An English-speaking all-time chart as always - Music

purple

gussteivi wrote:

So why is it then that Amalia Rodrigues is completely unknown to pretty much everyone (notice I said "pretty much everybody", not everybody) here?

notice how you actually said "pretty much everyone"

gussteivi

purple wrote:

notice how you actually said "pretty much everyone"

I've never been so ashamed in my life.

Norman Bates

Gender: Male
Age: 51
Location: Paris, France

gussteivi wrote:

So why is it then that Amalia Rodrigues is completely unknown to pretty much everyone (notice I said "pretty much everybody", not everybody) here?

I can think of these reasons :

- Amalia Rodrigues did not sing in English (not enough, e.g.: Sigur Ros)
- She sang at a time when albums were not the industry canon (not enough, e.g.: Robert Johnson)
- Compilations by non-English speaking old artists did not hit the English-speaking world in a big way (probably not enough, can't think of an example)
- Fado was never introduced into popular American music (unlike bossa nova, for instance)

When you put all these together; it seems to me Rodrigues stands a better chance of being generally unknown than known. By the way, I'm no specialist either. I own one compilation (that I bought in Lisbon, at Amalia Record Store, just saying cause I have particular tenderness for this CD).

gussteivi

Norman Bates wrote:

I can think of these reasons :

- Amalia Rodrigues did not sing in English (not enough, e.g.: Sigur Ros)
- She sang at a time when albums were not the industry canon (not enough, e.g.: Robert Johnson)
- Compilations by non-English speaking old artists did not hit the English-speaking world in a big way (probably not enough, can't think of an example)
- Fado was never introduced into popular American music (unlike bossa nova, for instance)

When you put all these together; it seems to me Rodrigues stands a better chance of being generally unknown than known. By the way, I'm no specialist either. I own one compilation (that I bought in Lisbon, at Amalia Record Store, just saying cause I have particular tenderness for this CD).

Based on your arguments one can indeed understand that she isn't in, say, the top 200 or even 300, but to go from that to the reality that is that only three charts feature an Amalia Rodrigues album is quite a leap.

Because as you said yourself, she is Portugal's best known singer, and quite "archetypical".

And I'm glad you like her music too Smile

Kiki

Did Kate Bush ever sing in anything but English? Confused

I think she did on a b-side once or twice. I suppose that is why she appears on so many charts because the people posting them are ignorant of non-english singers... although maybe it is just because she is one of the greatest singers ever.

Yeah, I'll go with the last one. Smile

alelsupreme
Awful.

Gender: Male
Age: 27

artists pre 50's just aren't that known on here, with obvious exceptions (Robert Johnson, Frank Sinatra)

Error Finn

Gender: Male
Age: 54
Location: Finland

gussteivi wrote:

Based on your arguments one can indeed understand that she isn't in, say, the top 200 or even 300, but to go from that to the reality that is that only three charts feature an Amalia Rodrigues album is quite a leap.

Because as you said yourself, she is Portugal's best known singer, and quite "archetypical".

And I'm glad you like her music too Smile

On November 27, 2011, Fado was inscribed in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists
Contents

How about Elis Regina? Regina is widely regarded as the best Brazilian singer of all times by many critics, musicians, and commentators. Did she sing in languages other than its own - the Portuguese language? I like her style of singing so much!
_________________
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNGpsnTCUXM

Hayden

Location: CDMX

I like how this guy has only posted once, and has caused a giant argument with a sentence. Laughing

Norman Bates

Gender: Male
Age: 51
Location: Paris, France

Hayden wrote:

I like how this guy has only posted once, and has caused a giant argument with a sentence. Laughing

Well, it's interesting I think.

As far as Regina is concerned, I think bossa nova was introduced in the English-speaking world (mainly the USA) in the 60s, but most notably as a vehicle for American pop singers (I'm thinking about the Sinatra/Jobim LP), or if the singers sang partly in English (Astrud Gilberto). I don't think that Portuguese-only bossa singers were very successful.

I realize I'm basing this on very few examples, it's just a theory, I'm probably completely wrong.

Error Finn

Gender: Male
Age: 54
Location: Finland

Norman Bates wrote:

Well, it's interesting I think.

As far as Regina is concerned, I think bossa nova was introduced in the English-speaking world (mainly the USA) in the 60s, but most notably as a vehicle for American pop singers (I'm thinking about the Sinatra/Jobim LP), or if the singers sang partly in English (Astrud Gilberto). I don't think that Portuguese-only bossa singers were very successful.

I realize I'm basing this on very few examples, it's just a theory, I'm probably completely wrong.

You are not wrong in relation to bossa nova. Bossa Nova was a popular music from around the world shortly before the "beatleboom" happened. Even in Finland, was recorded bossanova. Only a few could do it well ... I heard some claim that composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim songs played on the radio would be the second highest, only Lennon-McCartney above! Who believes .. bossa nova is fairly relaxed, and intuitive. Friendship with jazz popularized them all. The Girl from Ipanema / Garota de Ipanema is famous in both languages, fortunately.
_________________
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNGpsnTCUXM