Coffee and music: songs, bars and playlists for your coffee break

Coffee and music: two small pleasures to enjoy together

The gurgle of the moka on the stove, a radio playing in the background, the clink of a spoon against the cup: coffee often has a soundtrack of its own.

It is not hard to see why coffee and music go well together. Both accompany moments of rest, company and concentration.

A lively song can set the rhythm of the morning, while calmer music can make the afternoon coffee more enjoyable.

And the good news is that creating the right atmosphere does not take much: a cup, a few carefully chosen tracks and a few spare minutes are enough.

In this guide we look at how coffee appears in some famous songs and compositions, and how music has always been part of life in Italian bars.

We will also see a few playlist ideas for different moments of the day and some ways to listen and taste with greater attention.

Whether you are making breakfast or taking a break after lunch, there are small touches that bring the two pleasures together.

Coffee in songs and classical music

Coffee has inspired composers and songwriters from very different eras, and some titles are still well known today.

One of the most famous examples is the Kaffeekantate, the “Coffee Cantata” by Johann Sebastian Bach.

It is a short secular cantata with a light tone, in which a daughter refuses to give up coffee despite her father's protests.

The text tells, with a touch of irony, how this drink could both delight people and stir up debate.

Listening to it while preparing the cup is a curious way to remember that coffee has inspired stories and debates for centuries.

Staying with classical music, the Arabian Dance from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker is often associated with coffee.

In the ballet, several dances recall sweets and drinks, including chocolate, coffee and tea.

As for Italian song, a very well-known example is Na tazzulella 'e cafè by Pino Daniele.

It is a song in Neapolitan that puts the cup at the centre from the title onwards and recalls how much coffee is part of the culture of Naples.

If this link interests you, you can read our article on Neapolitan coffee, its tradition and blends.

These are only a few examples, but they are enough to show how the cup can become a musical theme as well as a moment of rest.

Listening to a song in dialect is also a way to get closer to the sounds and expressions of a local tradition.

Music in Italian bars: radio and jukebox

Anyone walking into an Italian bar almost always finds a background of sounds: the noise of the machine, the clinking of cups and the voices at the counter.

To these sounds the radio is often added, playing quietly and keeping company with the breakfast of people who stop by before work.

The counter is also where coffee is often drunk standing up, in a few minutes, between one sip and a chat.

Songs of the moment, news and programmes mix with the greetings and comments of the customers.

In the past, many bars also had a jukebox, a coin-operated machine with which customers could choose the tracks to listen to.

With a few gestures, the bar became a small musical meeting place, where people could contribute to the soundtrack of the evening.

Today many bars use playlists or radio programmes, but the idea remains the same: music accompanies the break without drowning out conversation.

A moderate volume is an important aspect, because it lets us talk to the people beside us and listen to the music as a background.

Those who prefer to sit at a table often find a quieter atmosphere, better suited to following the music.

Cinema, too, has often portrayed the bar as a place of encounters and music. If you like this theme, you can read our guide to coffee in cinema and pop culture.

How many songs do we happen to hear for the first time while waiting for our cup at the counter?

Playlists for different moments of the day

Creating a playlist for coffee is a simple way to give each moment of the day a different character.

You can start from a few ideas, to adapt to your own taste:

Breakfast, with light and bright tracks, such as some pop, acoustic music or singer-songwriter songs, to start the day calmly.

After lunch, with soft jazz or instrumental music, suited to a short, relaxed break.

Afternoon at work, with tracks without words, such as classical or instrumental music, which leave more room for concentration.

Evening with friends, with songs that everyone knows, to sing along to or comment on while the last coffee is being made.

You can mix genres and eras and build a playlist all of your own, perhaps adding a new track from time to time.

It can be useful to prepare a playlist that is not too long, designed for the length of a break, so that you do not have to choose the tracks every time.

At the weekend, when there is more time, you can choose a longer and more varied playlist, suited to an unhurried breakfast.

While the music starts, you can choose the blend: in our coffee beans and ground coffee section you will find several options to discover.

The seasons can also offer ideas: livelier tracks on summer days, more intimate music on cold and rainy ones.

Starting the same track at the beginning of the break can become a small signal, an invitation to stop and devote some time to the cup.

Listening and tasting: a break with more attention

Sometimes music can serve not only as a background, but also as an invitation to slow down.

One idea is to devote a few minutes to a single activity: listening to a piece while drinking the coffee, without looking at the phone screen.

The first sip offers a lot of information: the aroma, the body of the drink and the aftertaste that stays in the mouth.

Some blends have notes reminiscent of chocolate or nuts, while others are fruitier or more roasted: listening calmly can help us notice them.

After the first sip you can ask yourself what sensations the track you are listening to suggests: warmth, energy, calm.

The sounds of preparation are part of the ritual too: the gurgle of the moka, the noise of the grinder, the hiss of the steam.

If you prefer convenience, in our section devoted to capsule and pod systems you will find several solutions for making a cup in a few simple steps.

The cup also contributes to the experience: its shape, its material and even the sound it makes when set down on the saucer.

In our accessories and cups section you will find several options to choose the one best suited to your break.

A favourite cup can become part of the ritual, together with the music chosen for the occasion.

Repeating the same gesture for a few days can make this moment more and more familiar and enjoyable.

So why not turn the break, for a few minutes, into a moment that we truly devote to ourselves?

Coffee and music in company

Coffee and music are good company even when there are many of you.

An afternoon with friends can start from a playlist built together, in which everyone proposes a track.

It is a simple way to discover other people's tastes and to swap suggestions, just as happens with coffee blends.

After a lunch or dinner in company, coffee is a classic moment for chatting, with some music in the background.

A shared playlist can accompany other activities too, such as cooking together or leafing through old photographs.

In these cases it is a good idea to choose tracks that do not cover the voices, leaving room for conversation.

If some of your guests are sensitive to caffeine, you can also keep decaffeinated coffee available, which greatly reduces the caffeine but does not remove it completely.

Other hot drinks can be prepared too, so that everyone finds something suited to their moment of the day.

After all, a song and a cup are two simple ways to carve out a moment of pleasure, as in the scene we started from: the moka on the stove and the radio playing in the background.

If you are looking for blends, cups or systems to go with your playlists, contact us: the Maracatú team is always happy to help you choose.