Cerveza. We all love it, we all want it (we assume you do because you’re reading this). We drink to celebrate, we drink to grieve, we drink to let loose, we drink to bond. As many musicians have written countess tributes to that beverage we call beer, here at Remezcla we decided to share with you a list of 10 odes to such drink we all love, from artists all around Latin America and Spain. Last year we did something similar in our “Ando Peda” Top 10 list, but this one is strictly dedicated to beer.
There is a purpose for this too. Tomorrow is known as International Beer Day (August 5th), according to this website based in San Francisco that started back in 2007, and claimed this as an international holiday. Sounds pretty great to us. We’ll toast to breweries, bartenders, macro and micro beers, the ales, the lagers, the wheats, the malts, and the ambers ::mouth watering:: So enough yappin, and let’s cheer for a great weekend with a nice tall glass of beer, or five.
Enjoy this beer-themed playlist. Salud!
by Sindicato Argentino del Hip-Hop
[Argentina]
Back in their early underground days Sindicato used to call this song “En Pedo,” but they had to change the title and make it more radio-friendly when they got signed to a major label (a move that many condemned as selling out). Linguistics-obsessed rap orthodox types (myself included) also criticized this beer anthem for abusing one of the most cliché rhymes of the Spanish language: “cerveza” and “cabeza” (there’re literally dozens of songs that rhyme those two words together, almost as many as songs that rhyme “bailar” with “gozar”). Still, I was a fan (and frequent guest MC for them) in their early days, and I have very fond memories of the fun we used to have backstage and onstage while being “En Pedo.” -JD
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by Gamberroz
[Mexico]
Their philosophy: el vale-vergismo, and their style: to not give a fuck. Mexico’s hip hop quartet Gamberroz claim to not be an ordinary rap group, but a gang of hardcore thugs of San Pedro, Nuevo León. And they come with demands: for you to bust out the “caguama,” cause they have a ferocious thirst for beer, and listening to their mothers is what they don’t do. -IR
by Los Trovadores de la Lírica Perdida
[Spain]
There are many rap songs about beer-drinking, but few are as imaginative and eloquently written as “Mi Primera Vez.” In a similar fashion to 2 Minutos’ “Canción de Amor” (#2 below), but ten million times more articulate, Los Trovadores dedicate a purposely deceptive love song to what first appears to be a female, but ends up being a cold, refreshing, bottle of beer. Unfortunately, the song lacked the catchiness needed to become a hit outside of the hermetic Spanish hip-hop underground of the late ’90s and, honestly, no real drunk could ever rap along those verses. -JD
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by Flema
[Argentina]
You know what crack babies are? If you do, it’s the similar case (not the same!), but instead we’ll call them beer babies. Their mothers clearly had loads of pints/pitchers when they were preggo of the band members of Flema. These guys have been making punk rock music since the late ’80s and continue to live up to what they were born to do, play punk and drink a shit load of beer with their friends. -IR
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by Los Inhumanos
[Spain]
Iconic Spanish party-rockers left their indelible mark in the late ’80s/early ’90s with irreverent, unpretentious, joke-songs like this one. Helped, of course, by their memorable live performances consisting of a bunch of frat-type dudes dressed like monks and just having a good time on stage. Los Inhumanos never took themselves seriously, and neither did they expect listeners and critics to do so. Had they came out today, they’d be simply a youtube funny act, but back in those days, they somehow got signed to a record label and toured internationally. They even got to perform at Xuxa’s Spanish-speaking show in 1990 where they actually sung this song (yes, at a kids show!). -JD
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by Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
[Argentina]
Whenever you drink during the day and the sun’s shining bright, don’t tell me you don’t feel like you’re on a vacation. No worrying, no stress, only pleasure. Two words: hakuna matata. I’m not sure how or why having sunlight makes a difference in your buzz, but Argentina’s party ska-rock band Los Fabulosos Cadillacs empathizes with this situation. When they’re down to the last drop and the sun sets, they’d held this so sacredly — like if it’s a living thing — and will throw “it” (I’m guessing it’s more beer) out of their alter (and down their bellies). -IR
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by Wendy Sulca
[Peru]
A global viral phenomenon the size of “Friday,” Wendy Sulca gained most of her notoriety based on the über-ridiculousness of her song topics, approached with absolutely no visible sign of irony. Maybe for her family and management it was totally OK for a seven year old to be singing about beer (and tits) but the rest of the world saw it as unintentional comedy’s holy grail and bombarded her youtube page with even funnier (and most of the times extremely offensive–but still funny) comments. -JD
by Inspector
[Mexico]
It was the water that eliminated their thirst, it was the alcohol that filled their veins with complete bliss, it was that beverage that suffocated all shames. Yes, it sounds so extreme, and they clearly say it’s cosmic. That’s right, planets can bond, many lives can be liven, but any one who lives without this love “tan grande” they speak of is a life probably not worth it — according to them, more or less. Mexico’s ska band Inspector found love in drinking beer, and they dedicated the entire album on it, Unidad, Cerveza, y Ska. Good stuff! -IR
by 2 Minutos
[Argentina]
Argentine punk-rockers 2 Minutos built a whole career (a successful one) around beer songs, pretty much in the same way Cypress Hill built theirs around ganja. I saw them live back in ’94 when their debut album came out and they had huge inflatable beer cans on stage. “Canción de Amor,” most commonly referred to as “Cerveza,” is their beer anthem in the shape of a love declaration letter. With its simple, catchy melody and the soccer-hooligan singing style, the song is quite effective because it’s ideal for borrachos to easily pick up and sing along. -JD
by Control Machete
[Mexico]
A national anthem for cheve drinkers. True missionary status for the possession of beer. Monterrey-based hip hop trio Control Machete pays tribute to beer in none other than “Cheve” off the band’s debut album Mucho Barato. This group gained notoriety in the Monterrey hip hop music scene and later internationally with their hardcore lyrics and thugged-out presentation. “Cheve” is a laudation at numerous bars in Latin America, and the debauchery that this group narrates is pretty hilarious too. Crashing weddings, getting the boot, seeking more parties, drinking more beer until 4am, getting hung over, and doing it all over the next day? A huevo. Happy international beer day! -IR
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Tell us which beer-themed song is your favorite, if or if not on this list.