“Ando Peda” is the theme of this article. Not because I’m a lush and rarely say no to a drink when offered. Not because our office is stashed with full cases of Heineken. Not because last Friday was International Beer Day and I got ‘kinda’ typsy to complete this post. No. None of those reasons — at least not 100%. It’s because I’m actually still peda from this crazy weekend which began with the Remezcla dudes pulling me out of my chair to celebrate the Friday festivity. Thanks guys. So, to make your Monday a little brighter, and as a follow up to our “Happy Friday‘s,” we have compiled a ten-track compilation list that’ll aim to inspire y’all and help you Mon-Fri folks get through the week, positively.
The following ten songs all regard the act of drinking. Either the title of the track states it, or somewhere the lyrics do. You’ll hear some singing about agua ardiente, tequila, jerez, cerveza, wine and so on. Of course, there are also specific genres that we can almost say were invented to drink along to like rancheras, norteñas, and balladas, and many honorable mentions to lis like Chente, Ramón Ayala, and many more, but there are too many to chose one. Peru also has some silly tributes to drinking like THIS ONE and THAT ONE. The following ten songs are around the late ’80s to mid ’90s. Of course there are tons more tracks, but we picked our favorite. Happy listening. Salud!
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by Los Lobos ft. Antonio Banderas
[USA/Mexico/Spain]
“Me gusta tomar mis copas, aguardientes lo mejor, también el tequila blanco con su sal de la sabor.” “Canción del Mariachi” makes our list at number 10. Stereotypically in Anglo culture, mariachis are represented as sombrero-wearing, drunken short dudes with big bellies. In Jalisciense culture, the mariachi is an iconic musician who represents masculine Mexican identity and chronicles the sentiments, traditions, and romanticism experienced in everyday life around the ’50s, commonly documented during Mexico’s golden age of cinema. Reflecting that spirit, this track composed by legendary LA-based, Chicano-rockers Los Lobos featuring Spanish actor Antonio Banderas, became a sensation when it was featured in the 1995 action thriller Desperado. Just check out the sensationalized-badassness in Antonio Bandera’s performance. His singing was pretty good too.
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by Maná
[Mexico]
Before this pop quartet (some say rock) became known as Maná, they were called Sombrero Verde. Though around the mid ’80s when “Rock en tu idioma” became a popular movement among mexican rock music, with pioneering bands like Caifanes, Maldita Vecindad, Café Tacvba, etc., the band switched their name and began their new identity as Maná. Indeed, this group went on to international stardom, and released a total of 11 studio albums. “Clavado en un bar” is the first single of their 1997 seventh studio album Sueños Liquidos (Liquid Dreams). Like most of their songs are, this one too is about being foolishly in love and cheering for a love that cannot be, all alone in a bar.
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by Mach & Daddy
[Panama]
Hailing from Panama, the reggaeton soca duo Mach & Daddy (née Pedro Machore and Martin Machore) emerged in 2000, and later wrote the smash sensation “La Botella” off the 2005 debut Desde Abajo (From Below). This track became a hit in all the clubs in Tijuana’s infamous raucous strip, Ave. Revolución back in 2006 when the tune was crossing over to the USA, and could only imagine it inspired non-kosher activities in the duo’s native homeland. After switching labels from Universal Music Latino to Machete Music, these guys then released Gracias a Dios (Thank God) in 2008. Since then, we don’t really know what Mach & Daddy are doing now, but we thank gawd for their one hit wonder.
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by Radio Futura
[Spain]
This tune compiles part of the rock en español repertoire which lots of cover bands perform in Latin restaurants and bars. It’s no surprise because “Veneno en la piel” probably resonates with many of the attendees’ experience of taking out a party girl to dance and dine. Composed by the iconic Spanish rock group Radio Futura off the sixth studio album Veneno en la Piel, the track speaks about taking an intoxicated gal out on a stroll, but it seems as she’s had too many drinks to handle. The song was quite a hit and a decade later, Argentinean singer Andrés Calamaro covered it too.
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by Bersuit Vergarabat
[Argentina]
Argentina-based rockers Bersuit Vergarabat emerged in the early ’90s and received high acclaim for the band’s combination of tango, cadombe, and jazz under the national rock umbrella. Singing about contemporary social and political issues concerning the group’s country, as for instance, the track “Sr. Cobranza” was highly critiqued by Argentina’s ex-president Carlos Menem’s followers for deeply political lyrics against the government’s rule. No doubt Bersuit also knows how to have a blast and sings about lighter-themed tracks such as about (hint hint) drinking! Both songs are off the band’s 1998 senior album Libertinaje. This one’s called “Yo Tomo” (I Drink) about their reasons to drink.
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by Hombres G
[Spain]
What funnier album name than La Cagaste…Burt Lancaster (You screwed up…Burt Lancaster). Regardless of why the album’s named that, “Visite nuestro bar” (visit our bar) is the first track off Hombres G’s 1986 sophomore album, and it’s dedicated to all the alcoholics out there, as the Madrileño lead singer David Summers makes clear in the intro to the song, and the band’s invitation to visit their bar.
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by Enanitos Verdes
[Argentina]
This tune was a classic jam to rock out on in any beat up guitar at a houseparty. It sure called out for a few cold ones. Hailing from Mendoza, Argentina, in the very early ’80s, it was Enanitos Verdes seventh studio album that did it for me. The muy popular track “Lamento Boliviano” off Big Bang (1994) was a hit for all bars and cantinas too. The introductory Bolivian flute melody, zampoña, and the chorus are indeed some sounds to cheer to.
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by Control Machete
[Mexico]
Thera are so many slang terms for beer in Spanish like chela, birra, caguama (a 40), ballena (another 40), bielas, and cheve. Monterrey-based hip hop trio Control Machete pays tribute to beer in none other than “Cheve” off the band’s debut album Mucho Barato (very cheep). This group gained notoriety in the Monterrey hip hop music scene and later internationally with their hardcore lyrics and barrio-like presentation. “Cheve” is an anthem of many bars in Mexico, and the debauchery this group narrates is pretty hilarious. Of course it has the cool no-brainer and catchy chorus: cheve, cheve cheve, cheve, cheve, cheve…..
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by Manu Chao
[Spain/France]
Por la calle del desengaño mi malegria emborraché dentro un vasito de jerez. “Malegría” is the perfect word mashup. Stripping down complex emotions, you get “mal” (not well) and “alegría” (joy). And in my personal experience as a peda, these two are the most strongly and commonly felt ones after a few too many. Like every single song made up by Manu Chao, it’s fucking amazing! Ok, let me elaborate further, hehe. “Malegría” appeared in Manu Chao’s 1998 solo debut Clandestino, after parting ways with the highly acclaimed Spanish-based band Mano Negra. And like many of Manu Chao’s awesomely recycled beats, it features a cool mesh of animals barking here and there, alarm clocks ringing and simple melodic chord strums. To me, being drunk off jerez is better than wine, it’s commonly found in street frutería stands in Latin America.
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by Café Tacvba
[Mexico]
Café Tacvba beats Manu Chao by a hair bun, and just barely. Though we gotta give it up for Ruben Albarran’s (aka Ixaya Mazatzin Tleyótl, Cosme, Piche Juan, Gallo Gasss, Sizu Yantra, or any other moniker he named himself) spectacular performance during this MTV Unplugged shoot. The passion, the rage, the vain popping out of his forehead. YES. “Bar Tacuba” came out in the quartet’s 1992 self-titled debut as the last of 13 songs. The song is about being the last one alone at the bar while listening to the song being played from the jukebox surrounded by broken glass. The live version came out a decade later after the live shoot. Well, if you ask me, this 1996 live performance beats the studio version by faaar. Enjoy!
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Don’t agree and feel we missed an alcohol-centri theme tune? Sound off in the comments board below and let us know who we forgot to mention. Tell us your favorite too!