Cool stuff Friday

While researching for my Ireland project I came across this Irish band who incorporates a lot of African drumming and culture. Also, I think this video is cool because it's like traveling around the whole world within 4 minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dmh1cZQuXk



Another thing I crossed was this competition in Europe called Euro vision. Right now it's huge all across Europe and I'm not sure of all of the details, but It's interesting to me to watch the popular music of other countries. Also, a lot of the entries were in English, and I the one below the first is a Russian finalist who sang English as his second language, which made me truly wonder how much of an accent we have when we sing at recitals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvVSaMjmdPQ&feature=PlayList&p=340AB2921456862B&playnext=1&index=13 (the first two minutes share a couple clips from this year)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XR5xrU02yo
(I really really do not know what to think about this one)Also, I thought it was interesting that most of it was sung from the floor, and he's barefoot. As an English speaker it just sounds slightly off. I wonder if it sounds normal to Russians because it's sung as a second language. Watching the video agian, It's interesting to have an entire male cast upfront with only females in background. Quite opposite to American standards. A Blog talking about it.

This another entry, and although it's from Norway and we haven't covered it, I think that it's absolutely fascinating to keep watch all of these entries in English that are done as a second language. Their variation on it is just so foreign to me, and just when I think everything has been done, the men start the song in falsetto.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8wjcMus_m4&feature=related
I suppose that it's just like English opera where sometimes one can still not understand it even though it's their native tongue.
Also, I think that Euro vision can only be compared to American Idol, because the country's are similar in size to the states, and in my opinion have their country's pride, while still enjoying the unity of Europe.
While listening to this last piece it sounds very American, but while watching it one can really tell it's not. I believe it's from Serbia, which I had to look on a map to find. (two countries above Greece)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3-j8Nrl_XI&NR=1