Editor’s Note: This story is part of the Global Ties Kalamazoo series published by Knight Life News. From Feb. 12-16, related content can be found on our website, Instagram and Facebook.
Music varies greatly from country to country. Most Americans have the fault of ignoring the existence of other countries in favor of their own sphere of English speaking music. I requested some band/artist recommendations from the Global Ties Kzoo Youth Ambassadors and have rated and compiled them in this list.
Turma de Pagode: 9/10.
Great music, lovely instrumentals. Vocals are great but I knocked it down a point due to some occasional choppiness. I really enjoyed the feeling of this. The music was happy and fun, which has become somewhat rare in modern English-language music.
Kamisa 10: 7/10.
Again, very light and happy music. Definitely added a few songs to my personal playlist. Similar vibes to Turma de Pagode, but that is not a bad thing. I found the vocals to be better than most others on the list, but the instrumentals seemed to be a bit off key on occasion. Probably the best vocals from this list.
Grupo Menos e Mais: 7/10.
Not my personal favourite type of music, but I can’t deny the talent behind it. You can hear the effort put into the chords and into the singing. It has an incredible flow and is objectively the best put together music on this list. The only reason that it was knocked down is because I personally did not enjoy it.
Anitta: 9/10.
If the other songs made me aware of the difference between American and Brazilian music, Anitta made me aware of the similarities. I feel some of her songs would be able to be played on an American pop radio and not be remotely out of place, save for the language barrier. It was genuinely the most enjoyable listening experience on this list, and I would recommend her music to anyone looking for new music.
Music has countless varieties, and restricting yourself to a narrow slice of it seems a terrible idea. You should explore all that you can get your hands on. I found myself adding several songs to my playlist, and I think you should consider expanding your music tastes into other languages as well.
