Setting the Mood: Choosing Music for Dinner Parties and Other Special Occasions

Music can help set the mood for holidays, parties, themed dinners or other special occasions. Choosing the right background music is as important as choosing the menu... and just as much fun. The compact disc collections at Louisville Publc Library have many albums of music perfect for setting the right mood.

Here are some suggestions:

Mardi Gras

• Beau Jocque – Best of Beau Jocque and the Zydeco Hi Rollers
• The Best of Carnival
• Carnival
• Dr. John – Crawfish Soiree
• Evangeline Made: A Tribute to Cajun Music
• Mardi Gras Party
• Mardi Gras Time
• Zydeco

Oktoberfest

• Bavarian Oktoberfest Band & Chorus – Music of Oktoberfest
• Emeralds – Polka's Greatest Hits
• German Beer Drinking Songs
• German Drinking Songs
• 16 Most Requested Polkas
• 20 Jukebox polka favorites

St. Patrick's Day

• Patrick Ball – Fiona
• Boston Pops – Irish Night at the Pops
• Celtic Ceili
• Celtic Dances
• Celtic Moods
• Celtic Treasure – The Legacy of Turlough O'Carolan
• Cherish the Ladies – New Day Dawning
• The Chieftains – The Best of the Chieftains
• Clancy Brothers – Irish Drinking Songs
• Clancy Brothers – Songs of Ireland and Beyond
• Clannad – Magical Gathering
• Mitzie Collins – St. Patrick's Day in the Morning
• Dance of the Celts
• Michael Flatley – Feet of Flames
• Forever green
• Gaelic Storm – Herding Cats
• James Galway – In Ireland
• Irish Jigs & Reels
• Irish Rovers – The Unicorn
• Irish Tenors
• Lord of the Dance
• John MacNally – Reflections of Ireland
• John MacNally – Tenor of Ireland
• Joanie Madden – Song of the Irish Whistle
• John McDermott – Battlefields of Green
• Mitch Miller – Favorite Irish Sing Alongs
• Emily Mitchell – Irish Harp Songs
• Daniel O'Donnell – The Irish Album
• Riverdance
• Joemy Wilson – Carolan's Cup
• Wolfe Tones – Sing Out for Ireland

Cinco de Mayo

• Placido Domingo – 100 Años de Mariachi
• Gloria Estefan – Alma Caribena
• Exitos con Mariachi
• Fiesta Mexicana
• Sharon Isbin – Dances for Guitar
• Mana – En Vivo
• Mexico
• Non-Stop Party Remixes
• Joaquin Rodrigo – James Galways Plays Rodrigo
• Angel Romero – A Touch of Romance
• David Russell – Reflections of Spain
• Selena – Siempre Selena
• Thalia – Greatest Hits

Halloween

• Cincinnati Pops – Scary Music
• Dr. Demento Presents Spooky Tunes & Scary Melodies
• Elvira Presents Monster Hits
• Fright Night: Music That Goes Bump in the Night
• Ghost Party
• Halloween Haunted House
• Halloween Havoc
• Halloween Hootenanny
• Halloween Horrors
• Halloween House Party
• Halloween Monster Music
• Halloween Sound Effects
• Halloween Spooky Sounds
• Erich Kunzel – Chiller
• Monster Party 2000
• Gil Shaham – Devil's Dance

Many themed dinners revolve around countries or regions of the world. Music can help set a special mood.

Italy

• Roberto Alagna – Serenades
• Andrea Bocelli – Cieli di Toscana
• Al Caiola – Italian Street Songs
• Eh, Paisano! - Italian-American Classics
• The Godfather Trilogy
• The Italian Album
• Dean Martin – That's Amore
• Tony Mottola – Italian Favorites
• Passport to Italy
• Luciano Pavarotti – Ti Adoro
• Quartetto Geltao – Neapolitan Cafe

Hawaii

• Alfred Apaka – My Isle of Golden Dreams
• Keola Beamer – Mauna Kea
• Bob Brozmen – Kika Kila Meets Ki Hoalu
• Diamond Head Project – Hawaiian Love Songs
• Hawaii
• Hawaiian Luau Party
• Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Masters
• Don Ho – Don Ho's Greatest Hits
• Holiday in Hawaii
• Island Sounds Orchestra – Hawaii
• George Kulokahai – Holiday in Hawaii
• Legends of Ukulele

Middle Eastern & Indian

• Nusrat Faruk Ali – Swan Song
• Ananda Shankar Experience – Walking On
• Bhangra Beatz
• Bend it Like Beckham – Soundtrack
• Bellydance Superstars
• Sheila Chandra – This Sentence is True
• Desert Roses 3
• Festival of India – a Hindustani Sampler
• Ghazel – The Rain
• Hamdulillah – Fes Festival of World Sacred Music
• Zakir Hussain – Essence of Rhythm
• Ali Akbar Khan – Garden of Dreams
• Wasahat Khan – Indian Classical Music
• Moroccan Spirit
• Susheela Raman – Love Trap
• Ravi Shankar – Chants of India
• Omar Faruk Tekbilek – One Truth

Chinese & Japanese

• Yu Hong-Mei – String Glamour
• Jiang Jian Hua – The Earth
• Japan
• The Japanese Album
• Kitaro – Silk Road
• Kodo – Ibuki
• Ayako Lister – The Japanese Koto
• Yo-Yo Ma – Silk Road Journeys
• Wu Man – Pipa
• Music of China
• Ondekoza – The Ondekoza
• Tani Senzan – Zen Spirit
• Tomoko Sunazaki – Tegoto