What's some of your favorite music from non-English-speaking countries?

Italian opera!

And much more besides, from classical music of India to folk music of Scotland, but that would top my list.

Blof’s song Dansen aan Zee! This clip features Belgian singer Sarah Bettens. And if you just want to cry, Sarah singing it with an orchestra backing her up here will do it every time.

Chura Liya.

What Will Be?

I like a lot of this chill-out/lounge Indian music.

I’m with Jeruba… I love both; French and Italian Opera!

From Belgium, Selah Sue.

Mayane – la mare aux connards (France)
She’s so cute.

Alif Tree.
La Lune Foncee.
French Lounge/Chill-out.

I really enjoyed Pauline ‘s music when I was in France a few years back… The song in the clip was number 1 over there at the time and on the radio the whole time, but I subsequently bought and enjoyed the whole album.

EDIT – I adore this too! In English, but from Finnish metal band Sonata Artica. I once had the privilage of performing this on stage with the lead singer at the Sheffield Arena in front of about 4000 people, that was so much fun!

A Punjabi artist named Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

A traditional Irish band called Altan

A West African singer from Benin named Angelique Kidjo

Edith Piaf..swoonsome.

Peste Noire from France. Raw, sarcastic and filthy black metal. Famine is fucking insane, but he’s a brilliant musician. Dueil Angoisseus
Kroda from Ukraine. Folk-Black Metal. None of that “wooo look at us, we’re so kooky! Clean AND harsh vocals?! That’s never been done before!” kind of thing. Earthy and natural, yet still metal. Cry to me, River
Darkthrone and Burzum from Norway.
That’s about it I suppose.

@Kayak8, very nice. I found the lyrics here, with translation.

Also enjoying your selections, @8Convulsions, @Michael_Huntington, and others. As Peter Schickele says, “If it sounds good, it is good.”

France. I love Edith Piaf and Jacques Brel.

Sigur Ross
Bjork-speaks English but in a very thick Icelandic accent

I really love Scandinavian music, which I initially discovered through Viking Metal. But here’s some Swedish bands I really love, Nordman and Hel.

And I always love me some German Industrial. Das Ich

I listen to a ton of Ukrainian pop music. My keyboard is broken, so excuse my inability to make pretty links.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WsTtW7VlCk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7gJhegAboU&list=FLg3OHwF9j9CDrES532kozSg&index=37

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmbALBwd7JI&list=FLg3OHwF9j9CDrES532kozSg&index=53 [My personal favorite, he’s so funny.]

This band is from Russia, and they have been broken up for a while.. but I like them a lot. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wxq9q5hfBg&list=FLg3OHwF9j9CDrES532kozSg&index=18

Scotish and Irish folklore.

@Hibernate Irish folk music rocks. :)

I listen to a ton of Spanish pop and dance music. Some of the artists are crossover here in the states like Shakira, Marta Sanchez, Paulina Rubio, Mecano.

I like Andrea Bocelli for Italian classical and opera. Also Il Divo for a more popular opera sound.

Mostly rock and mostly from Asian countries but here goes…

Japanese (I could go on for hours about Japanese music but I’ll keep it short): NUMBER GIRL, Shiina Ringo, Supercar, eastern youth, Happy End
Chinese: Carsick Cars, P.K. 14, New Pants, Hedgehog (who upon watching this video I realized played here in NY a month ago and I’m so sad that I missed them)
Filipino: Eraserheads, Parokya ni Edgar, Up Dharma Down, Rivermaya, Asin

There are all sorts of other odds and ends too, like some Korean, Portugese, and French songs I like, but these are the three non-English countries whose music I’m most familiar with. You can also browse around my Last.fm page for more if you become interested / desperate / bored, since a good chunk of what I listen to is non-English.

Sigur Ros. Icelandic verbal language is like, pure elf style.

Русские: Некоторые из русских рэперов, например Гуф
Russians: Some of Russian rappers like Guf

France: MC Solaar, the king of French rappers
Indochine, a French new wave band
Louise Attaque, indie/folk rock
IAM, old school French rap

I’m a big fan of Rachid Taha as well, but I’m not sure if he counts for Algeria or France! :) He’s Algerian born, lives in France now (I’m pretty sure), and sings in Arabic, French, and English.

One of my favorite groups ever is Tabla Beat Science , a super group of virtuoso South Asian musicians including Zakir Hussain and Sultan Khan. I think they only recorded two albums, one studio album and a double-CD live set, but they are golden.

French music especially… Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin… and Edith Piaf of course

Stromae. A french hip hop artist.