Del Mundo Jamz: Shaking off the winter blues

A throwback song a day keeps the frostbite away.

Sofia Joseph, La DePaulia Editor-in-Chief

January 26, 2026

This weekend, Chicagoans opted to stay home unless otherwise necessary. With temperatures dipping into the single digits, who can blame them? On Friday and Saturday, the wind chill made it feel like it was minus 24 and minus 16 F (minus 31 and minus 26 C) respectively. Add icy streets and sidewalks to the mix, and everyone has the perfect reason to stay indoors for at least two days straight.

Don’t let this frigid weather harden your soul. Instead of moping around, here are four upbeat songs you can use to lift your spirits.

Del Mundo Jamz: Shaking off the winter blues

"Clavado En Un Bar" by Maná

Maná is a Mexican rock band, and just so happens to be one of my mother’s bands of choice. I listened to plenty of Maná growing up, and Clavado En Un Bar is one of my top picks in their repertoire. Though the lyrics are a bit melancholic, the music is easy to jump around to. If you’re feeling dramatic, throw on a pair of sunglasses, let your hair down and pretend to be their lead singer, Fher Olvera, while you rock out with an air guitar in front of your bathroom mirror (not that I’m speaking from experience…).

"La Vida Es Un Carnaval" by Celia Cruz

This song is a no-brainer. The song’s title translates to “Life is a Carnival” in English. Even if your life isn’t a carnival, you can sing the lyrics and pretend like it is for four minutes and 38 seconds.

My favorite part of the song comes at the end, when the iconic Celia Cruz sings, “Ay señores (Oh, gentlemen) / Hay que vivir cantando (You have to live singing) / Todo aquel que piense (Anyone who thinks) / Que la vida es cruel (That life is cruel) / Nunca estará solo (Will never be alone) / Hay que vivir cantando (You have to live singing) / Dios está con él (God is with him).” She continues on to call out groups of people, like those who complain, criticize or mistreat others, who need to start seeing the positive in life in order to make it better for themselves and those around them.

La Carcacha by Selena Quintanilla

Never doubt Selena when it comes to her music. Her 1992 song, “La Carcacha” is a cumbia sure to get you moving. The song’s title translates to “The Jalopy” in English, and it is a lighthearted story about how a person loves their faithful boyfriend, despite him having an old and damaged car. The music video features the late Quintanilla dancing with her band, Los Dinos. If you are like me, you would enjoy dancing with a mop to this song while cleaning.

"El Noa Noa" by Juan Gabriel

Juan Gabriel, one of México’s most beloved singers, released “El Noa Noa” in 1980, and it soon became one of his most popular tracks. One of the coolest details about this song is that the “Noa Noa” that he refers to was an actual place. The Noa Noa was a bar and nightclub located in Ciudad Juárez, México. Gabriel was able to sing in front of a live audience for the first time at the age of 16 there under a different stage name, Adan Luna. His real name is Alberto Aguilera Valadez.

The lyrics to the Latin pop song are repetitive. Gabriel sings, “Este es un lugar de ambiente donde todo es diferente (This is a place of atmosphere where everything is different) / Donde siempre alegremente bailarás toda la noche ahí (Where you’ll always happily dance all night there).” It’s impossible not to dance to this song.

About the Contributors

Sofia Joseph, La DePaulia Editor-in-Chief

Sofia is in her final year at DePaul studying journalism. She began writing for The DePaulia last year, forming a passion for reporting local news. She can’t wait to continue learning more about the people of Chicago and sharing their stories. Contact Sofia: [email protected]

Alondra M. Castañeda, La DePaulia Editor-in-Chief

Hello, I’m Alondra! I was born in Guerrero, Mexico, and immigrated to the US at the age of three. This is my second year at DePaul, pursuing my bachelor’s degree in Journalism. When I’m not busy editing stories with our team, I’m either creating content for my business, working on my podcast, or chasing after my two crazy kiddos. I am thrilled to continue writing meaningful stories for La DePaulia!