Love and Happiness


Alright, let's give this a go..

How To Tell Which Music Genre I'm Listening to at Work by Body Movements in Swively Chairs

I do data entry. Fortunately, I get to listen to music all day long, and I cannot not move when I listen to music. My listening and mini head-banging to Metallica led to my boss and myself having a few conversations and making a connection over heavy metal, classic rock'n'roll, and whatever geeky knowledge we had in our brains about many bands. (He won hands down--guy used to have epic 80's hair and has been to many many concerts; plus he introduced me to DragonForce, which is always a win.)
Because I am able to lose my hearing daily--I mean, able to feast in the glory that is YouTube, Pandora radio, and my ipod, all day during the week, I am able to learn of new bands and find other things to love about my old favorites.

So, here goes, in no particular order, with listenin' samples:

Bachata: legs firmly in place, but upper body sways side-to-side in the 1-2-3-tap-1-2-3-tap movement that is bachata dancing.


Merengue: legs firmly in place, but shoulders do the quick side-to-side, with some head movement that is similar to a little Latino nod.


Reggaeton: upper body leaning forward and swaying side-to-side, trying not to do some perreo in my work chair so I end up swiveling a lot. Sometimes it is just head movement with a little gangsta sneer on the face.



-El Mellao, Julio Voltio


Cumbia: this one does involve some foot tapping. The upper body does a slight sway in a ooone-two, ooone-two. The head definitely gets more into this, as cumbia always puts a smile on my face.


Rock en Espanyol: much foot-tapping, head-nodding, and defiant looks on the face abound. Much of my rock en espanyol bands use a cumbia or reggae feel to their songs (like "Va Por la Chapultepec" by Bersuit) so that also factors into movements. So, the head movement is not so abrupt as it would be if listening to rock in English, as, for me at least, Latino music tends to make the ride oh so smooth. I also sing along if I know the lyrics (silently, of course).
-Mujer Amante, Rata Blanca

Rock'n'Roll: I find myself doing a bit of air guitar in this case, but usually when my hand is going between keyboard and mouse. Foot-tapping and head-nodding, plus singing along.


-Pride and Joy, Stevie Ray Vaughan

*I tend to sing along whenever I know the lyrics anyway..

Heavy Metal in Spanish, English: I know that there are many levels to how metal sounds/what inspires it, but I generalize because it all makes me feel the same way: powerful. Imagine swiveling a little in my chair, mini-head-bangs galore, many smiles, and enjoy the length of my curls as I move. I can't wait till my hair is longer.


-Trapped Under Ice, Metallica

Ska, mostly in Spanish: this is when my feet really come into play. Well, my whole body really: bouncing up and down, whole body trying to imitate the ska dancing but being confined to a work space it just comes off as a hyperactive sway. My legs and feet usually go pretty crazy under the desk (esp. with Los Skarnales). With Boikot, it tends to be a full body ska--well, as much as I can do in a chair.


-La Guitarra, Los Autenticos Decadentes

Spanish ska punk, how I love thee: my legs look like they want to dance ska, but my head is mini-banging and my shoulders moving a little with the movement.


-Salve, La Polla Records


Oh, and salsa. That's a complicated one, but it involves foot movement and pretending I'm playing the tambores on the desk.


-Quimbara, Celia Cruz


..there are of course other artists/genres, but it would be hard to distinguish when I'm listening to Andean music, Bollywood soundtrack, Amr Diab, or the theme song to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy..


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