Fly Air Canada
Air Canada is currently running a particularly moving commercial with people all over the world painting airplanes in the air with their fingers. What makes the song moving is, of course, the music. This track was difficult to track down. The lyrics of song are in a language I don’t know. The tittle El Vuelo is Spanish for The Flight, which is rather fitting for the commercial. The lyrics though, are definitely not in Spanish (I’m learning Spanish, slowly). One fellow over at YouTube is quite adamant that the language is Quechua. Quechua is a native language of Peru; the language of the Incas, to be more precise, the people who build Machu Picchu. I heard some Quechua while I was in Peru last year, and it is quite possible that the lyrics of this tune are in Quechua, but I can’t confirm this for sure.
Another detail that made this track difficult to track down is that its a cover. The song was originally written by Hughes De Courson, a classical composer. This is not his the original version, which was recorded by Fernando Lima on his 2007 album Pasion
Enjoy!
1Bruce Mannheim
wrote on 25 April 2009 at 18:27
The song is in Quechua, sung (in 1960) by y young girl from Huancavelica. It appears on John Cohen’s wonderful collection, *Mountain Music of Peru*, Smithsonian Folkways 40020 (disc one, cut 2).
Regards,
Bruce Mannheim
Professor of Anthropology
University of Michigan
2marilyn
wrote on 26 April 2009 at 13:14
Thank you for the info Bruce!
3billy
wrote on 27 April 2009 at 19:27
I also read it may be hungarian. wikipedia says of Hughes de Courson: “He had help recording this piece from Plovdiv’s Children’s Choir, of Hungary”
4Pvt.Parts
wrote on 1 May 2009 at 19:12
It was all made in Hungaria, but theses were song from all kind of languages.
5P. Traum
wrote on 11 May 2009 at 20:55
The song was also chosen to be included on the Voyager Interstellar Record, a collection of music compiled for a special LP that was attached to the Voyager space craft. The record came with instructions (in a scientific/mathematical coded language) that it was hoped could be deciphered by any advanced intelligent civilization that might find the probe billions of years from now, when the Voyager probe had traveled outside our solar system. Presuming the aliens of the future had ears – or the alien equivalent – with which to listen, they could hear a representative, multicultural sample of Earth’s music from the record. I think it was a project of Carl Sagan’s.
6marilyn
wrote on 11 May 2009 at 22:50
That’s pretty neat P. Traum! I had no idea, but the Wiki has all sorts of info on this Voyager Interstellar Record: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_Golden_Record. I’m going to have to look into this record and see what other music might be out there representing our planet!
7rolf
wrote on 12 May 2009 at 23:19
I thought Plovdiv is in Bulgaria, never mind, the voices are beautiful. The tune in general has a ‘Asian’ influence and the language could be Japanese. I have heard Japanese children sing and the soloist is convincing. Oh well, i did enjoy it. All in all lovely music to soothe a aching Soul.
8j
wrote on 13 May 2009 at 1:44
anyone know where to download a ringtone with the same version that is on the commercial??
thanks
9Socrat
wrote on 18 May 2009 at 13:04
Hey people
Im the boy who is singing the song but it was before 10 years ago 
Im Bulgarian but the lyrics is not bulgarian.I remember that when I was recording this song the producer tells me that it have to be a sad song because the boy in the song is lost his parents and now he wanna find them:) I was surpised when I saw the advertisement because nobody tells me anything :X but anyway Im glad that you like it 
it will be great if after 10 years I finally understand for sure the lyrics of this song 
When the chorus is singing is english,but i dont know for sure which is the language from my part 
I thought that is japanese but obviously its not.Im from Plovdiv 
this city is in Bulgaria not Hungary :X:X:X