A drop of Rioja...

Tonight, it's all about the Spanish influence...


As a little break from HipHop, I'd like to focus on the music of my late teens. I spent about 20 months living in a small town in the South of Spain I had the best nights of my life with some awesome people and as always, there is a strong musical backdrop to these memories...

The Brazilian Magalenha is my first choice and a complete cheat, it's not even Spanish (I fear that this may be indicative of this post). It was the tune that the DJs dopped when the night had reached it's climax, when the whole club was on their feet united in rhythm and 'half glass' shots of vodka. I remember an amazing house version, but I've not been able to track it, so I'll leave you with the Sergio Mendes version, you MUST listen!



My second artist is also not Spanish, he's Mexican, so at least he sings in Spanish!  Carlos Santana's 'Corazon Espinado' mentally transports me back to Plaza Tutti Frutti where most of my partying went down. I love his music, those guitar crescendos force your hips to sway...





O.K. a couple of guilty pleasures now (please forgive me - I was only 17!). We all have them, especially when we are abroad - the cheesey holiday songs! Here are two of the, ahem, 'anthems' of the summer of 2000; Raul 'Sueño su Boca' King Africa 'La Bomba' (This is God Awful, but it needed to be here!)


Pop-Flamenco Jose el Frances, 'Ya no quiero tu querer', was a great song back then. It was one for the 'Tinto Verano' nights out on the balcony. I love the harmonies that their voices create, the clapping and the simple guitar.







Gloria Estefan is not the most obvious of choices for me, but I enjoyed her Spanish album 'Alma Caribeña'. The singles are hit and miss as I'm not a ballad lover, but I would recommend:





Even though I was in Spain, we got a few English club-bangers too:


Artful Dodger - Rewind (You know you loved it!)





Fatboy Slim 'Gangster Tripping'





Hell, there were loads, I think that I've probably missed the best ones but enough is enough now.


Music = Memories. Memories = Music.