Today, I have something special for you. Tomorrow, we will celebrate our Luxembourgish National Holiday (Nationalfeierdag). Traditionally, there will be fireworks, parades and a lot of live music. I put together a playlist with 30something songs made in Luxembourg.
Our National Holiday used to be our monarch’s birthday. Up until the 60s it was celebrated in January. But because of the cold weather (imagine that!) the festivities were moved to June 23rd. Now, this date is no guarantee for good weather. This year, summer hasn’t arrived yet. It’s unseasonably cold and wet, and yet it is very damp outside too.
Luxembourgish people are said to be stand-offish, at the same time most of us are very tolerant and open. We are known to switch from our native language to French or German within a sentence. And around the world Luxembourg is also (falsely) known for its wealth. I say falsely, because the cost of living and rents or mortgages are very high here. Based on our salary (compared to other countries) we appear to be rich, but we are not. Like everywhere in the world there is 1% that is richer than the majority of the country. We have the same issues with substance abuse and homelessness than other countries. And the alcohol consumption over here is way above average compared to other countries. And yet, we are a good bunch of people, I think. We have a rich cultural diversity. With many places to visit and lots to learn. Which brings me back to the playlist I am sharing with you today.
The genres of music in Luxembourg are as divers as the citizens of this beautiful country Grand-Duchy. In this playlist you can find songs I personally like. They are in English and in Luxembourgish. It’s a bit of a weird language if you never heard it, and as I’ve been told it is pretty hard to learn too. But, it’s what I speak every day.
Once in a while, I am asked why I never write poetry in my mother tongue. Honestly, I find it very difficult to find the right words to convey what I want to say in my language. It’s easier in English, at least for me it is. That said, in the playlist are two songs I wrote the lyrics for – both in English (of course). Should I reveal which ones or should I let you guess? Followers of the blog may remember them because I posted them before. Years ago. Okay, I’ll tell you. It’s Run Baby Run, and Little Girl. They were written a lifetime ago. Long before I really started writing poetry and prose. Long before I found my own voice. Maybe you can hear my whisper in them though.
No whispers but my loud and clear voice can be found in my upcoming release Fire & Rain. It was added to the BNL – Bibliothèque Nationale du Luxembourg (National Library of Luxembourg). A couple of copies have been pre-ordered, thank you for that. Two were given away to close friends. If you want your copy, let me know.
Have a great weekend, listen to some music, read some poetry. Be kind and happy. I am here all weekend if you fancy a chat. Did you ever hear of Luxembourg before? What are the things you heard and do you want to know if they are true?
reflections of an unquiet mind 
Like many, I probably have an idealized vision of little countries like Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Andorra, San Marino and Monaco, imagining they’re relatively trouble-free with little, if any, political strife or cultural tension. But knowing how there can be tension and strife among even small groups of 10-20 people, on a more intellectual level I realize that even tiny nations with relatively small populations still experience troubles, just like larger nations.
I will check out your playlist later when I have time.
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You are right, we have the same issues as large countries and politically, things are shifting in a more conservative way – something I dislike very much.
Thank you for checking the playlist when time allows it. xoxo
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Seems people are trending rightward throughout the world. Very troubling indeed.
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Finally had time to listen to your Made in Luxembourg playlist, and I honestly like most of them. You and I have similar tastes in music. There’s a lot of great music talent in Luxembourg, and some acts sound like they could be from America or the UK.
I especially like “High Low” by Edwin Aldin & Charlotte Bridge, “To Die Among Strangers” and “One Lion’s Roar” by ROME, “Summertime” by De La Mancha, “Matter Now” by Drife, “Hold On” by Blue Room, the two by Daniel Balthasar, the two by T42, and “DNCNG” by Raftside. I’ve saved your playlist.
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I adore Blue Room. Daniel Balthasar is their guitar, but only does backing vocals in Blue Room. I like your choice of songs too 🙂 Thank you for listening 🙂
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