I’m not someone who listens to commercial music, preferring to seek out musicians who have their own sound. Here are ten female singers from around the world who don’t just sing beautifully, but use their voice expressively and/or as an instrument in its own right.
Spanish: Estrella Morente – Coquinas (live)
South African: Miriam Makeba – Amampondo
Native American: Ulali – Mother
Hawaiian: Rose Moe – Mai Kai No Kauai
Ethiopian: Aster Aweke – Tizita
American: Joanna Newsom – Colleen
Scottish: Cocteau Twins – Heaven or Las Vegas
New Zealander: Kimbra – Settle Down
French: Nouvelle Vague – Too Drunk to Fuck
American: Janelle Monáe – Violet Stars Happy Hunting!
Music can be so powerful, can’t it? Who would you have added to this list? I eagerly await your recommendations and suggestions!
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Dear old Cocteau Twins…
I must admit, I’d have been a bit more mainstream, and gone for:
Mamma Cass
Janis Joplin
Polly Harvey (does she still go by PJ?)
Amy Ray (Indigo Girls)
Kate Bush (who else would have had the sheer front to release their debut single in an almost unlistenably high register?)
Tori Amos
Liz Phair
and, of course, the First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald. Sometimes people are megastars for a reason …
Oh, and, by the by, I just noticed your sidebar with That Quote from JSM. Word.
\m/
I can’t believe I didn’t think of Kate Bush! Especially considering how the song Wuthering Heights came to mind — but I was thinking of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain’s cover: do you know it?
And Ella’s scatting in Blue Skies should have made it… #LaurenFail
As for the others, I will have to check them out. Part two? Fancy doing a guest post?!
Wow…I’m getting old…I still listen to Mama Cass and Janis, and a few others… Miriam Mikeba, Ulali (of course!), Nouvelle Vague and Janelle Monae all are good…Kimbra is the one that really got my attention though…That was intense. Yael Naim is another one that got my attention recently with that “She Was a Boy” song…Interesting lyrics! One of the things I love about this blog is you’re always coming up with new things and never stuck in a box! Have a great week!
It’s a pleasure to have a friend as cool as you are.
How mutual the feeling is, love xx
Here are a few that come to mind!
Lykke Li
Lisa Gerrard
Diamonda Galas
The Knife
Cool!! Thank you! I like Lykke Li.
Yma Sumac…also Diamanda Galas. Yma sadly passed on ..five octave vocal range…
Thanks, Malcolm! I just discovered Yma, she’s great, isn’t she?