Hurricane Sandy Edition: Top 10 Tormenta Tropical Tracks

The majority of people I’ve encountered besides New York would probably take extra precaution watching the Weather Channel, packing evacuation kits, buying batteries, shopping for dry goods and water, etc., if a 1,000 mile diameter/ 90 mph hurricane was hitting their (your) town. Well actually, it was funnier a few hours ago when things didn’t look too crazy when I first started compiling this playlist. I made sure I had enough beer bottles and cigarettes, my love near me and a friend to complain to, and some movies to watch later on. But now that I keep checking out instagram, my facebook newsfeed, the news, and outside my window, shit is getting crazier! So, for such occasion relating to Hurricane Sandy, I’ve compiled a list of the Top 10 hurricane-themed playlist for all of you to enjoy in this time of [insanity, danger, atrocity, craziness, insert your emotion here]. Some tracks are actually about natural disasters, while others are used as analogies. If you’re in New York, enjoy it while you can! For those who are not, enjoy!

PS. I write this from New York City in my lofted shack-of-a-room in the rooftop as my windows and walls tremble away, and on the verge of a bit of fright for Frankenstorm! AAAHHHH!!

10. “La Tormenta de Arena”
by Dorian
[Spain]

This song isn’t talking about an actual sand tornato, or anything related to a natural disaster, as a matter of fact. This pow pop rock ditty by Barcelona’s quartet Dorian is about the main vocalist Marc being infatuated with with a girl who he seems to lose in crowds, and is apparently pretty wild. Marc sings of wishes to travel to other planets with her, and through some sort of currents — that is, after he gave her this “special pill.” And now as a result, this poor chick’s head has turned to something more like a sand tornato.

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9. “Huracán”
By Jaguares
[Mexico]

Saúl Hernández was always spellbound (if you will) with writing topics about natural and supernatural objects. Since his Caifanes days, we can quickly name “Viento,” “Nubes,” “Piedras,” “En Nervio del Volcán,” to name a few. So of course, Jaguares‘ repertoire would be incomplete if there wasn’t one one about el “Huracán.” Classic.

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8. “Como un huracán”
By Rubén Blades
[Panama]

“Como un Huracán” from the album Tras la Tormenta is another track about a destructive lady who destroyed Panamanian salsa master Rubén Blades‘ self esteem with her harsh words. Not only that but she ripped off his faith to pieces and left the poor man in between spiderwebs, or so Blades sings. She has the attitude of a hurricane that’ll probably do the same damage we expect Hurricane Sandy to do to New York City. Yes, it may be an exaggeration, or it may be some hardcore shit. We’ll just have to stay tuned and see what happens tonight.

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7. “El Apagón”
By Yuri
[Mexico]

We may also be expecting “el apagón” (aka blackout). Kind of like how Mexico’s singer/actress and diva Yuri (YOLO) sings about, we won’t really know what will happen if this apagón does arrive. If dangerous person will approach you (or me?) and attempt to do some pretty naughty things. Though, in the video, Yuri seems to be enjoying herself.

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6. “Huracán”
By Silvio Rodríguez
[Cuba]

Cuba’s lauded poet and singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez is probably one of the few artists on this list that is actually singing about a real hurricane. I’d like to say that he composed this tune after such hurricane-related atrocity in so and so town or city, but in reality, I was just researching themes for this list, and thought this was a really great song. One of my favorite lyrics of “Huracán” is “Hurricane, don’t torture my sun.”

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5. “Tormenta”
By Making Movies
[Kansas City]

Kansas City has been long known for having huge tornados, and I’m sure these guys have heard this plenty, so I don’t even wanna get into the topic too much. Yes, you figured it out. Dorothy gets knocked out by a broken window caused by a life-threatening tornado which takes her to the land of Oz.

Anyhow, Kansas’ Afro-rock quartet Making Movies are not talking about a real tornado either, but instead they touch on the ongoing debate about immigrant rights. They don’t want to feel tormented with the injustices that reside in the U.S. against undocumented workers and their families.

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4. “Huracán”
By Kumbia Queers
[Argentina/Mexico]

The sexy raunchy Argen-Mexi sextet definitely know what’s up when it comes to hurricanes. While the entire majority of people seek asylum from the powerful winds and thick rain, Kumbia Queers in this tropipunk ditty sing about preparing with lots of booze, finding a girl to cuddle with in darkness, and most importantly, having a blast! Some can definitely take a lesson or two from these riot grrrls.

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3. “Ojo de la Tormenta”
By Soda Stereo
[Argentina]

Genius lyricist and all around musician Gustavo Cerati wrote a song or two about spiraling objects, or situations, such as “En Remolinos” and this featured one.  While the Soda Stereo brainchild loved writing topics of passion, and softcore eroticism, the eye of the tornado here (“Ojo de la Tormenta”) speaks of the center of centers that revolves your head when one finds that relaxing sexual moment with that one person… or at least I like to interpret it that way. Well, what else can your eye of the hurricane or tornado mean to you?

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2. “Huracán”
By Monsieur Periné
[Colombia]

Singing and playing with a nostalgic-for-a-Latin-American-renaissance spirit, Colombia’s dixie-swing septet reinvent traditional folk ballads into modern day folk ballads composed by Catalina García and Santiago Prieto of Monsieur Periné. Yes, ballads are still very relevant, and “Huracán” would almost seem like a tune made by Latin America’s ballad pioneers Los Panchos from that golden age of romance. In this song, a hurricane is described as a kiss, singing how a lovers kiss are like hurricanes inside one’s mouth. How lovely.

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1. “Tormenta”
By Alex Anwandter
[Chile]

The best way to top off this list is with a sexy mellow Chilean disco pop track that’ll definitely zone us back into a torment of love. Alex Anwandter‘s “Tormenta” spins me off onto a whimsical whirlpool of bliss (if me and you mind the lyrics, because they’re actually about tormented love). But you know what? It’s all good because remember that You Only Live Once (YOLO), and we need to stop tormenting ourselves. So just remember, be safe, and have a great time in any occasion possible (even if a natural disaster is among our roofs and floors, so enjoy this top 10 hurricane/tornado-themed playlist!

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