A Sampling of Asian and African Music

5 Mar

I promised “her”:http://melissamaples.com/ an Asian music mix — but added some of my favourite African artistes.

*Playlist*
Ornob — She Je Boshe Ache (Bangladeshi/Bengali)
Cao Ge — Fall In Love (Mandarin)
Cao Ge — Zhu Guang Wan Chan (Mandarin)
Machi — Machi (Hokkien/Min Nan)
Amadou et Mariam — M’ bifé
Ali Farka Touré — Savane

I don’t really know what languages the last two are in — I’m deaf to French and African languages (besides, the Touré album had at least four different African languages). I’ve been having a brief but passionate love affair with several musicians from Mali. Amadou et Mariam, and Ali Farka Touré are among my favourites (Tinariwen is the other one). There’s very little Mandarin music I like (other than David Tao; find the rest of them too screechy), but I’ve really come to like Gary Cao Ge, thanks to some friends in Kuala Lumpur. I’m half Hokkien, so Machi feeds my secret desires to reconcile with that part of who I am.

I’ve been listening to “She Je Boshe Ache” at least twenty times a day. It’s a beautiful tune in the Bengali language (I’m teaching myself Bengali). “She Je Boshe Ache” was a huge hit in Bangladesh, and for good reason. In addition to the beautiful tune, the lyrics are amazing too. The title means “She’s sitting there”.

“shey je boshe aachhe eka eka/ rongeen shopno taar bunte/ shey je cheye aachhe bhoraa chokhe/ jaanalaar phaake megh dhorte” — that person is sitting alone, (something) dream (something something), that person wants (something) big eyes, beside the window catching clouds. (Satya: you can help me with my Bengali!) But of course I’m just biased towards everything “Dui Bangla”:http://popagandhi.com/361/amar-shonar-bangla/. The song is also about my long drives through that beautiful country, how a big part of who I am now had to do with my time there, the beautiful Bangla music, chasing my dreams through the countryside. Everyone should hear it.

“Download the mix here”:http://popagandhi.com/asianafrican.zip.

possibly related

Old Music Thursday: No English Today /My City /Old Music Thursday: Monsoon Music /Music in 2005 /If I Were A Parent /
  • Mahfuz Imam
    Here is my attempt to translate She Je Boshe Ache. May I suggest the 2nd song Shagorer Pare by the same artist (Black is the name of the band)? The composition and lyrics both are outstanding. I have been wanting to contact the artist and thank him for creating such a piece of music.
    Now here goes.

    Shey (she) je boshe (sitting) aachhe eka eka (alone)
    She is sitting there alone, all by herself
    rongeen (colorful) shopno (dream) taar (her) bunte (to spin)
    To spin her colorful dreams
    shey je cheye (staring) aachhe bhoraa (full) chokhe (eyes)
    She is staring with her full eyes
    jaanalaar (window) phaake (openings) megh (cloud) dhorte (catch)
    To catch the clouds through the window
    taar goon goon (humming) moner (soul) gaan (song) baatashe (in the air) ore (flys)
    Humming of her soul-song flys in the air
    kaan (ear) paato (carefully) mone (mind) paabe (can) shuntey (hear)
    Listen carefully, you can hear it in your heart
    taar ronger (color) tulir (brushe’s) naache (dance) megheraa (clouds) chhote (run)
    The clouds run wild for her paint brushe’s dance
    chokh (eye) melo (open) jodi (if) paaro (you can) bujhte (understand)
    Open your eyes if you can comprehend

    shey je boshe aachhe eka eka
    taar shopner (dream’s) kaarkhaana (factory) cholche (running)
    Her factory of dreams is running
    aar (and) buro (old) buro megheder (cloud’s) dol (team, flock)
    And the flock of old old clouds
    brishti (rain) namaar (coming down) taal (proposal) toolchhe (raising)
    Raising proposal to bring down rain

    shei (that) goon goon moner (mind’s, soul’s) gaan (song) brishti (rain) namaae (brings down)
    That humming of soul-song brings down rain
    top (drip) top photaa (drop) pore (falls) onekkhon (long time)
    Drip Drip, rain drops for a long while
    shei brishti bhejaa (wet) mone (soul) daak (call) diyechhe (give)
    That rain soaked soul has called
    bhejaa kaak (crow) hoye (be) thaak amaar (my) mon (mind)
    May my mind be a wet crow.
  • dunno you lah! can't even get you to have coffee with me, how to bring you to india?
  • thanks for the mix!
    when are u bringing me to india?!
  • Hey you, downloaded the songs a few days back but only had time to listen now. Really liking it, so thank you thank you :)
  • rohit
    that bengali song.. it translates to:

    there she sits alone/ spinning a web of colourful dreams/ the dreams that fill her eyes/ as she catches the clouds through the slits in the window"

    thats the rough translation i think..lol..not too sure..(: would love to hear the song..havent heard Ornob..
  • absolutelt
    Downloaded the mix and have been listening to She Je Boshe Ache on repeat for the past three days or so. It's gorgeous. Thanks!
  • nAL
    On a totally unrelated note, are you Movie Mama?
  • Nice recommendations!

    Alternating it with American Idol songs, Rachael Yamagata and the Rent OST.

    Vielen Dank!
  • b
    how about thai?

    This song by sek loso is good. Sip-see eek-krung (14 again).
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5yFFaq3aQ0

    b
  • Girl, you're the best. I have this stuff on perpetual repeat. I owe you one.
  • pod
    love the bengali song
  • I got one! Rongeen probably means the same as the Hindi 'rangeen', colourful. So line #2 is now "colourful dreams (something) (something)".
  • never mind. i just realised you put it down in the post.
  • Hi Popagandhi,
    thanks for sharing the mix. what do the lyrics to She Je Boshe Ache mean? It's a beautiful song.
  • hellsbel
    gambatte! I hope you get the translation of the lyrics up because, now it is on MY repeat....

    She Je Boshe Ache - awesome - thanks. :)
  • yandao
    Been trying to re-acquaint myself with Mandopop myself. Thanx for the recommendation, will check out David Tao and Cao Ge. Any female artists to recommend?
  • I like Amadou et Mariam too!

    Thanks for sharing the mix.
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