Hello friends, and welcome to Music Mondays!
Speaking of Mondays...
There are multiple signs you're long overdue for some time off. If you work all day and then go home and think about work some more, it's unquestionably time to take a break. And while I highly recommend to immediately book a flight to Cuba, walk down Quinta Avenida, buy one of Cuba's finest cigars, and fill up on aged rums and coconuts, I also know that this is not very realistic.
Unfortunately, most of us don't have the time and money to take a relaxing vacation. I'm not trying to kill your vibe here, quite the opposite. That's why I made this playlist for you guys, with my favourite songs to avoid stress and burnout. So here goes nothing. Enjoy my first playlist.
1. Paseo en un sueño - Isaac Sasson
"Paseo en un sueño", is a song that reflects a dream that begins in the village of El Hatillo and ends at dawn in the hills of Caicaguana. The main theme is a beautiful flute melody played by Tomasito Garcia.
2. Canción para mi familia, Venezuela - Isaac Sasson
"Canción para mi familia, Venezuela" begins, with Isaac singing "esta melodia es especial para mi mamá, dedicada a mis abuelos, a mis hermanos y a mi papá". This song is a sort of mantra or prayer dedicated to Venezuela and Isaac's family and friends; its spiraling guitar riff and various percussion instruments quickly descending towards a chaotic state of bliss.
3. Kamane Tarhanin - Mdou Moctar
“Kamane Tarhanin” is an experimental psych-rock song, with hypnotic vocals, singing about the sounds of Saharan tradition. In a press release, Mdou Moctar shared, “I’m just an ambassador, like a messenger of music, telling what is happening in my world.”
4. Elo - Ladama
"Elo" is a very flowy Portuguese song meaning "bond". Through this song, Ladama embodies the idea of making a connection and enjoying life as a community.
“I wrote because I wanted to do something with a traditional rhythm from my region, but it became another thing - it has all the other flavors of each country.”, says Lara Klaus.
5. Tunak Tunak Tun - Red Baraat
Red Baraat is a pioneering band from Brooklyn, New York, with infectious rhythms, and a stunning collision of traditional Indian music with elements of jazz, funk, and ska-punk. Their music is rebellious and fun, a love letter to cultural harmony.
Red Baraat shared, “In a sense, our record is a call to action against the various inequalities and injustices that we’re seeing. We desperately need citizen engagement in response to those injustices.”
6. Ston Stavraito - Anatolian Weapons
“Ston Stavraito” is a resilient protest-song, delineated with sorrowful delicacy. “To The Mother Of Gods“ is an hypnotic journey through the psychedelic folk music, with distant vocals and immersing, marching drums. “It was his very esoteric, pagan [music and] beautiful lyrics that grabbed me,” he writes.
7. Candela - Buena Vista Social Club
My personal favorite!
Buena Vista Social Club is the debut album by the eponymous ensemble of Cuban musicians directed by Juan de Marcos González and American guitarist Ry Cooder. It was recorded at Havana's EGREM studios in March 1996 and released on September 16, 1997, on World Circuit.
The song "Candela", composed by Faustino Oramas "El Guayabero" is sung by Ibrahim Ferrer who improvises vocal lines throughout the track. The lyrics are as spicy as a flaming chili pepper. Ay Candela!
8. A Festa (Acústico) - Milton Nascimento
The glowing vocals of Milton are deeply emotional and light up this incredible ballad. "A Festa" (Milton Nascimento, 2003), is contoured by Wilson Lopes divinely flowing chords on the guitar, and together they create this timeless musical masterpiece.
9. Sexual Healing - Hot 8 Brass Band
If you've seen Chef (2014), you've heard this legendary cover of Marvin Gaye’s Sexual Healing. The New Orleans based brass band blends hip-hop, jazz and funk styles with traditional New Orleans brass sounds. This song is the ultimate portrayal of a blazing vacation song.
10. Um Canto De Afoxé Para O Bloco Do Ilê
- Zeca Veloso, Moreno Veloso, Tom Veloso e Caetano Veloso
''Um Canto De Afoxé Para O Bloco Do Ilê'' is an African sort of samba associated with the Afro-Brazilian religion of candomble. Its a perfectly balanced percussion-and-voice mix, sticking to the slow, stately Ijexa rhythms - what a rare musical delight!
11. Bòd Lanmè Pa Lwen - Bokanté
“Bòd Lanmè Pa Lwen“ is a track about walking through the desert and finding an oasis: We walked, we suffered - but we’ve stood firm and now we’ve arrived. The track is transitioning from down tempo blues to heavy up-tempo with Moroccan-style percussion. I just can't get enough of this stunning groove.
12. Eda - Michael Brun & Belo
''Eda'' is a smooth tune by Michael Brun, with the Nigeria Afro-Life singer Adekunle Gold alongside the guitarist BelO, and they all delivered absolute excellently on the track.
"When you hear the music and the rhythms, they're not that different from the Caribbean and Africa. Haiti is a central place and it's a story that I want people to know because it was very inspiring to me, and I hope that it inspires other people too.", Michael Brun shared in an interview.
13. La Belle de Jour - Alceu Valença
''La Belle de Jour'' is a song with a nostalgic feeling for a beautiful girl from the Boa Viagem beach, who remembers the homesickness of her homeland. The song was recorded by Alceu in the album 7 desires, in 1991, and is now a hymn to quality Brazilian music.
And that's about it... my dearest music to travel.
What do you think? Have I forgotten anything? Let me know in the comment section below!
Stay tuned for more playlists and don't forget to follow me on Spotify.
BONUS TRACK
''I Ka Barra'' by Habib Koité is the wild card that Solo picked.
