Rate-A-Record: My New Favorite ‘World Music’ Songs from Your Suggestions

There were a lot to choose from

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Earlier this month, I did a story on my favorite songs in a language I don’t speak (or understand). As my command of even my native tongue is tenuous at best, there should have been many to choose from. However, my clear provincialism combined with blocking off nine hours every day exclusively for Springsteen revealed a massive hole in my musical exposure.

At the end of that piece, I asked for suggestions to broaden my worldview and you responded, both in the comments and with similar articles (apparently anything can become a prompt). For the past several days I have been roaming about, singing at the top of my lungs in languages I don’t understand; some of the looks I’ve gotten from a few abuelas at the store do make me wonder if the lyrics translate to “I’d like to slap your uncle with a demonic flounder,” but none have challenged me yet.

Since it’s been nearly two weeks since my last Rate-A-Record story, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to share my three new favorite songs while also getting your rating of each. As I’ve said in previous installments, this madness began with a story/prompt from noted troublemaker Terry Barr, who took the premise from the old American Bandstand segment of the same name in which…