Program February 20, 2019

What's in the water in Nana (tildes over both N's, please), Peru?  I dunno, but that small city about 20 kilometers east of Lima along PE-22 (La Carretera Central or Central Highway, the main road connecting Lima to the high Andes and the rainforest) produced several outstanding bands playing chicha or Peruvian cumbia.  They all had the town's name in them, and they all featured Teo Laura (pictured above) on guitar.

You'll hear three bands from Nana on this week's program, in a set of chicha from that unlikely music capital and from the selva.  Also this week: folk-rock from Turkey and the former Yugoslavia; Le Super Djata Band Du Mali and its acolytes; and the sound of Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, who are playing in DC tonight.

Cumbia Beat, Vol. 3

ARTIST: various artists
TITLE: Cumbia Beat, Vol. 3
LABEL: Vampisoul
The uniquely Peruvian version of cumbia called chicha is now 50 years old. Vampisoul has been documenting the genre since 2010 with its Cumbia Beat series; Volume 3 suggests that there’s plenty more to be anthologized.

Frederico7 | Exotico Americano

ARTIST: Frederico7
TITLE: Exotico Americano
LABEL: self-released
Frederico7 (Frederico Geib to his friends and family) is a Brazilian-born musician now based in Austin TX.

Dawda Jobarteh | I Met Her By The River

ARTIST: Dawda Jobarteh
TITLE: I Met Her By The River
LABEL: Sterns
Here’s the third album from Gambian kora player Dawda Jobarteh, who now lives in Denmark.

Lobo Marino | At Appalachian South Folklife Center

ARTIST: Lobo Marino
TITLE: At Appalachian South Folklife Center
LABEL: self-released
Lobo Marino, the Richmond-based duo of Laney Sullivan and Jameson Price, has been making music for ten years.

Charts February 17, 2019

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 LOBO MARINO | At Appalachian South Folklife Center | self-released
2 DAWDA JOBARTEH | I Met Her By The River | Sterns Africa
3 FREDERICO7 | Exotico Americano | self-released
4 LE VENT DU NORD | Territoires | Borealis
5 BASSEKOU KOUYATE AND NGONI BA | Miri | Out Here
6 DAKTARIS, THE | Soul Explosion [Remastered] | Desco / Daptone
7 SALIF KEITA | Un Autre Blanc | Naive
8 BARRO | Somos | self-released
9 BUDOS BAND, THE | "Old Engine Oil" [Single] | Daptone
10 LEYLA MCCALLA | The Capitalist Blues | Jazz Village

Program February 13, 2019

I have a bunch of new releases and new reissues from West Africa in hand this week, and I'll feature them in this week's first two sets.  You'll hear kora players Dawda Jobarteh (illustrated above) from The Gambia and Senegal's Sourakata Koite, vintage salsa Senegalaise by Star Band De Dakar, juju from Nigeria's Sir Shina Peters and more.

You'll also hear a track from Lobo Marino's wonderful new live album set among related artists working in Indo-Pakistani devotional music, and we'll finish up with a set of what Brazilians call MPB: musica popular brasileira or Brazilian pop music.

Charts February 10, 2019

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 LE VENT DU NORD | Territoires | Borealis
2 DAKTARIS, THE | Soul Explosion [Remastered] | Desco / Daptone
3 SALIF KEITA | Un Autre Blanc | Naive
4 COMBO CHIMBITA | "Testigo" [Single] | ANTI-
5 BERES HAMMOND | Never Ending | VP
6 THIRD WORLD | "Loving You Is Easy" [Single] | Ghetto Youths International
7 CLAUDE FONTAINE | "Cry For Another" [Single] | Innovative Leisure
8 STEP FORWARD YOUTH | various artists | Greensleeves
9 JAAKKO LAITINEN AND VAARA RAHA | "I Taget Finns En Restaurangvagn" [Single] | self-released
10 LEYLA MCCALLA | The Capitalist Blues | Jazz Village

Le Vent Du Nord | Territoires

ARTIST: Le Vent Du Nord
TITLE: Territoires
LABEL: Borealis
Le Vent Du Nord (The North Wind), arguably the finest Quebecois trad group currently working, blows back in with their tenth album.

Program February 6, 2019

Bob Marley (left, with Wailers Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston) would have been 74 years old today, and it's fitting that we pay him tribute here on Global A Go-Go.

I'll do so by spinning a set from my favorite Marley era: the years between 1970 and 1973 when roots reggae was in ascendance, the Wailers were beginning to break out internationally, and the core trio (they started as a vocal harmony group) was still intact.  Everyone has their own Marley favorites -- you'll hear mine on this week's program.

Also this week: a visit to The Great White North, eh?; lovers rock by the ladies; and the Daktaris -- it is all a big hustle.

Charts February 3, 2019

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 ME AND MY FRIENDS | Look Up | Ear Trumpet
2 SALIF KEITA | Un Autre Blanc | Naive
3 JOHNNY CLARKE | Creation Rebel | 17 North Parade
4 UMUT ADAN | Bahar | Riverboat
5 MDOU MOCTAR | "Kamane Tarhanin" [Single] | Sahel Sounds
6 BASSEKOU KOUYATE AND NGONI BA | Miri | Out Here
7 TARTIT | Amankor / The Exile | Riverboat
8 VAUDOU GAME |  Otodi | Hot Casa
9 TE'AMIR | Abyssinia Rise [EP] | Tru Thoughts
10 DAWDA JOBARTEH | I Met Her By The River | Sterns Africa

Umut Adan | Bahar

ARTIST: Umut Adan
TITLE: Bahar
LABEL: Riverboat
As American and British rock spread across the world in the 1960s, Turkish musicians like Erkin Koray, Baris Manco and Cem Karaka energized and modernized folk and traditional music by adding the new sounds of garage and psychedelic rock.

Program January 30, 2019

For me, one of the great pleasures of hosting a radio show is the opportunity to hear musicians I've never heard of, and then find out that I love their music.  That's what happened to me this week -- the artist in question is Umut Adan (pictured above) from Turkey.

Adan's debut international album Bahar (Spring) will be released on February 22.  He's working in a genre called Anatolian rock that back in the 60s and 70s melded Turkish folk music with garage and psych rock, kind of like what bands like the Byrds or Fairport Convention were doing with American and British folk.

I'll play a track this week from Bahar alongside some of my Anatolian rock favorites, plus one from Richmond's own Yeni Nostalji, who are mining a similar vein.  Also this week: a continuation of last week's exploration of Malian music -- this time, three classic Malian female singers plus artists who'll be at the Soiree Nomade in this year's Festival Sur Le Niger.  Plus some disco boogie African style to send you out dancing.

Charts January 28, 2019

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 MDOU MOCTAR | "Kamane Tarhanin" [Single] | Sahel Sounds
2 BASSEKOU KOUYATE AND NGONI BA | Miri | Out Here
3 JUANECO Y SU COMBO | El Gran Cacique | Infopesa
4 VAUDOU GAME | Otodi | Hot Casa
5 SARAZINO | Mama Funny Day | Cumbancha
6 DUR-DUR OF SOMALIA | Volume 1, Volume 2 & Previously Unreleased Tracks | Analog Africa
7 ATERCIOPELADOS | Claroscura | Sony Colombia
8 DAKTARIS, THE | Soul Explosion | Desco / Daptone
9 SALIF KEITA | Un Autre Blanc | Naive
10 BABA COMMANDANT AND THE MANDINGO BAND | Siri Ba Kele | Sublime Frequencies

Mdou Moctar | Kamane Tarhanin

ARTIST: Mdou Moctar
TITLE: Kamane Tarhanin
LABEL: Sahel Sounds
Tamasheq guitarist Mdou Moctar from Agadez, Niger is one of the most prominent second generation musicians playing what the Tamasheq call tishumaren or assouf or la guitare; in English, we typically call it “desert blues.”