In November 2013, the candidate for the local Parisian elections, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, faced public uproar after confessing that she experienced “moments of grace” in the Parisian métro. Her privileged lyricism about the monotonous Parisian routine of métro-boulot-dodo, or metro-work-sleep, irked many Twitter users, who expressed their annoyance through the sardonic and mocking #momentdegrâce hashtag.
Disregarding the Parisian métro, this playlist is an ode to a more Abu Dhabi-relevant, less communal commute: taxis and their thousands of respective drivers. While I see no grace in basking in the Abu Dhabi sun, waving my dehydrated arm in a desperate attempt at hailing a taxi, I do see grace in the moments shared with these drivers and the ensuing conversations, many of which are triggered by music. This playlist is a collection of songs that were played while trying to navigate urban commotion, from Abu Dhabi to Buenos Aires.
Also, Scorsese and no Ubers.
Listen to the full playlist
here.
Tezeta
by Mulatu Astatke, Ethiopia. Shared in Abu Dhabi, the UAE.
La Moush Ana
by Mohammed Abd el Wahab, Egypt. Shared in Alexandria, Egypt.
Ces Gens-là
by Jacques Brel, by Belgium. Shared in Brussels, Belgium.
Saniye'm
by Selim Sesler & İdil Üner, Turkey. Shared in Berlin, Germany.
Tu Bin Bataye
by Rang De Basanti, India. Shared in Abu Dhabi, the UAE.
Gentleman
by Fela Kuti, Nigeria. Shared in Abu Dhabi, the UAE.
Alfonsina y el mar
by Mercedes Sosa, Argentina. Shared in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Guns of Brixton
by The Clash, the UK. Shared in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Autobahn
by Kraftwerk, Germany. Shared in Berlin, Germany.
Wannabe
by the Spice Girls, the UK. Shared in Abu Dhabi, the UAE.
Sala Shaker is a contributing writer. Email her at feedback@gzl.me.