Music Transcends Language
Ways that music narrows the distance between cultures
Music plays a big role in many people’s lives. From pop to classical music, everyone has their preferences.
Top music lists are no longer confined to songs in English, and often consist of popular songs from foreign countries. In many cases, people can enjoy songs in languages that they don’t understand themselves. This is a great example of how music transcends the boundaries of language.
Another example of how music transcends language is through translated songs. One of the most translated songs in the world is Amazing Grace. It has been translated into over 60 different languages including Zulu, Mandarin, Farsi, Filipino, and Arabic. Through these many translations, the meaning of the whole song is kept very similarly and faithful to the original that was first published in 1779.
Another song that has been translated many times is a very popular Christmas tune, Silent Night. It has been translated into over 100 different languages (originally in German as “Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht”).
In addition, Happy Birthday To You has been identified by the Guinness World Record as the most recognized English song, and has been translated into more than 30 languages!
A recent study by Harvard suggests that people can identify different types of songs, regardless of cultural origins. They included participants from 60 different countries, and they listened to 14-second excerpts of songs from 90 small societies around the world. Despite the participants’ unfamiliarity with the cultures, they were able to reliably infer what the song was used for (for example — dancing, soothing babies, healing illness, expressing love, etc.).
As a music therapist, I work with clients from varying backgrounds, and sometimes I don’t necessarily know the language that they speak. However, this doesn’t stop me from sharing the experiences of music-making with them. I have had clients sing a song in their native language as they recognize it, some who have taken the words out and vocalized with me, and others who played instruments to join in the process.
Music narrows the distance between cultures and brings people together regardless of backgrounds, and that is one of the many reasons why music so powerful for all humans, regardless of background or culture!
References
Reuell, P. (2018, January 26). Songs in the key of humanity. Retrieved from https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/01/music-may-transcend-cultural-boundaries-to-become-universally-human/
Day Translations. (2018, May 8). The Most Translated Songs of All Time. Retrieved from https://www.daytranslations.com/blog/the-most-translated-songs-of-all-time/
