Step out of any airport or train station anywhere in the world and the first thing you'll see is a line of taxis. So, with that in mind I've tried to select a list of songs with a global flavour. First up, the godfathers of world music with a song that takes you from Lagos to Nairobi by way of Stoke Newington. This is a cover of a song originally recorded by Bobby Benson & His Combo; 3 Mustaphas 3 - Taxi Driver (I Don't Care)/Benga Taxi.
The passenger in our next song, El Taxista by Los Tigres Del Norte, is so grateful that he intends to name his next child after the cabbie.
I hadn't heard this next one, Singleton by Moto Taxi, before, and all I know is that it is from Conakry in Guinea. Fantastic insistent, pulsating sound. We follow that with the Welsh answer to Wu Tang, Goldie Looking Chain, and their track Taxi (Enter The Dragon). Feel the vibe.
Not too much tango from these Argentinian boys Los Piojos with Taxi Boy – but plenty of old style R'n'B with a reggaeish lilt. From Burkina Faso, that hotbed of African taxi related songs, we have Taxi Brousse by Yeleen – dig that kora.
From Puerto Rico Hector Lavoe with Taxi (Desgarrador Bolero) – very Cuban in style. From Mali, Amadou & Mariam's Taxi Bamako. You sit, I drive. No mechanical problems.
Next destination is Sweden for Jens Lekman's Black Cab. These black cabs are the complete opposite of London's version; totally unlicensed. "They might be psycho killers / But tonight I really don't care / So I say turn up the music / Take me home or take me anywhere.
Mmore from Burkina Faso now, but more of a Nigerian style – Amadou Balaké's Taximen. He definitely doesn't love Parisian taxi drivers. Then from Birmingham (In the Midlands, not Alabama) Driver 67 - Car 67 "Controller have mercy on me / I don't wanna do the pick-up at number 83 / And the girl of my dreams left me all alone / And at number 83 is where she made her home".
Finally The cab ride that none of us wants to take : Wreckless Eric – Final Taxi.
The list
3 Mustaphas 3 – Taxi Driver (I Don't Care)/Benga Taxi
Los Tigres Del Norte - El Taxista
Goldie Looking Chain - Taxi (Enter The Dragon)
Hector Lavoe - Taxi (Desgarrador Bolero)
