The Universal Language

For decades, humanity has been searching for a universal language of communication that transcends borders and serves as a unifying force for the different nationalities inhabiting our beloved planet Earth. Such was the determination that a new artificial language, Esperanto, was created with the noble intention of becoming the common international language. Throughout different periods in history, dominant nations have imposed their language as a means of exchange and commerce, starting with Latin in the Roman Empire. Currently, the English language is the most widespread, although Chinese closely follows it in terms of the number of speakers, leading in terms of native language. However, Spanish surpasses English in the number of speakers as a first language.

In this Tower of Babel, few have realized that the universal language has existed since time immemorial and is present in our lives every day. It is the language of MUSIC. Those harmoniously arranged scribbles on a musical staff do not understand languages, nations, or flags. Their meaning is the same in any corner of the planet; it is our common homeland that unites us all regardless of race, creed, or ideology. Examples such as the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, a Jew-Palestinian project promoted by Daniel Barenboim and philosopher Edward Said, bear witness to this.

But the language of music goes even further; it enriches us through exchange and opens our minds to experiences beyond our territorial boundaries. Opera is a heritage of all humanity, but so is Rock & Roll. Flamenco has conquered Asia and millennia-old cultures like the Japanese. Zarzuela is making its way in the United States, where it has become an increasingly popular genre. Even vocal music, even if we lack knowledge of the language in which it is performed, is capable of conveying the same emotions because the spirit of the message resides in the music. How can we not be moved when we hear a Stabat Mater Dolorosa, an Ave Maria, or a Requiem? How can we not experience the bitterness of Canio in "Ridi, Pagliaccio" or the rage of the Queen of the Night in "Der Hölle Rache" from The Magic Flute?

The process that begins with a manuscript or sheet music found in an archive, its careful transcription and preparation, and finally its performance in a rehearsal or concert hall is a marvelous experience, especially when you know that the music you hold in your hands has not been heard or performed for decades or even centuries. But above all, we are talking about an act of communication, of hearing the voices of composers from other eras, places, and cultures that reach us clearly and vividly through the skill and artistry of musicians. The hypothesis presented in Steven Spielberg's movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which chooses MUSIC precisely as the means of communication with a supposed extraterrestrial intelligence, makes perfect sense and reinforces the idea that music is undoubtedly the universal language.