Here is the next round of my survey of the best songs from each country participating the 2014 World Cup.
First, a review of the ground rules:
1. The song has to be released in or after the year of my birth (1981). Otherwise, Pedro Infante’s rendition of “Cielito Lindo” would win, hands down.
2. Regardless of relative quality, if I know of and like songs from a country, I have to chose one of them. This will hurt some countries. For countries where I know multiple songs/artists, I have allotted myself 10 minutes to make a decision on the best song.
3. If I don’t know songs from a country (marked with an asterisk*), I have allotted myself 10 minutes of internet research to find a song. This will also hurt some countries.
4. My rules for a band representing a country is roughly as intuitive as FIFA’s rules for players representing nations. (In other words, any remote affiliation may count.)
5. These choices are definitive of my personal taste in music, nothing more. Please share your favorites in the comments.
6. Special Rule for Group E: In my list for Group D, I noted that the majority of the artists I’ve listed are male. Since I don’t know many artists from these countries, I’m giving myself 15 minutes of search, with the first 10 minutes being dedicated to finding female artists.
On with the show.
Group E: Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras
Switzerland*:
Mia Aegerter – “Finger i d’ohre”
Her early music had a teeny bop-ness to it. Since I don’t speak German, I can’t be sure, but her newest songs seem a bit more grown up (nevermind the first song of her newest album is D’jung – something like ‘youth’). I quite like this song, but I have no idea what she’s saying, and I don’t want to try and find out, just in case.
Honorable Mention: The Dandies – “Battle Cry”; As it turns out, Tina Turner is now a Swiss citizen. Private Dancer was playing non-stop when my family would go on road trips. So, I would be remiss to not link to “Private Dancer” and “What’s Love Got to do with It”.
Ecuador*:
Chota Madre – “Chuchaqui”
This song is too good not to choose. In fact, Bomba del Chota has become a musical style I want to explore further. The version of the song I chose is from a New York-based band with Ecuadorian roots called Chota Madre. I chose this version because I liked it best.
France:
Camille – “Au Port”
This song is quite fun. It is a joy to watch performed live.
Honorable Mention: Daft Punk – “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger”
Honduras:
Kazzabe – “Mi tradicion”
I defy your hips to stay still when punta music starts playing. They couldn’t help it. Them, neither – heck one women showed up in her curlers. Not even these boys could resist the rhythms. Good luck not dancing.
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That’s a wrap for Group E. Two of the four choices are female artists. Success? Not sure; though, I forgot my familiarity with Honduran music and didn’t expect to fall in love with a song from Ecuador so quickly.
Share your thoughts below.
The Rest of the Groups:
The Caveat Lector 
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