Cultural Appreciation: The Blending of Languages in Music

My childhood was filled with music.

Mum sang her heart out everywhere in the house, whether she was in the living room watching TV, in the kitchen while she was cooking or singing me to sleep. I knew she was in an especially good mood when I heard her sing, and it made me happy too.

I always used to joke with her that she should apply for The Voice: Ahla Sawt. Most of my mum’s side of the family love to sing and they are also very good.

Arabic music was a staple in our household and as children, my sister and I were introduced to all the legends including my dad’s favourite singers Umm Kulthum and Fairuz as well as Kazem El Saher.

Sadly, I’m not fluent in Arabic but that’s never stopped me from trying to sing songs like Burtogala by Alaa Saad or Aah W Noss by Nancy Ajram. I always tried to speak to my parents in our mother tongue of Sureth (Assyrian language) as often as I could, though it was hard.

There are many Assyrian and Arabic poets, and it’s no surprise as these languages have a romantic tone to them. Mum would often ask me if there was an English phrase for something she said in Arabic and Sureth and I often couldn’t think of an English translation. When you intertwine words with music, you get the most beautiful partnership.

My love of music has never gone further than being a hobby, but I have carried it into my adulthood as I am now part of a pop choir.

When you are part of a choir, you are part of a community; it doesn’t matter what your singing ability is, where you are from, what career you have, whether you are single, in a relationship or married, whether you are old, young or in the middle - everyone is embraced. We bring out the best in each other when our voices unite.

In the lyrical world, no one is left out.

Listening to songs that blend languages and cultures together gives me the same feeling as being part of a choir.

When Arabic singers collaborate with Spanish or Indian artists, for example, the sounds produced are joyful.

From what I’ve seen, the Arabic music industry produces emotive and dramatic music videos that tell multiple stories. It’s like each one is a mini episode of a TV drama. When two or more languages and cultures come together, it transforms what was already a beautiful melody into a powerful and euphoric sound.

I’ve recently been listening to Que Sera Sera (Law Nekba Sawa) by Lebanese singer Hiba Tawaji and Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi. Their voices and languages complement each other beautifully and I love it.

More recently, Palestinian-Chilean singer Elyanna collaborated with Coldplay on a song called We Pray; another song I love. Reggaetón Lento by former American Latin boy band CNCO and Little Mix is also one of my favourite songs to listen to.

While doing research for this article I’ve taken a trip down memory lane and rediscovered some classics along this theme. Enrique Iglesias’s Subeme la Radio went through various collaborations from Cuban singers Descemer Bueno and Zion & Lennox to English X Factor winner Matt Terry and Jamaican rapper Sean Paul.

In the 90s, 7 Seconds was sung by Swedish rapper and singer Neneh Cherry and Sengalese singer-songwriter Youssou N'Dour, who sang in French, English and the West African language of Wolof.

For me, it’s not just about bringing different languages together in a song, it’s the way cultures are embraced through music that really makes me burst with joy.

I hope this continues to become a trend in the music industry because when we embrace each other, we create magnificent art that can never be forgotten and that is always so important, but particularly right now.

In conclusion: