February Zumba Music Playlist

Little known trivia about me: I hate February! Nothing good ever happens in February and I am so glad it’s over…

But still, I hope you enjoy my February Zumba songs:

La Cucaracha (Cumbia / Latin Pop – Warm Up)
Kumbia Kings

I Gotta Feeling (Pop – back by popular demand!)
Black Eyed Peas

Chaiyya Chaiyya (Bollywood / Zumba Toning)
Bombay Dreams

Me Gusta, Me Gusta (Salsa)
Zumba Fitness ZIN 24

Jump in the Line (International)
Harry Belafonte

Chiquilla (Cumbia)
A.B. Quintanilla III Y Los Kumbia All Starz

Hava Nagila (Traditional)
Zumba Gold

Kiss Kiss (Belly Dance)
ZIN Megamix 4

A La Nena Le Gusta (Merengue)
Zumba Fitness ZIN 24

Tigy Tigy (Reggaeton/Arabic)
Zumba ZIN Mega Mix 15

Salome (Salsa/Pop)
Zumba Fitness ZIN 24

Fuego (Cumbia)
Zumba ZIN Megamix 4

Loba (Latin Pop)
Shakira

La Isla Bonita (Pop – Cool Down)
Madonna

My January Zumba Song List

Happy 2010!

Pa’mayte (Calypso)
ZIN MegaMix15

La Fiesta (Flamenco + Belly Dance / Warm Up)
Zumba Original Soundtrack

Baila Esta Cumbia (Cumbia)
Zumba Megamix 14

Hava Nagila (Traditional)
Zumba Gold

A La Nena Le Gusta (Merengue)
Zumba Fitness ZIN 24

Solo Se Vive Una Vez (Rumba Flamenca)
Zumba ZIN Megamix 13

Ritmo Caliente (Quebradita)
Zumba ZIN 22

Kiss Kiss (Belly Dance)
ZIN Megamix 4

Krazy (Hip Hop)
(Pitbull Featuring LiL Jon)

La Morena (Merengue)
Zumba Megamix 14

African Beat (African)
Zumba ZIN 22

Fuego (Cumbia)
Zumba ZIN Megamix 4

Baila Pa Emociona (Calypso)
Zumba

Me Gusta, Me Gusta (Salsa)
Zumba Fitness ZIN 24

Tigy Tigy (Reggaeton/Arabic)
Zumba ZIN Mega Mix 15

Chaiyya Chaiyya (Bollywood)
Bombay Dreams

Drive (Reggae)
50 First Dates Soundtrack

My November Zumba Song List

Better late than never… Happy Thanksgiving!

La Fiesta (Flamenco + Belly Dance / Warm Up)
Zumba Original Soundtrack

I Gotta Feeling (Hip Hop)
Black Eyed Peas

Ça Plane Pour Moi (Merengue)
(Plastic Betrand – National Lampoon’s European Vacation Soundtrack)

Baila Esta Cumbia (Cumbia)
Zumba Megamix 14

Bonita (Samba)
Zumba Megamix 14

La Morena (Merengue)
Zumba Megamix 14

Solo Se Vive Una Vez (Rumba Flamenca)
(Zumba ZIN Megamix 13)

Rompe (Hip Hop)
(Daddy Yankee)

Fuego (Cumbia)
(Zumba ZIN Megamix 4)

African Beat (African)
(Zumba ZIN 22)

Ritmo Caliente (Quebradita)
Zumba ZIN 22)

Krazy (Hip Hop)
(Pitbull Featuring LiL Jon)

Dance the Night Away (Salsa)
(The Mavericks – The Best of the Mavericks)

Every Breath You Take (Cool Down)
(UB40 – 50 First Dates Soundtrack)

Zumba: Great Workout, Silly Name

I recently canceled my Snap Fitness 24-7 gym membership to join an independent gym called Fitness Crossroads. For $10/month more, the independent gym provides showers, lockers, towel service, and best of all – group fitness classes!

Being a dancer, I have always loved group fitness classes. I’ve often thought I was born too late and missed my true calling of being a aerobics instructor in the 1980’s. In fact, when asked my dream job, I often respond “aerobics instructor slash dog walker.” (Watch Eric Prydz’s Call On Me Video here. If you haven’t seen it before, it’s racy and nsfw.)

I had been away from the group fitness scene for a few years while I lived in Europe and while I held mini-gym memberships here in the States. After I joined my new gym in March, I soon saw an announcement that they were adding two “Zumba” classes to the group fitness schedule. Zumba? It sounded silly, but I decided to Google it.

The Zumba workout is based on latin rhythms and dance moves. It is like going out to a nightclub dancing, but with the freedom of not caring how you look and getting sweaty in the comfort of your own gym!

I loved Zumba from the very first minute. I was a member of the pom pon squad in high school and the dance team in college. Each song in Zumba is a mini dance routine, much like danceline. The instructor breaks down the moves first and then brings the moves up to speed. The moves are intuitive and easy-to-follow. The main goal is to keep moving.

One thing I especially love about Zumba is that each class participant can increase or decrease intensity according to their comfort level, which makes it suitable for all ages and fitness levels. In fact, many of the participants in my daytime class are 65 and over! I love to see the older men and women smiling, laughing, and dancing up a storm! Zumba Gold was designed specifically for older adults. I hope I am still dancing at age 70!

I highly recommend looking for Zumba classes at your local gym or community center, regardless of the silly name. It is so much fun, it’s like working out without working out! I love Zumba so much, and Zumba is so much fun to me, I am becoming a certified group fitness instructor through ACE (American Council on Exercise) in order to become a certified Zumba instructor.

Ditch the workout, join the party!

Speed of the Sound of Loneliness

I’m going to see my favorite local musicians, Matty O’Reilly and John Schjolberg, play tonight at the 331 Club in Northeast Minneapolis.

I first saw Matty O’Reilly (acoustic guitar and vocals) and John Schjolberg (pedal steel guitar) perform Speed of the Sound of Loneliness by John Prine at one of Matty’s restaurants, the 318 Cafe in Excelsior, Minnesota. I loved it so much I told my friends it was like, “Christmas and my birthday all rolled into one.”

You can download a free live version of John Prine performing Speed of the Sound of Loneliness from Glide Magazine here: http://www.glidemagazine.com/free-music-downloads/1012/john-prine-speed-of-the-sound-of-loneliness-mp3.html

Speed of the Sound of Loneliness
by John Prine

You come home late and you come home early
You come on big when you’re feeling small
You come home straight and you come home curly
Sometimes you don’t come home at all

So what in the world’s come over you
And what in heaven’s name have you done
You’ve broken the speed of the sound of loneliness
You’re out there running just to be on the run

Well I got a heart that burns with a fever
And I got a worried and a jealous mind
How can a love that’ll last forever
Get left so far behind

So what in the world’s come over you
And what in heaven’s name have you done
You’ve broken the speed of the sound of loneliness
You’re out there running just to be on the run

It’s a mighty mean and a dreadful sorrow
It’s crossed the evil line today
Well, how can you ask about tomorrow
When we ain’t got one word to say

So what in the world’s come over you
And what in heaven’s name have you done
You’ve broken the speed of the sound of loneliness
You’re out there running just to be on the run

You’re out there running just to be on the run
You’re out there running just to be on the run
You’re out there running just to be on the run

He Knows A Lot About Love and Stuff, And He’s Gonna Marry Me

I love movie soundtracks. And I love the movie Sweet Home Alabama, but the Sweet Home Alabama soundtrack
was a terrible mistake. It featured easy-listening covers of classic southern rock hits… What were they thinking?!?

The one shining star of The Sweet Home Alabama soundtrack is Marry Me by Dolly Parton.

Marry Me
by Dolly Parton

Well I met a boy from Grassy Branch
Fine as he can be
I met him at the big barn dance
And he took a shine to me
Sky blue eyes, a big, wide smile
And tall as a sycamore tree
He’s real smart with a real big heart
And he’s gonna marry me

He’s gonna marry me
And we’re gonna go to town
We’re gonna buy some real good car
And we’re gonna drive around
We’ll hold hands an’ touch ‘n’ hug
He talks so sweet to me
‘Cause he knows a lot about love and stuff
And he’s gonna marry me

His momma don’t like me one little bit
But you know I don’t care
Let her pitch her hissy fit
Cause I ain’t a’ marryin’ her
He’s always been a momma’s boy
It’s just plain jealousy
She’s as mad as an old wet hen
‘Cause he’s gonna marry me

Oh, an’ he’s gonna marry me
An’ he’s gonna buy me a ring
We’re gonna be so free
Cut momma’s apron strings
He’s gonna build me a pretty little house
Have a pretty little made-for-three
‘Cause he done kiss me on the mouth
An’ he’s gonna marry me

Yeah, he’s gonna marry me
He’s gonna buy me a ring
We’re gonna be so free
Cut momma’s apron strings
He’s gonna build me a pretty little house
Have a pretty little made-for-three
‘Cause he’s done kiss me on the mouth
So he’s gotta marry me
Yeah he’s done kiss me on the mouth
And he’s gonna marry me

Where to Find Country Music in the Twin Cities

Country Music Nights around the Twin Cities

Monday

Hoggsbreath – Country Music Night
2504 Rice St
St Paul, MN 55113
(651) 484-7067

Tuesday

1200 Club (Burnsville Bowl) – Country Music Night also Ladies’ Night
1200 Highway 13 E
Burnsville, MN 55337
(952) 890-1200
http://www.1200club.com/

Wednesday

Starks – Country Music Night
3125 Dodd Rd
Eagan, MN 55121
(651) 454-8251
http://www.starks-saloon.com/country.html

Thursday

Lone Tree – Country Music Night
528 Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-1730
http://www.lonetreeannex.com/

Friday

Saturday

Starks – Country Music Night
3125 Dodd Rd
Eagan, MN 55121
(651) 454-8251
http://www.starks-saloon.com/country.html

Sunday

What is the Christmas song about Maria and “the first nightingale’s song”?

“The Gift” is one of my favorite Christmas songs about a girl named Maria who finds an injured bird and nurses it back to health.

“The Gift” was written by Montana singer/songwriter, Stephanie Davis. It appeared on Garth Brooks’ 1992 holiday album, Beyond the Season. A young Canadian pop and Celtic music singer, Aselin Debison also recorded and released “The Gift” on Sweet is the Melody in 2002. Enjoy!

The Gift
Stephanie Davis

A poor orphan girl named Maria
Was walking to market one day
She stopped for a rest by the roadside
Where a bird with a broken wing lay
A few moments passed till she saw it
For its feathers were covered with sand
But soon clean and wrapped it was traveling
In the warmth of Maria’s small hand

She happily gave her last peso
On a cage made of rushes and twine
She fed it loose corn from the market
And watched it grow stronger with time

Now the Christmas Eve service was coming
And the church shone with tinsel and light
And all of the townfolks brought presents
To lay by the manger that night
There were diamonds and incense and perfumes
In packages fit for a king
But for one ragged bird in a small cage
Maria had nothing to bring

She waited till just before midnight
So no one would see her go in
And crying she knelt by the manger
For her gift was unworthy of Him

Then a voice spoke to her through the darkness
Maria, what brings you to me?
If the bird in the cage is your offering
Open the door and let me see
Though she trembled, she did as He asked her
And out of the cage the bird flew
Soaring up into the rafters
On a wing that had healed good as new

Just then the midnight bells rang out
And the little bird started to sing
A song that no words could recapture
Whose beauty was fit for a king

Now Maria felt blessed just to listen
To that cascade of notes sweet and long
As her offerings was lifted to Heaven
By the very first nightingale’s song

(Corrected 12/23/2008.)

Which member of The Mavericks was married to a country singer?

I was recently reminded of one of my favorite alternative country bands, The Mavericks.

As I dug out my copy of  Super Colossal Smash Hits of the 90’s: The Best of The Mavericks,” I remembered a bit of country music trivia BUT I couldn’t remember the answer…

Q: Which country music star was married to (and later divorced from) a member of The Mavericks?

A: The Mavericks bass player, Robert Reynolds married Trisha Yearwood on May 21, 1994 in Ryman Auditorium – former home of the Grand Ole Opry. The couple divorced five years later in 1999.

Reynolds married Angie Crabtree, a member of the Grand Ole Opry marketing team on September 6, 2003 in Grayton Beach, Florida. Trisha married Garth Brooks on December 10, 2005 at their home in Owasso, Oklahoma.

(The answer would’ve been much easier to find if I was looking for something like, “Which alt country band member was Trisha Yearwood married to before Garth Brooks?”)

Other sources retreived December 2, 2008:
Rudnick, Samantha. Posted February 13, 2004. Country Marriages, From “Golden Rings” to “D-I-V-O-R-C-E.” The Mavericks.
http://www.cmt.com/artists/news/1485066/02132004/mavericks_the.jhtml

Posted August 20, 2003. “Planet Garth.com – The Unofficial Internet Site of Garth Brooks. Planet Trisha Forum.
http://www.planetgarth.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118581

Jukebox Etiquette

I admit it, I am addicted to playing jukeboxes. I have been known to judge the quality of a bar by the songlist on the jukebox. There have been nights that I’ve spent more money playing songs on the jukebox than I have on drinks.

While I am not a music snob, I do feel there are certain rules everyone should follow when playing a jukebox. Here are my tips for Jukebox Etiquette:

Take one song to select your songs
Your friends are waiting for you to rejoin them and there are probably other people who want to play the jukebox. Try to select all of your songs during one song.

Never play the same song twice
If you already played a song, it is off limits for the rest of the night.

Play one song per artist
Radio doesn’t do it, why should you? Everyone loves Jimmy Buffett, but no one wants to hear his greatest hits CD in its entirety at the local bar every Saturday night.

Play for your audience (Part I)
The main advantage and disadvantage of Internet jukeboxes is access to every kind of music. So even though you can search for it, don’t play your favorite gangsta rap during happy hour at a blue-collar neighborhood bar. A good gauge of this is the volume: Did the bartender turn down the volume when your song came on — or worse, skip your song? If so, better rethink your selection.

Play for your audience (Part II)
Playing the jukebox is not a contest to see who has the most obscure music knowledge. Pick something you think people will recognize or at least enjoy, even if they don’t know it.

Mix it up
Have you ever been able to guess the who played the jukebox based on the year the last 10 songs that played were popular? Don’t play all your favorite songs from your freshman year of college in a row unless it’s a special occassion, like a high school reunion. It’s lame.

Avoid using the “Play My Song Next” feature
In my opinion, this is another disadvantage of Internet jukeboxes. However, it can be useful late at night when you’re not sure if or when you’ll hear the music you play. My advice: Wait 15-30 minutes. You might be pleasantly surprised and get to play your songs without spending the extra money.

Don’t leave credits on the jukebox
Play all your songs or don’t be surprised if your credits (and therefore, money) are gone when you come back to try to play them later.

Don’t try to influence others
If there’s something you’d like to hear, get out your money and play it. Don’t try to talk a stranger into playing a song for you. Also keep in mind, just because a guy or girl is alone at the jukebox does not mean he or she is an easy target to hit on. Save it for later.