World Music Songs for Weddings

Romantic Songs from Around the Globe

By Megan Romer, About.com Guide

 

World music fans often find themselves in a bit of a jam when they're planning the music for their wedding - they want to express their unique taste in music, but also want to keep the music sweet and romantic. These ten songs will surely add a touch of romance, as well as some fabulous global flavor, to your wedding.

Samite - 'Ngwino Rukundo'

"Come, come my love, may you live forever..."

This tearjerkingly sweet number from Ugandan musician Samite is hard to resist. Though it was recorded in the mid-90s (the heyday of overly synth-y Afropop), Samite kept it simple and acoustic, and the result is a timeless love song with great African rhythms and bilingual lyrics.

 

Sara Tavares - 'One Love'

"I know we'll understand each other if we speak love..."

There's a fine line between sweet and ooey-gooey, and Sara Tavares knows exactly how to stay on the correct side of that line. Bouncing back and forth between English and Portuguese, the lyrics are genuinely romantic and delivered with just enough sexiness to make them real. The tempo is great for medium-slow dancing, and the rhythms will add a beachy tone to your reception.

 

Bob Marley - 'Mellow Mood'

"I've got love, darlin', love sweet love, darlin'"

"Mellow Mood" is, in my opinion, the most romantic song Bob Marley ever wrote, and possibly one of the greatest reggae songs of all time. It definitely borders on the sultry, but it's still plenty Grandma-friendly.

 

Edith Piaf - 'La Vie en Rose'

"Quand il me prend dans ses bras, il me parle tout bas, je vois la vie en rose" (When he holds me in his arms, he speaks very low, I see life as rose-colored)

Ah, Edith Piaf. Though true love evaded her for most of her tragic life, she could still deliver it musically. "La Vie en Rose" is practically the gold standard of love songs and, in my humble opinion, should absolutely make an aural appearance at every wedding.

 

Paolo Conte - 'Via Con Me'

"It's wonderful, it's wonderful, it's wonderful, I dream of you. Chips, chips. Do-do-do-do-do."

This quirky little love song always seems to make an appearance in European romantic comedies (which are less romantic and more comedic than American ones, methinks), but definitely adds a darkly sweet European flavor to any occasion. The swingy beat is great for dancing, too.

 

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World'

"The dreams that you dream of, dreams really do come true."

Even the most hard-hearted romance-hater has a hard time resisting this modern classic from Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, even if they won't admit it. It's pretty much just plain beautiful. This one would make a great first wedding dance song, especially since unlike many of the songs on this list, you'll hear it frequently enough to say, "Aww, honey, it's our song!" It's a wedding, people, you're allowed to be a little bit sappy.

 

Yungchen Lhamo - 'Happiness Is...'

I don't speak the Tibetan language, but I've been told by people who know these sorts of things that this song is, lyrically, kind of Charlie Brown-meets-Zen Buddhism. Yungchen Lhamo's voice is quite haunting, but very beautiful, and would make a really nice addition to the soundtrack of a global-themed wedding.

 

Balfa Brothers - 'Parlez-Nous a Boire'

"Parlez-nous a boire, et pas de mariage; toujours en regrettant nos jolis temps passes" (Talk to us about drinking, not about marriage; we'll always be missing the good times we had.)

A major hallmark of Cajun culture is a wry sense of humor, which is probably why "Parlez-Nous a Boire" has been a staple at Cajun weddings for decades. The song pokes light-hearted fun at marriage, from beginning to end. It's pretty funny (and totally harmless), and if you have a naughty sense of humor yourself, it'll balance out the sappy-sweet songs. Plus, it's a great dance tune, so hopefully it'll get everyone out of their seats.

 

Ladysmith Black Mambazo - 'Hello My Baby'

"Hey, baby, hey... Hey, beautiful girl."

Ladysmith Black Mambazo primarily perform gospel and other holy music, but a lot of people would argue that love songs are pretty sacred as well... especially when they've heard this doozy! Unless you're advanced in the practice of finding the beat, you might not want to make this one your first dance, simply because it's a cappella and it changes tempo mid-tune. It's totally sweet, though, and really has that classic Ladysmith sound, so it's definitely worth adding to the roster.

 

Jay Ungar & Molly Mason - 'The Lovers' Waltz'

Jay Ungar is perhaps best known for his composition "Ashokan Farewell", which provided the softly intense background music for the Ken Burns documentary The Civil War. "The Lovers' Waltz", though wordless, has a similar feeling, but with an ethereal strain of romance running through it. It takes a great composer to make an instrumental tune so emotive, and Ungar is definitely that. With elements of folk, celtic music and Cajun music, this tune would make a great first (or last) waltz.

 

 

XOXO

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