Today’s daily helping comes from the country of Kyrgyzstan, a country I know literally nothing about. If I’m being honest, before today, I probably couldn’t have picked it out on a map. Which is exactly why I chose it. To learn more about places and cultures I know nothing about. And after a quick Google search, I landed on “Life Goes On” by Aidana Deka, although I needed the help of Google Translate for both of those names because they’re written in Kyrgyz on YouTube. In fact, that was what drew me to this song in the first place.
Of course, I should say up front, I like this song. It’s a fun pop song for a Friday night, and Aidana Deka’s voice is perfectly lovely. But what I loved the most was listening to the lyrics. Obviously, I don’t speak Kyrgyz, so I have no idea what she’s singing about. But I also realized as I listened that I was hearing a brand new language for the first time. Brand new to me, I should clarify. For example, I don’t speak German, but I know what German sounds like. Same thing for Korean, Hindi, Arabic, and all of the other languages I’ve had exposure to over the years. I may not understand them, but I can recognize them. Kyrgyz, however, is a completely new language to me, and it was a fascinating experience hearing it for the first time. Especially in a pop song.
So there you have it. My traditional Friday night song choice, but this time with a linguistic twist. I don’t think I will ever stop being amazed at the things I learn through the Daily Hart.
Suggestions for artists I should check out? Please contact me with your ideas. I hope you enjoyed your daily helping of art!
