While surfing the great wide blog-o-sphere and beyond, I came across Whitney + Heather’s Rookie Mom’s blog and the post “Change your radio station to one you can’t understand”. Whitney + Heather agree that parents should play music of other languages to their babies. They recommend Manu Chao’s Proxima Estación: Esperanza (I dig Manu Chao too).

But you don’t have to have kiddos to change the station and inject some fresh flavor into your listening environment. I often listen to music in other languages and it sparks my creativity. I wonder what’s being said. I wonder how these saucy musicians met. I wonder if they live lives as sexy as their music sounds. Listening this way allows me to FEEL the music in ways that I can’t when I understand what is being said.

Belbel Gilberto’s sultry and sexy Portuguese on Tanto Tempo, is breezy and beautiful.  Her voice blends sweetly with the bassanova melodies making ME feel like the Girl from Ipenema! Another fav of mine is 8 1/2 Souvenir’s Happy Feet, with tracks in Italian, French and English.

Why shake up your mundane musical mix? Because adding some international flair is another way of opening up your soul. Spirit speaks its own language. It’s more subtle and endearing than the language of words. Spirit speaks in symbols and synchronicities. Dreams, daydreams, journaling, doodling, painting, scrap booking (or collaging as I do), playing in the sand, coloring, visiting an art gallery, walking in the park, being in nature, listening to soul-ful music, all are ways to access and nurture your spirit.

Why not hop on iTunes, peruse your favorite local independent music joint, or pop on a set of headphones at Borders and begin investigating a lil’ flavor and funk? Open up your ears. Open up your eyes. Open up your heart, your soul, your mind. Sit back and relax. Or get up and rumba. Whateva’s cleva ya’ll. Just move! Be inspired. Live it up.

What music stirs your soul?

Lil’ bit funky, lil’ bit Rock & Roll,
K-to-the-K