaxaca. This song by Fernando Sánchez is from San Miguel Chimalapa and is called "Bin chik kúmkuy," which apparently means 'my little village':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rLqUooGU5k

[vijayjohn]

Copainalá Zoque is one of three Zoquean languages that form a dialect cluster and are spoken in Chiapas, Mexico's southernmost state (just south of Oaxaca and bordering Guatemala). This is a song that appears to be in this language from Copainalá. The instrument in the background is a marimba, a xylophone-like instrument possibly introduced to the region by Afro-Caribbean slaves and now Guatemala's national instrument. Apparently, the women playing it are sisters:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hSitBIytFk

[vijayjohn]

This is a Mexican ska song (originally called "Tambores" or 'drums') apparently performed in a Zoquean language (I forget which one now - probably one of the Chiapas varieties) under the name "Coatam," along with the lyrics (both in Spanish and in Zoque version) courtesy of INALI. I thought maybe it was a translation of a song that was in Spanish, but no, apparently, it's an original song in this language! The band's name seems to be Sexta Vocal:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2lURS4_SdE

[h34]

[flag=]liv[/flag] A Livonian folk song (with subtitles):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAekyLCSmkM

[vijayjohn]

Lacandon is a Mayan language closely related to Yucatec but spoken in Chiapas. Apparently, most Lacandon people speak it in addition to Spanish. This is a videoclip from some (Mexican TV?) cartoon that's in both Spanish and Lacandon with a song (apparently a lullaby) in Lacandon that begins around 1:35, which is then translated into Spanish before being repeated in Lacandon one more time (I think the audio and animation could be better at least in theory, though ):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAG65c7N9XY

[vijayjohn]

Tzotzil is another Mayan language, very closely related to Tzeltal (with which it forms the Tzeltalan sub-branch of the Cholan (or Ch'olan-Tzeltalan) branch of the Maya family) and is also spoken in Chiapas, to the west of where Tzeltal is spoken. There are six dialects of Tzotzil that are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. This is a Tzotzil song in the Zinacantán variety:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gud7vxhRQ7o

[h34]

[flag=]mrj[/flag] This is another song I know absolutely nothing about, except that it is in Hill Mari and called Илюша:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k8B437BKWE&feature=youtu.be

[h34]

[flag=]myv[/flag] A song in Erzya called Вай луга, луга (луга = "meadow"), performed by the Mordvinian folk ensemble Килейне (< килей = "birch tree" + diminutive suffix -не). I found some explanations about a song with the same title here...
http://wap.erzianj.borda.ru/?1-18-40-00000034-000-40-0
... but it seems that only the first two lines are identical (not sure).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0L3m057s47U&feature=youtu.be

[vijayjohn]

Oh, I posted that Erzya song once on the "what song are you listening to right now?" thread.

Chuj is a Mayan language spoken mainly in Guatemala and to a lesser extent in Chiapas, Mexico, where its closest relative, Tojolabal, is also spoken. There are two main varieties, one spoken in the municipality of San Mateo Ixtatán and the other, in San Sebastián Coatán. This song, "Chonhab' Wajxaklajunh," is from (and dedicated to) Ixtatán:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqWT1oKVEmI

[h34]

[flag=]mdf[/flag]([flag=]myv[/flag]) This song could be either in Moksha or in Erzya, in the video description it just says that it is a Mordvinian folk song. Probably Moksha, as the name of the band - Келу - is the Moksha word for "birch tree" (in Erzya: килей)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9lwW6G4j0g

[vijayjohn]

Akatek is a Mayan language that is somewhat closely related to Chuj (and Tojolabal) but even more closely related to Q'anjob'al. It's mostly spoken in Guatemala, though also spoken in Chiapas to a lesser extent. This is a hymn in Akatek called "Chach kal watx'il Dios" meaning something like 'we praise you, oh God'. The lyrics are written in the video and video description:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYzl74N1XOM
Unfortunately, the singing isn't necessarily well-timed with the accompanying piano music.

[vijayjohn]

Jakaltek is another language very closely related to Akatek and Q'anjob'al and also spoken mainly in Guatemala with a minority of speakers in Chiapas. This is a song apparently called "Maria Luz" performed by a band called Tropa 53 from the municipality of Petatán, where IIRC Jakaltek is spoken, and I think this song is in that language:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSOjqgBgWjw

[vijayjohn]

Awakatek is a language spoken in Guatemala that's very closely related to Ixil (and somewhat less closely related to Mam). This is a Guatemalan pop(?) song called "Luna de miel en Río Dulce" (Honeymoon on...Sweet River? Or just Dulce River?), originally in Spanish, but sung in Awakatek in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6E7R7iF1s4

[h34]

[flag=]myv[/flag] This Erzya song is performed by a Ukrainian folk singer, Мирослава Копинець. The title of the song is (Мoн) яла эйсэть учан. (Мoн) учан = I wait, I'm waiting, I will wait, яла = always, ~ forever , эйсэть =
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEoVWn83Q1g&feature=youtu.be

[h34]

[flag=]mrj[/flag] A song in Hill Mari called Кырык марла шиеш йäнг (Kyryk marla šiješ jäng):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7e_Z_h8ZSM&feature=youtu.be

[vijayjohn]

Tz'utujil is a Mayan language closely related to K'iche' and Kaqchikel and spoken in western Guatemala by Lake Atitlán. One of the biggest towns near that lake is Santiago Atitlán. This is a song in Tz'utujil dedicated to that town; this is why the title of the song is simply "Song for Santiago":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAVqGhBwSvM