Flavors from around the world

 I find that listening to music enhances just about every activity - preparing dinner, walking to work, creating embroidery and even cleaning the bathroom.  As someone in a Disney film said, just hum a little tune.  Increasingly, I find that I am reading and writing, which isn't compatible with listening to most music.  I get distracted singing along to Erasure or trying to decipher the lyrics from songs by The National.  Between what I'm reading or writing and what I'm hearing, there are to many words in my head. Clearly, I don't own enough instrumental music. 

But I have found something that works just as well: music sung in a foreign language.  It provides the background, but I don't get caught up on the lyrics, as I don't another language well enough to really try.  Seeking out music from around the world has opened ... well a whole new world of sounds and expressions of emotion. 

Here are some (there are many more, it was hard to whittle down a list that fits on a single CD) of my favorites.

1. Me Llaman Calle - Manu Chao
2. M'bifé - Amadou & Mariam
3. Dikiy Muzhchina - Leningrad
4. Vilaines Filles, Mauvais Garcons - Stereo Total
5. Barra Barra - Rachid Taha
6. Gamen (Vulture) - Garmarna
7. I'm Coming - Rain
8. Bole Chudiyan - from the movie Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham
9. Keyrum Yfir Ísland - Sprengjuhöllin
10. Podemos Hacernos Daño - Juanes
11. Hong Mo Fang - Jay Chou
12. Sin Documentos - Julieta Venegas
13. Yalla Chant - Natacha Atlas
14. Seeing Hands - Dengue Fever
15. Her og nu - Aud Wilken
16. 催眠 - Faye Wong
17. À L'ombre De La Lune - Françoise Hardy
18. Yer Bounda Fara - Ali Farka Touré
19. Um Tom - Caetano Veloso
20. Zhaoderen Nana - Hanggai
21. Phonobaloon Song - Takako MineKawa