For a long time, I was thinking about doing a blog or a book or something called, "Brazilian Music for the Non-Portuguese Speaker." I'd always considered it advantageous to not be bogged down with understanding a song's lyrics. Because of the way songs are written, every language has grammar rules that, even unintentionally, affect the sound of the melodies that accompany them. For example, not understanding the language would give you no preconceptions about when a phrase would end--this makes melodies (and harmonies) sound mysterious. They say jazz is the sound of surprise, and a song in an impenetrable language can contain the same magic; it can go anywhere, and it often sounds as though it does.
This is the first time I’ve really grasped the magic and beauty of not understanding what the words mean… I’m still lyrics-forward but you’ve made a strong case for the language of surprise!
This is the first time I’ve really grasped the magic and beauty of not understanding what the words mean… I’m still lyrics-forward but you’ve made a strong case for the language of surprise!