apskarp
145 posts
Mar 31, 2010
12:13 AM
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There was a lot of discussions earlier about the origins of a blues and whether it is authentic blues if somebody that isn't an afro-american plays the blues etc. While that discussion had different viewpoints and opinions about the matter, one thing wasn't touched very much in those discussions. That's the language we sing the blues songs.
Of course most of the blues singers and writers use the english language, as this is the "original" language that was used in the US. I know that nowadays there are also many blues artists eg. in Africa who uses their native language.
As I personally made a decision to start writing the songs in finnish, this is an interesting topic for me. I know that this thing separates opinions and at least here in Finland people usually find it awkward to hear blues sang in finnish. Many people think that it doesn't sound right, when sang in finnish. People might even think that the words of some blues songs will sound very naive when translated in finnish.
I hope that this attitude will start to change. Propably there are some bad translations of some blues standards that have caused people to make their minds about non-english blues, but that's not the whole story. When arranging songs to some other language one has to be careful about how it sounds and sometimes it means making big compromises in the original meaning of the lyrics. I f.ex. try to just get the innermost meaning of the song and then build a whole song again in finnish. Still, most of my songs are my own and that really makes it a lot easier.
My philosophy here is that blues is very therapeutic music. Not only the music, the hooks and the rhythms are important, but also the words. This is why I think it would be best to write the songs in the native language of the composer - and this is especially true if that is the native language of your audience too! Sure, the intonation and the rhythms are different in different languages (especially if the language isn't a close relative of english), but that doesn't mean it can't be good then! Quite contrary, I think it gives a unique feeling of that culture. (There are few songs in finnish if you'd like to listen: www.myspace.com/hoodoosauna)
So I'd like to hear your thought around this. Do you think it is a good thing to adapt the Blues to your own culture and language?
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MrVerylongusername
1033 posts
Mar 31, 2010
2:04 AM
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Yes.
In my opinion, as far as creative arts are concerned, there are no rules whatsoever, play what you want, when you want and how you want. Otherwise where's the creativity? How will the artform progress and evolve? 'Rules' and self-appointed guardians of whatever culture just box you in. Think about the recent storm in a teacup over 'tone'. Adam was spot on when he said there is no such thing as good tone and bad tone; it is all a matter of opinion and context.
Art (like it or not) has a context; it says something about the time, place and culture it was created in. The blues is no longer created solely in the Deep South or Chicago. It is no longer played (almost) exclusively by black musicians or for an (almost) exclusively black audience. If there were real, enforceable rules about who could play blues music and how they did it, the blues would be an almost insignificant sub-genre of 'world music'. As localised and specialised as, say, Indonesian Gamelan or Tuvan throat singing.
Blues is global, alive and evolving.
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KingoBad
230 posts
Mar 31, 2010
5:45 AM
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I think the only real problem in translating the lyrics is losing the meter of the lyrics. The timing and delivery of the lyrics has as much to do with the song as the instrumental music does. Translations with differently metered words tend to interrupt the flow of the song. Listen to Son House sing without instrumental accompaniment(like Grinnin' in Your Face). The voice has a rhythm. Now listen him sing a song with guitar(pick any). The song would not be the same without the vocal delivery.
I think it is the same if you intend to translate and play traditional songs. They will not sound traditional, simply because you are missing the important meter of the lyrics (unless you are very careful). This isn't necessarily all bad, because you might come up with something even better. It just won't be the same.
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apskarp
146 posts
Mar 31, 2010
11:38 AM
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Yes, that's very true with translations. That's why it would be better to just try to capture something from the original but not try to translate it. But then when one writes new songs, it is different too. It doesn't sound like english songs just because the language is different itself. The subtleties in pronounciation, where the emphasis and rhythm is in the words etc. This is why some people don't like f.ex. finnish blues songs.
I'm really happy that some people told me after the last weekends gig that they changed their opinion that blues can't be sang in finnish. It can, it's just a bit different, but not necessarily in a bad way..
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walterharp
287 posts
Mar 31, 2010
11:51 AM
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yeah, and nobody who has always lived in the Southern US can understand the blues that you get when the sun NEVER comes up ALL winter :-)
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apskarp
147 posts
Mar 31, 2010
10:53 PM
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That's a good point walterharp! :-)
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nacoran
1539 posts
Apr 01, 2010
3:55 PM
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I wonder if phonically there are words used more in particular styles of music. It would probably take a huge study to find out, but maybe just using the right type of alliteration or whatever, in any particular language, would make it sound more 'correct'...
Blues is a lot about meaning. If you can translate the meaning or write your own stuff with meaning I can't see how you can go wrong.
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Nate
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bluemoose
156 posts
Apr 01, 2010
4:46 PM
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Hummmm....blues songs written in Java. I wonder.....???
Na. Wouldn't work. You'd have to do it old school in Fortran. (That's the way LW would have done it.)
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nacoran
1542 posts
Apr 01, 2010
11:44 PM
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Bluemoose- I'm a big fan of playing Basic blues. Q-Basic in a pinch.
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Nate
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Bluzdude46
574 posts
Apr 02, 2010
11:17 AM
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How do you say "That mean ol' Baby done run off with my Cadillac" in Finnish?
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The Original Downtown Philadelphia Fatman... Accept No substitutes!
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apskarp
148 posts
Apr 02, 2010
11:28 AM
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Depends on the rhythm, but if we'll leave that unconsidered it could be: "Se paha muija livisti mun Cadillacillain" ;)
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