Zifansky

After discovering a new found love for Duolingo, as well as continuing my normal modes of language study and training, I have discovered that I am now apparently more fluent in Russian than I am in German. And apparently, the same goes for Italian instead of French... This is all news to me. 

So if I had to summarise my spoken, written and understood linguistic abilities, I would probably put them in this order* (*not including my native English of course): 

1. Russian  2. German  3. Spanish  4. Serbo-Croatian/Bosnian/Montenegrin   5. Italian  6. French  7. Hebrew   8. Dutch  9. Ukrainian 10. Polish  11. Portuguese 12. Swedish  13. Danish  14. Turkish 15. Hungarian 

It’s been a long time since I wrote something about my favourite music at the moment. My music taste has been slated, and appreciated, by friends and family, but to be honest, there’s only one person I need to please with my taste in music - and that’s me. 

So, without further ado, here are my current favourites (+ countries of origin). 

(Links included where possible).

The songs are not set in a particular order. 

MAX BARSKIH - TUMANI / МАКС БАРСКИХ - ТУМАНЫ (UKRAINE)

Max Barskih had a fantastic 2016, which ended up with him being chosen as Ukraine’s number 1 musician by Ukrainian radio audiences. Barskih’s video for his number 1 song “Tumani” (meaning “Fogs”), is partnered in his video, which has received over 8 million views since its publication in December 2016, with the song “Navernaya” (Maybe). Barskih is extremely popular in his native Ukraine as well as in amongst other Russian-speaking audiences in the Russian Federation, Belarus, the Baltic states and the Caucuses. 

INNA - GIMME GIMME (ROMANIA)

Inna performs in up to five languages (English, Romanian, Spanish, French and Arabic) and a number of different styles, from electro-pop to reggae to dance. She is quite possibly one of the most versatile performers out there and her music videos are nearly always uplifting, colourful and passionate.  

ALVARO SOLER - SOFIA (SPAIN)

Alvaro Soler has quickly become one of my personal favourite singer-songwriters. Aside from being a multilingual (which goes down very well with me), his Spanish-language songs are relaxing, easy to listen to, cheerful and bring me mentally to a beach in Barcelona on a warm evening in August. No wonder, then, that his debut album is called Eterno Agosto (Eternal August). Soler served as a judge on the Italian version of the X Factor in 2016, becoming the winning judge of the series with his protégé(s), the band Soul System. 

EDIS - DUDAK (TURKEY)

I won’t pretend to know an awful lot about the Turkish music scene, but I do know that I am a big fan of a lot of Turkish musicians. Irem Derici, Murat Dalkiliç and Ayshe are three of my four favourites. Then there is also Edis. So far, I am yet to hear an Edis song I do not like. “Benim Ol” (“Be Mine”), the dramatic “Olmamış mı” and his most recent, “Dudak” (“Lip”) are the three I listen to the most often. The dance routine in “Olmamış mı” (“Is it not?”) is the most impressive one he does, in my opinion, but I’ve linked “Dudak” here, because... he’s on a bridge. And bridges are more important than dance routines. Always.

 MARINA MAXIMILIAN BLUMIN - EFES SAVLANUT (ISRAEL)

Marina Maximilian Blumin is insane - and it’s great. Sometimes singing in Hebrew, sometimes howling in Russian, and sometimes a bit of both in English. If you want to see any of her work, I highly recommend her collaboration with Loco Hot “Nadlan” or her own, “Efes Savlanut” (Zero Patience). 

BALBINA - DIE REGENWOLKE (GERMANY)

If there was a woman here to challenge the craziness of Marina Maximilian, Balbina could be the one. Mix Lady Gaga’s style choices with the solemnness of Lana Del Rey and the wordplay of Shakespeare (albeit it, a German variant), Balbina’s (real name Balbina Monika Jagielska) songs are authentic, thought-provoking and somewhat bizarre. “Die Regenwolke” (“The Raincloud”) is the latest of her released music, but if you enjoy it I would also recommend “Nichtstun” (“Doing Nothing”) and “Langsam Langsamer” (“Slowly Slower”). 

[from Langsam Langsamer]

“Dinge die, Dinge Dinge die, dringend sind, machen sich, wichtig; obwohl die nicht, wichtig sind. Was dringend ist, ist lange noch nicht wichtig...” 

SHAKIRA FT. MALUMA - CHANTAJE (COLOMBIA)

Can Shakira do anything wrong? The answer is “no”, which in Spanish, means “no”. Here, she teams up with up and coming Colombian star, Maluma, in quite a sexy (of course it’s sexy, because Shakira), music video about Blackmail. (Chantaje is the Spanish word for that). To be honest, you need not think too carefully about it. Someone is blackmailing someone with their love, Shakira has a pet pig that she takes to the store with her, Maluma fancies Shakira (of course he fancies Shakira, because Shakira) and Shakira’s hips continue telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Just watch it now. Of course I’ve linked it here for you. Because Shakira. 

KENDJI GIRAC - LES YEUX DE LA MAMA (FRANCE)

Kendji Girac rose to fame thanks to his appearance on and subsequent victory in La plus belle voix, the French version of The Voice. After his initial blind audition when he performed Maître Gims’s Bella, during which only Coach Mika turned his seat, Kendji went on to win the series and begin what should be a very successful career for him. 

His origins are fascinating: he comes from a Catalan ‘gitano’ (gypsy) family - his first language is Catalan, not French - and he performs songs in a musical style that pays homage to his gypsy roots. Other than the beautiful song I mention here, Les yeux de la mama (“The eyes of the mother”), other great songs of his include “Cool”, “Color Gitano” (a bilingual French-Spanish song) and “Andalouse”. 

I wanted to quickly mention four of my favourite songs/artists at the moment. As per usual, the list is international, multilingual and cross-genre. The songs are from Germany, Turkey, Israel and Ukraine. 

Lena (of Eurovision 2010 fame) has really matured since her days of singing ‘Satellite’, and you can hear it in the sound of her music. 

A-WA, an Israeli band consisting of three sisters of Yemenite, Moroccan and Ukrainian Jewish origin, have collaborated with LOCO HOT to create this mesmerising, neon video called “I’m A Tribe”. Released by Ape Records, October 2016. 

I really like Edis, his songs always seem to be catchy, despite being in a language I do not understand (Turkish).