Camille - Le Festin

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The more time has passed for my blog, the more you will begin to notice how much I love different cultures. While I mainly post American music, I have so many different languages in my iTunes library that you will be seeing plenty of foreign songs posted throughout the year. I just post more American songs because, in comparison, the number of American songs I have far surpasses that of other-culture music. What I appreciate about American music is that it has so many different genres, it creates subcultures within American music. For example, indie music and rap music are completely different in style, rhythm, instrumentation, and even lyrics. They may originate from the same country, but each seems to have invented its own culture. It truly is amazing. I believe the variety makes it much easier for people to find an American music genre that fits them. There's plenty to chose from!

Despite having so many genres within America, I still feel it is necessary to venture out into other countries' music and hear what they have to offer. Besides the overall style which often reflects traditional sounds of that country, hearing a song in another language is an amazing experience. When you don't speak or understand the language, it is almost as if you are hearing instrumental music. You appreciate the melody, the rhythm, the instruments, but the meaning behind the song is up to your imagination (until you look up the translation of course). While you are hearing it, you should also pay attention to the pronunciations and the words themselves. Sometimes you may find words from your own language that are the same. Another benefit of listening to foreign music is if you ever plan on learning that language, listening to the music can help you; as you sing along, you are practicing with a native speaker and improving your skill. There are plenty of languages out there and plenty of songs that include them. Try picking a country one day and see if you end up liking a language or style you have never heard before!

Today's song is a French song called "Le Festin". It is a very upbeat, happy song sung by French singer Camille. It has a modern feel but is also mixed with classic French instrumentation. I always found French to be a very nice, yet difficult language. But because I like to give all languages a chance, I challenged myself to learn the lyrics of this song a while back; I succeeded, for the most part, and to this day it's the most French that I can speak. Part of my ancestry can be traced back to France, so it is nice to know when I am singing "Le Festin", I am speaking the language of part of my heritage. I challenge you to find a song that relates to your heritage and learn to sing in that language (if it is different than your own). And if your ancestors have always spoken your language, then maybe just find an old folk song that means a lot to your culture and learn that. It is a wonderful experience to connect to your past through the magic of music!

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