Music to Drink Coffee to Feat. The Bean There Cafe playlist

By Ayanda Dlamini 

I learnt a new word this week, a word that I feel must be shared with my fellow coffee and music enthusiasts. The word is Melomania, meaning: an excessive passion or great enthusiasm for music or melody. So for us who can’t help but incorporate music in everything that we do, for us who don’t just enjoy music, we feel it. This word is for us; we are Melomaniacs! 

This week I had the pleasure of talking to a fellow Melomaniac, named Mark Rosin. Amongst his natural charisma and love for coffee, he is also well submerged in the world of music, and is Bean There Coffee Company’s official Playlist Curator. 

Mark fell in love with music as young as 3 years old, which evidently moulded his interests and career choices growing up. He played the Drums and Guitar in his youth and studied Law and Liberal arts. 

His process, when it comes to curating playlists, can be compared to the way in which a poet writes poetry. He observes, recollects, contemplates and is visually imaginative in his process. When creating playlists for Bean There Coffee Company, Mark considered all the variables that come into play when capturing Bean There’s identity through music. 

Geography and location was his first point of call, Bean There’s cafe is located in an alternative space. A location resembling a rejuvenated urban industrial precinct, the well known 44 Stanley Avenue, in Milpark Johannesburg. 

He intends for his music choices to be representative of Bean There’s dynamic audience and space. Music that’s enjoyed by both the customers and employees, song choices that nail the perfect equilibrium; where old-white-lawyer meets young-black-creatives. 

As our conversation expanded, he elaborated on the importance of mixing familiar with unfamiliar songs when creating a playlist, at this point it became clear what the core ingredient was to his distinctive playlists. The court order given to us by Mark is: “No playlist should have the same artist twice”. 

Even though Mark is intuitive with the songs he chooses for each playlist, he highlights the importance of incorporating new music as he believes - the same playlist over and over can be “soul destroying”. His choices and ability to always mix it up and appeal to a wide audience is clearly rooted in his extensive taste in music. He explores genres such as light Jazz, Afro house, Pop and R&B/soul. 

Mark is good at creating an experience for Bean There’s people through music. There’s nothing like walking into a cafe that smells like coffee alongside quality tunes. His song selections in his daily playlists are the type that’ll constantly introduce you to feelings of nostalgia and also, the need to hold up the Shazam app on your phone against the nearest speaker, desperate to know the artists that have captured your attention. 

Lucky for us Melomaniacs, Mark has so kindly curated a mini Bean There Playlist, for us to have these experiences from the comfort of our home. My constant recommendation will always be, to prepare your headphones, speakers and aux cables. This one feels personal, classic and brand new all at once.