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Adele's Hit Song Hello: Original and Swahili Version

Lionel Richie wrote a song called “Hello” in 1983, a year after leaving the Commodores.  The theme of sadness is similar to the new song by Adele, written by her and…

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By Tom Schnabel • Dec 30, 2015 • 1 min read

Lionel Richie wrote a song called “Hello” in 1983, a year after leaving the Commodores. The theme of sadness is similar to the new song by Adele, written by her and Greg Kurstin, who we know from the group The Bird and the Bee. The lyrics of the two songs, however, are different. There is another less-known version, in Swahili no less. It is by a young Kenyan singer named Dela. Music spreads faster than wildfire these days. It is a beautiful, touching song the resonates with us all, and there will probably be other versions of it as well. Here are the three songs on youtube. Lionel Richie: Adele in a recent live version: [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfG6VKnjrVw[/youtube] Here is Kenyan singer Dela’s Swahili version: [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yScs35vwEhc[/youtube] And, if you’re one of the thousand who hasn’t seen the inevitable mashup (duh, like me), here you go: [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUjvaMWKeBI[/youtube]

  • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

    Tom Schnabel

    host of KCRW’s Rhythm Planet

    Music NewsRhythm PlanetWorld MusicBest New Music