Fauna Crepuscular - Birra

Venezuela is a nation of beer drinkers. At the beach, at home, after work in pubs, clubs and restaurants, wherever you go you'll find people chugging ice cold brewskis to keep the tropical heat at bay.

The Irish of the Americas, Venezuelans drink more of the amber nectar per head than any other South Americans.

According to the 2008 edition of the Economist magazine's "Pocket World in Figures" the top beer drinkers in the world in litres per person per year are:
1. Czech Republic, 81.9 litres
2. Venezuela, 76.7 litres
3. Australia, 69.3 litres
4. Germany, 67.9 litres
5. Austria, 66.2 litres
6. Finland, 65.4 litres
7. England, 62.6 litres
8. USA, 62.5 litres
9. Slovakia, 62.4 litres
10. Denmark, 60.8 litres

This ska-tastic ode to Venezuela's favourite leisure pursuit by Caracas-based band Fauna Crepuscular has become something of a summer anthem this year.

It's got all the ingredients for a top hit: The words couldn't be simpler, the message couldn't be more profound, and the beat couldn't be any bouncier.

So let's all sing along.

Birra. Yo lo que quiero es una birra.
Yo lo que quiero es tomar,
Sin parar!

Beer. I want a beer.
I want to drink,
Without stopping!

Who said the art of poetry is dead?

Russell Maddicks