Music in minority languages

[vijayjohn]

Despacito in Udmurt. It's surprisingly good.

I once posted a version of "Bésame mucho" in an indigenous language of central Mexico called Otomí. I swear it sounds better in Otomí than in Spanish.

Lyrics, Mandarin pinyin

Hmm, that looks to me more like the lyrics in the original language written in Roman script along with a Chinese translation.

This is apparently a traditional serenade(?) in a variety of Arbëresh spoken in Abruzzo, probably specifically in Villa Badessa since that appears to be the only Arbëresh community in the region:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0d7JecPcAU

[atalarikt]

Hmm, that looks to me more like the lyrics in the original language written in Roman script along with a Chinese translation.

Just to clarify, by "lyrics" I exactly mean the lyrics in the original language (all Taiwanese Indigenous languages officially use the Roman script).

[vijayjohn]

Hmm, that looks to me more like the lyrics in the original language written in Roman script along with a Chinese translation.

Just to clarify, by "lyrics" I exactly mean the lyrics in the original language (all Taiwanese Indigenous languages officially use the Roman script).

Okay, but I still don't understand why you seem to be saying the Mandarin translation is in pinyin when it's in Chinese characters.

This isn't pinyin:
雖然失去了依靠，我們仍要感到快樂

This would be pinyin:
Suīrán shīqù le yíkào, wǒmen réng yào gǎndào kuàilè

[atalarikt]

Okay, but I still don't understand why you seem to be saying the Mandarin translation is in pinyin when it's in Chinese characters.

This isn't pinyin:
雖然失去了依靠，我們仍要感到快樂

This would be pinyin:
Suīrán shīqù le yíkào, wǒmen réng yào gǎndào kuàilè

Curses! I forgot that those two are different things.
Guess I should've familiarized myself more with Chinese.

[vijayjohn]

Oh, okay, thanks.

[vijayjohn]

Central Italian is a term for various language varieties spoken in Lazio, Umbria, and parts of neighboring regions, namely far southern Tuscany, central Marche, and a small part of Abruzzo. One of the Central Italian varieties is Sabino, spoken in western Abruzzo and the neighboring part of Lazio. One of the subvarieties of Sabino in turn is called Aquilano, and this is a choral song in Aquilano called "La Dormente." The lyrics can be found in the video description:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhwxgN50bhA

[vijayjohn]

Teda(ga) is a Saharan language closely related to Daza and spoken in northwestern Chad. The speakers of Teda and Daza together are called the "Toubou people," and their languages together are called the Tebu languages. This is a song in Teda by Taiga Youn:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XfH10aDu0E

[atalarikt]

Another song from a Bunun singer/artist Biung Tak-Banuaz, titled Buklavu, first heard in his 2000 album 獵人 (The Hunter). He uses the Isbukun dialect of the Bunun language.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkrMQ-G64jQ
Lyrics, Mandarin and English translations

► Show Spoiler

l sia ludun aiza tasa makuis tu dan nitu manasnas tu dan
Sau sia pasupan aiza sain tia manau-az tu dalah
Buklavu

Santais-hagun mass vali san sig-halun mas buan maluv-luvan santia
Alhaipuas ludun inak su-ia tu asag
Buklavu

Tinliskin mailan-tagus tulaini-haiban mamagan
Lisia ludun mapala tamasaz a sakatatu malmananu
Tis-unidalah tis-unibunun
Isia nata tu bukzav ha-iap saikin tu makan mihdi
Haitu muskun ka ta miliskis buklavu

Mandarin & English translations:
山上有條小路, 蜿蜒的小路。(There is a small road in the mountains, a winding little road)
走到盡頭你會看見一塊美麗的土地, (Go all the way to the end and you will see a beautiful piece of land,)
布古拉夫。(Buklavu)

這裡太陽照耀, 月亮走過 (The sun shines brightly here, the moon passes by)
山風吹起, 群峰環抱。它就是我的故鄉,(The wind stirs, the chains of mountains encompass it. It's my hometown,)
布古拉夫。(Buklavu)

想到祖先的偉大，留在山林中的智慧。(Thinking about the greatness of our ancestors, the wisdom that remains in the mountain forests)
為了土地，為了族人，我們更要努力。(For the earth, for our people, we have to be more diligent)
都市生活的辛苦我知道，但是讓我們一起回首, 想念我們的故鄉。(The hardship and suffering of city life, I know it, but let us all look back together, and remember our homeland)
布古拉夫。(Buklavu)

[Linguaphile]

Põhjatuuled sung in Võro. Traditional lyrics, sung by Lepaseree.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yfcb00gMYCY
Mille puhkva põhjatuulõ
Lõõdsutava lõunatuulõ
Puhkva velle vete pääle
Imä latsi lainetellõ
Vihmakõnõ vellekene
Saarõkõnõ sõsarakõnõ
Ära minno hämmetägu
Tehku likõs latsekõista
Kastku kuiva karjalasta
Ole-i kotu, kon ma kuio
Ole-i tarrõ, kon tahene
Ole-i esä tarre teinu
Velli palki veeretanu
Kodu kuiva kuusõ alla
Tarõ tammelehe alla.
Mul ol' väiku vellekene
Tinarinda til'lukõnõ
Naksi tarre tegemaie
Tuanurka nukõrdama
Tegi tarõ taivaade
Elo ilma veere pääle
Maja marjavarrõ pääle
Pani kuu korstenassa
Hago ette akenassa
Päiva pääle katusõssa
Pani tähe tii viirde
Säiti usse undsõ poole.

► Show Spoiler

Why are the north winds blowing,
The south winds whistling,
Blowing brother out into the water,
Mother's child out onto the waves?
Dear rain, little brother,
Dear drizzle, little sister,
Don't let me get wet,
Soak the little child,
Water the dry herding child.
There's no home where I can dry off,
No dwelling where I can settle down.
Father hasn't build the house,
Brother hasn't rolled the logs
Of a dry home under the firs
Or a house under an oak leaf.
I had a little brother,
Such a tiny little one.
He started building a house,
Started working in the corner.
He built the house into the sky,
Made a life on the world's edge,
A home on the stem of a berry bush.
He set the moon as the chimney,
Branches as the windows,
The sun as the roof,
Put a star by the side of the road,
And a door towards the fog.

[vijayjohn]

Herero a.k.a. Helelo or Otjiherero is a Bantu language of the Kavango - Southwest Bantu group spoken in Namibia, somewhat closely related to Oshiwambo, which is the most widely spoken indigenous language in Namibia. This is a song in Herero by a band named Ovikango called "Ally." More specifically, I'm guessing that it's in the Central Herero variety:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebI68An0aoY

[Linguaphile]

Eijõ, a lullaby in Livonian, sung by Julgī Stalte and the group Tuļļi Lum.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry5aZnlYTOY
Piškizt īrõd, sūrõd īrõd,
Tūogid lapsõn ūnda jūr.
Le'bbõ tubā, le'bbõ kǭmaŗ,
le'bbõ lemmõ lēbaǭ'j.

Eijõ, eijõ, eijõ-eijõ! (4x)

I'llõ ällõ pǟnalīzõ,
Neiku ruņtšõn algõ nǟg!
Ku tēg ät tūo ūnda jūsõ,
Ruņtš siz jāmstab pǟkiz mō'z.

Eijõ, eijõ, eijõ-eijõ! (4x)

Piškizt īrõd, sūrõd īrõd,
Tūogid lapsõn ūnda jūr.
Le'bbõ tubā, le'bbõ kǭmaŗ,
le'bbõ lemmõ lēbaǭ'j.

Eijõ, eijõ, eijõ-eijõ! (4x)

► Show Spoiler

Small mice, big mice,
Bring some sleep to the child,
Through the room, through the chamber,
through the warm bread oven.

Eijõ*, eijõ, eijõ-eijõ! (4x)

Swing above the headrest,
And don't look at the cat!**
If you do not bring sleep,
Then the cat will bite your head off.

Eijõ, eijõ, eijõ-eijõ! (4x)

Small mice, big mice,
Bring some sleep to the child,
Through the room, through the chamber,
through the warm bread oven.

Eijõ, eijõ, eijõ-eijõ! (4x)

*Eijõ is a word used in lullabies to lull a baby to sleep (no real translation).
**I am not sure about the translation of the first two lines of the second stanza, but I think it is something like this.

[vijayjohn]

There are a few varieties of Central Italian spoken in the Italian region of Umbria, just north of Lazio and west of Marche. This is a song that's apparently in one of those varieties (I'm not sure which one) called "L'invito," apparently filmed seven years ago and sung by a (children's?) choir called "Coro Aurora Bastia Umbra PG":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La9G3uqvwLc

[vijayjohn]

This is a song in Romani that I first heard several years ago, but I've never been sure which variety it's in, which country it's from, or what most of the lyrics are/mean, nor do I have any idea who the singer is. It's called "Me tut kamav," which means 'I love you'. I think it may be from either Hungary or Slovakia, and perhaps it's in Carpathian/Romungro Romani, the same language one of my thesis advisor's great-grandfathers spoke natively:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hb8Oa3cUWIQ
There is a hymn with the same title and tune but completely different lyrics by Ricardo Kwiek, who appears to have written several original hymns in some variety of Romani (Polish Romani?) and who I'm guessing is a relative of Janusz Kwiek.

[opipik]

Tangkhul is a Sino-Tibetan language in an eponymous branch spoken in Manipur, India.
This song is called "Chonchon Itangwui" and it's sung by an unknown singer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTT7zRAmgeE

[vijayjohn]

A few days ago, while looking for the last song I posted here last night, I happened to stumble across this pop song, in the same language and with the same name. This one is in Lovari and by two singers named Aranka and Edvin; however, I'm still not sure what country it's from. I can understand almost all of it, most of it effortlessly. It's a pretty straightforward love song but with a style that's apparently inspired by Bollywood:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWC4e2nBvtQ
Phen mange te žanav,
Tell me so I know,
Phen mange t' atjarav
Tell me so I understand
Ke vi Tu man kames. (2)
That you love me, too.
Ašun, šej, so kamav!
Listen, young lady, to what I want!
Muro jilo Tuke dav
I'm giving you my heart
Ke vi me Tut kamav. (2)
Because I love you, too.
And'e sune dikhav Tu.
I see you in my ("the") dream.
And'o jilo igrav Tu
I play(?) you in my heart
Ke vi me Tut kamav. (2)
Because I love you, too.
Ašun me so kamav!
Listen to what I want!
Muro tràjo Tuke dav
I'm giving you my life
Ke vi Tu man kames. (2)
Because you love me, too.

Me phenav sar Tut kamav:
I'm telling you how I love you:
Bi tjiro našti kamav
I can't love without you
Ke vi me Tut kamav;
Because I love you, too;
Zorales Tut kamav.
I love you dearly ("strongly").
Mangav Tu atjar ma;
I want you (to) understand me;
Mangav Tu žutjar ma
I want you (to) help(?) me
Ke me sa jekh kamav
Because I suddenly(?) want
Tuke me te phenav.
To tell you.

So kames te phenes,
Whatever you want to say,
Phen me te ašunav!
Tell me so I hear!
Muro jilo dukhal.
My heart is hurting.
Mangav Tu atjar man.
I want you (to) understand me.
Atjarav so kames.
I understand what you want.
Šaj aves; mangàves.
You can come; I've been wanting you to(?).
O tràjo amaro
Our lives ("life")
Khetanes si šinado.
Are destined to be ("is destined") together.

[Linguaphile]

Sadā, Vīmõ sung in Livonian. Traditional lyrics, sung by Skandinieki .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFiyrI-agy4
Sadā, vīmõ, ī'd stuņḑ, līgõ, līgõ,
Alā sadā amā pǟva, līgõ, līgõ!
Sadā, vīmõ, ī'd pǟva, līgõ, līgõ,
Alā sadā amā nädīļ, līgõ, līgõ!
Sadā, vīmõ, ī'd nädīļ, līgõ, līgõ,
Alā sadā amā sõ'v, līgõ, līgõ!
Sadā, vīmõ, ī'd stuņḑ, līgõ, līgõ,
Alā sadā amā pǟva, līgõ, līgõ!

► Show Spoiler

Come down, rain, for only one hour, līgõ, līgõ,
Do not come down for the entire day, līgõ, līgõ!
Come down, rain, for only one day, līgõ, līgõ,
Do not come down for the entire week, līgõ, līgõ!
Come down, rain, for only one week, līgõ, līgõ
Do not come down for the entire summer, līgõ, līgõ!
Come down, rain, for only one hour, līgõ, līgõ,
Do not come down for the entire day, līgõ, līgõ!

[atalarikt]

Rukai is an Austronesian language of the Formosan branch spoken by the Rukai people of Taiwan. It consists of six dialects; Budai, Labuan, Maga, Mantauran, Tanan, and Tona, all of which have varying degrees of mutual intelligibility. Many linguists also consider Rukai the oldest Austronesian language to have split from Proto-Austronesian.
This song, which I believe is titled Sanakasalrusu/當你相信/When You Believe, is about the Rukai villages devastated by typhoon Morakot in 2009 (a description of a trip to these villages can be read here).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VclaQ7niNJE

[vijayjohn]

Modenese is a variety of the Emilian dialect group spoken in Emilia, i.e. in the western part of the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. It's spoken in the Province of Modena, to the west of the Province of Bologna. This is a folk song in Modenese called "La Mariulèina," performed at a concert on May 2, 2015 (so about three years ago):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKnrqdKJ_hQ

[h34]

The song in the background is by Ас Ненгат / Обские девушки (The Ob Girls). Their nationality is Khanty but this song is in Mansi. According to the video description, the title is simply Песня oбских девушек, Ob Girls' Song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJBTZfDDfwM
http://youtu.be/QddPWzD_alk

[Linguaphile]

Sadulmoi sung in Votic (Votian). Traditional lyrics, sung by Mari Kalkun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_tv-pBpsRM
Lähzin kotont kulkõmaa, sadulmoi sadu zelennoi sadu,
väräjiltä veeremää,
izää uuvvõssaa tuvassaa,
velloo koossa korikiass.
Lähzin miä vaa läpi tšülää,
läpi uuvvõõ kuuvvõõ linnaa.
Lein miä jalgani tšiveesee,
varpaa lein miä vahtõrpuhõõ.
Issuzin maalõõ itkõõmaa.
Tuli maama palvomaa –
em mennüd maamaa palvotšillõ.
Tuli taatta võttamaa –
em mennüt taataa kutsutšillõ.
Tuli vello võttamaa,
pani parii õpõissa ettee,
ettee se emäõpõizõ,
tagaa tammaa varzukkõizõõ.
Issuzin miä velloo rekkee,
silmät silkillä sitõlin,
jalgõt katõin kankahallõ.
Oroi johsi, matka joutu,
reki liuku, tee lüheeni.

► Show Spoiler

I went wandering from home, sadulmoi sadu zelennoi sadu*
from my father’s new room,
from my brother’s high home,
I walked straight through the village,
walked through six new cities,
hit my foot against a stone,
hit my toe against a maple tree,
sat down on the ground to cry,
Mother came to plead with me,
I didn’t answer Mother’s pleadings,
Father came to take me with him,
I didn’t answer Father’s calling,
a youth came to take me with him,
Put a pair of horses in front,
mother mare right at the front,
the foal he fixed behind her.
Sat down in my young man’s sledge,
I tied silk before my eyes,
covered up my feet with carpets,
the horse ran on, we travelled on,
the sledge swept on,
the road grew shorter.

*sadulmoi sadu zelennoi sadu, which repeats at the end of every line, is a refrain without meaning. Different singers use variations of the refrain, such as oi sadu sadu selennoi sadu or saadul mois saadul seedenna saadu. Presumably it started out as a Russian phrase about "green gardens" that has become distorted by Votic singers who repeated the sounds, in some cases without knowing the meaning (this happened frequently with Estonian folk songs as well, usually with German phrases).