Colombia's Motown

Various Artists - 1960-1976 - Colombia! The Golden Age Of Discos Fuentes--The Powerhouse of Colombian Music
This compilation is stellar. A collection of pretty much the best Colombian grooves you are likely to hear. Some people like to think of the Discos Fuentes record label as something like Colombia's version of Motown (not that they put out the same type of music, of course... people like to make the comparison between the two because both labels are still around today, but their best moments occurred in the sixties and early seventies--and of course, both labels made great music you can dance to). It's pretty hard to feel down when listening to this record. So put it on and enjoy.

1980s classical music

Steve Reich - 1986 - Sextet / Six Marimbas
Contained on this album are two works by Steve Reich, which together happen to make one of my favorite albums of his music. Reich utilizes two smaller ensembles than his music usually employed by the 1980s, to really wonderful effect (even having players bow vibraphones, later on in the first work, which produces wonderfully long and ghostly notes). I could babble on about how Reich's music makes me feel when I listen to it, but it's better to just listen for yourself without a bunch of expectations... If you just let yourself drift away into the subtle changes and evolving pieces while you listen, I think there's a pretty good chance you'll be hooked.