Song of the Day: Juan García Esquivel’s “Macarena (La Virgen de La Macarena)”

Juan García Esquivel

Juan García Esquivel grew up in the same Mexican town as my mother: Tampico, Tamulipas, Mexico. Esquivel, as he was known, is the musician responsible for defining the quirky instrumental sound that would later be called “Lounge.” Although, he wasn’t the only instrumental musician at the time, his style created distinctly of exotic percussion, wordless or often repetitive vocals (“mucha muchacha: mí muchacho, you muchacha!” anyone?), masterful piano solos, and as today’s Song of the Day shows us in the first few seconds, over inflated, dynamic shifts in volume. Esquivel’s “Macarena (La Virgen De La Macarena)” is meant to make you wake up on your Monday morning! The extra video is an Animaniac’s version of Esquivel’s “Mucha Muchacha” from the mid-1990s.

Esquivel “Macarena (La Virgen De La Macarena)” (MP3)

Esquivel vs Animaniacs “Mucha Muchacha” (VIDEO)

Tags: Animaniacs, Esquivel, Instrumental, Juan Garcia Esquivel, Mexico, Pop