Where to Next - Sing it, Madonna!

I was going to do a nice, splashy pic filled post about where I'll be off to next, but then I thought I'd just let Madonna tell you. She's a little more eloquent than me and perhaps has a better voice. Perhaps.... (although I thought she did a great job at the Super Bowl. She's having a concert at Yankee Stadium on my birthday. Should I go?)

That's right..I'm headed to Argentina!

I'll be learning a lot about Eva Peron in Buenos Aires. She was a performer, First Lady of Argentina, a suffragist, and a politician popular with the working class Argentines. I'm looking forward to learning more about her in Buenos Aires at the museum dedicated to her.

So, Husband J and I will be off to Argentina in a few weeks. We'll be spending most of our time in Buenos Aires. We'll also be heading down to Patagonia to see some big chunks of ice. :)

Buenos Aires - It's often called the Paris of South America

Perito Moreno Glacier

I had really wanted to head over to Mendoza, which is Argentina's wine country, but it just wasn't going to work. Internal flights in Argentina are not cheap. :( With Argentina being the 8th largest country in the world in terms of area (it's BIG), I figured that we needed to defray costs by only going to one other part of Argentina. Perhaps Mendoza and Iguazu Falls next time?

Has anyone been to Argentina, specifically Buenos Aires and Patagonia (We'll only be in El Calafate)? If so, I'd love it if you gave me some of your recommendations of places that you liked during your visit, especially food related ones. I'm making my own list, but I love hearing others' suggestions. Also anyone have a favorite Argentinian Malbec?

Is there any aspect of Argentine culture that interests you? Gauchos? Tango? Good steak? Soccer/Football? Let me know in the comments section, and I'll be sure to take pics or write about it in future posts.

Buenos Aires; Perito Moreno

Travel Challenge, Day 9 - A Favorite Song from Another Country/Language

Day 9, A song you like from another country/language

This was much easier than yesterday's prompt. :)

I feel like this Travel Challenge is turning into "Let me tell you about South Africa...."

Anyhoo, this music reminds me of my time there. Mafikizolo is/was a popular South African group that had a few big hits when I was living there. They sing in Zulu, and their music can be called kwaito, which is a generic name for urban electronic music influenced by life in South Africa's townships. It's definitely a distant cousin of American hip-hop.

The name of this song is "Ndihamba Nawe" which literally means "I walk with you." After some research, I found out that the smoother translation means "I choose you." Awwwwwww!!

Here's the song:






They had another big hit, "Marabi".

I actually learned a little bit of Xhosa, the one with the clicks that is very similar to Zulu (if you can speak either language, you can usually communicate in the other). In the little Zulu/Xhosa I can make out, I do know this:

Marabi is a form of indigenous South African jazz, and this song resembles that style.

umtwana = child

eGoli = Johannesburg. It is actually directly translated as "City of Gold." Many Black South Africans, who came to Jo'burg to mine its gold and diamond mines, called it eGoli.

Are there any songs from another language or culture that resonate with you?