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Crammed on the train. Trudging in the drizzle. Wedged in traffic congestion. The Monday morning commute is the proverbial let-down after the joyfilled, party-going weekend version of yourself. But the music doesn’t have to stop at the sensibly early bedtime of Sunday evening.
Here are World Music Network’s top five tracks to energise Monday mornings and banish any dread for the week ahead (that rhyme, I meant). Any one of these (or all!) would be an apt replacement for the digital cuckoo alarm clock of trepidation on your bedside table.
1. Kalyjani Anandji - Dance Music
Straight in with a new Rough Guide release, the title of this track means it needs no further explanation as to why it will kickstart your week. If the jubilant horn section doesn’t jolt you into positive productivity the bass groove, incessant percussion and explosive drumkit should do the job. Don’t fight it.
2. Carlos Hayre y Su Orquesta - Mi Chica Se Vuelve Loca
Fresh from Volume 2 of the Rough Guide to Latin Rare Groove, if your hips don’t move then you must still be asleep. Or crammed in a crowded train. Or stuck in traffic in your car. While there may be excuses as to why this track doesn’t make you break out into some form of expressive bodily movement, a head nod is probably not out of the question while you are aurally transported to a place where al fresco dining is not seen as ‘audacious’. Two minutes and fifty seconds of boisterous Latin groove.
3. West Nkosi – Durban Road
The soundtrack to running for the bus. The mbaqanga groove and repetitive chord progression makes this a joyous accompaniment to being late for your particular form of public transport. West Nkosi’s trademark sax sound is complimented by the organ ostinatos and offbeat chord stabs, which provide the perfect tempo for a walk/jog/run in the early morning light.
4. Nelson Sus Y Estrellas - Londres
The laid back percussion of ‘Londres’ will have you salsa dancing along the pavement, as a preferred mode of transport to the usual Monday morning traipse. The salsa piano will reside in your head all day, alongside the responsive brass stabs and melodies. You may have to refrain yourself from tapping out the rhythms against against your coffee mug with a biro, but if your colleagues are receptive, you could easily create your own office stationary salsa ensemble. Pencil cases are particular handy as shakers.
Find more psychedelic tunes onThe Rough Guide To Psychedelic Salsa!
5. Breabach - Mogaisean
Now for something completely different. If vibrant horn sections and infectious grooves aren’t the thing to get you into the mood for a week of nine to five, how about the celtic folk melodies of Breabach’s track, ‘Mogaisean’ to tweak your smile muscles. And maybe even induce some foot-tapping. Perhaps even partake in some ceilidh dancing around the office until Friday afternoon. You can find this track on the Rough Guide to Scottish Music.
