Why don't you sing with a accent when singing in a different language?

Question

Why don't you sing with a accent when singing in a different language, but when speaking a different language there is an definate accent?

Answer 1

In my experience people are more likely to sing in the common accent of the language of the song- many non-native English speakers sing songs from the US with an American accent; I sing Spanish songs with a Spanish accent, Italian songs with an Italian accent etc.
If you mean that their native accent doesn't seem noticeable I think that's because when you sing you're mimicking the sounds you hear, whereas when you speak a foreign language you're improvising, not just repeating what you've heard.
Having said that, if you have a good enough accent in the language you're speaking then it shouldn't really be noticeable then either.

Answer 2

Most modern British pop is sung with an american accent regardless of the origin.
There are a few exceptions, such as The Proclaimers, who sing in their native accent.
But I would say that Johnny Foreigner will sing in English with his own accent, e.g., French (I would state an example, but nothing prominent springs to mind).

Answer 3

The Proclaimers did quite well singing in theid broad Scottish accent. 5 Hundred miles! What a rock classic that was!!!!

Answer 4

sorry to disagree but you do. I lived on the continent for several years and accents were obvious in singing, unless the singer is completely fluent in another language, which in the music world you dont have to be!

Answer 5

Abba used to sing with an accent.

Answer 6

Cerys Matthews sings with a definite Welsh accent, and Charles Aznavour really sounded French.

Answer 7

It's the chord and dis-chord of the music that breaks down the tonal difference perceived when speech is put to music, The same happens with regional accents

Answer 8

I think it's because when we talk in a foreign language we're improvising what we're going to say, and we resort to the sounds we're familiar with, making us sound no native in that language. however, when we sing, we're repeating over and over again the same sounds, and practice makes perfect, it gets to a point where we are capable of repeating the sound in exactly the same way it's said.

Answer 9

its hard enough to talk in a foreign accent (especially as I'm from Nooooorfolk!) let alone sing!

Answer 10

because you don't speak with an "accent" either.there is a definite accent when speaking, right, but not the...native one.so you can't sing as a native nor speak as a native.