Africa Brasil

Some songs don’t need you to understand a single word to fall in love with them. Taj Mahal by Jorge Ben Jor is a perfect example. It’s the rhythm, the infectious guitar, the percussion and, above all, the voice. There’s an almost effortless happiness to the whole thing. It’s ridiculously catchy, and I find myself getting carried along by it every time. I think it’s a lovely reminder that language barriers don’t really mean much when it comes to music. You don’t necessarily need to understand what’s being sung to appreciate the feeling behind it. Sometimes the melody and the delivery say everything you need to know. Of course, most people will probably recognise it through Rod Stewart’s Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?, which famously borrowed from the song. But, as is the case with plenty of music, the most popular version will never necessarily be my favourite. I’ll take the original every time.