June 29, 2011

Program July 1, 2011

(Cartoon by Andy Singer; see more of his work at http://www.andysinger.com)

America has always been a land of immigrants -- even the ancestors of the guys on the right probably came across the land bridge from Asia.  And this country, which is celebrating its 235th birthday on Monday, continues to be enriched by the talents and efforts of people from around the world who take the enormous chance of starting new lives in a strange place, just as my grandfathers did nearly 100 years ago.

This week on Global A Go-Go, we'll celebrate the Fourth of July with music by immigrants.  Each of the artists you'll hear on the program was born somewhere else and chose to live in the USA.  The music of each of these folks makes our culture a little bit broader, a little bit richer, a little bit more American.

Click "Read More" for today's tracklist; click here for a podcast of today's program:

http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/52849

The complete catalog of Global A Go-Go podcasts is here:

http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/series/Global+A+Go-Go


June 26, 2011

Charts June 26, 2011

CMJ New World Top Ten
1 VARIOUS ARTISTS | 101 Things To Do In Bongolia | Electric Cowbell
2 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Balkan Brass Battle | Asphalt Tango
3 RAY LUGO AND THE BOOGALOO DESTROYERS | Mi Watusi | Freestyle
4 SEUN ANIKULAPO-KUTI AND EGYPT 80 | From Africa With Fury: Rise | Knitting Factory
5 WESTERN JAZZ BAND | Songs Of Happiness, Poison And Ululation | Sterns
6 JOLLY BOYS | Great Expectation | eOne Music
7 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Sofrito: Tropical Discotheque | Strut
8 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Black Rhythms Of Peru | Secret Stash
9 SAMBA MAPANGALA AND ORCHESTRA VIRUNGA | Maisha Ni Matamu | Virunga
10 K. FRIMPONG AND HIS CUBANO FIESTAS | The Blue Album | Secret Stash

CMJ New World Adds
1 OCOTE SOUL SOUNDS | Taurus | ESL Music
2 SEE-I | See-I | Fort Knox
3 SHAOLIN AFRONAUTS | Journey Through Time | Freestyle
4 TABOU COMBO | Respect | Secret Stash
5 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Red Hot + Riot 2: Nova Tropicalia | eOne Music

New & Recommended At WRIR
101 Things To Do In Bongolia | (various artists) | Electric Cowbell
Balkan Brass Battle | (various artists) | Asphalt Tango
Bamba, Sorry | Volume One 1970-1979 | Thrill Jockey
Dzian! | Ali Shan A' Go Go | self-released
English Folk, The Rough Guide To | (various artists) | World Music Network
Frimpong, K. & His Cubano Fiestas | Blue Album | Continental / Secret Stash
Funk Ark, The | From The Rooftops | ESL Music
Gozalo! Bugalu Tropical 4 | (various artists) | Vampisoul
Hazmat Modine | Cicada | Barbes
Highlife Time, Volume 2 | (various artists) | Vampisoul
Hotel X | Unreleased 2010 | none
Jolly Boys, The | Great Expectation | eOne Music
Kuti, Seun Anikulapo & Egypt 80 | From Africa With Fury: Rise | Knitting Factory
Lugo, Ray & The Boogaloo Destroyers | Mi Watusi | Freestyle
Mapangala, Samba & Orchestra Virunga | Maisha Ni Matamu | Virunga
Sergent Garcia | Una Y Otra Vez | Cumbancha
SMOD | SMOD | Nacional
Terakaft | Aratan N Azawad | World Village
Toure, Vieux Farka | The Secret | Six Degrees
Western Jazz Band | Songs Of Happiness, Poison & Ululation: Dar Es Salaam Dancing Club 1973-1975 | Sterns

Recent Arrivals
Captain Planet | The Ningane EP | Bastard Jazz
General Levy & PSB Family feat Big Red | "World Wide West" | X-Ray Productions
Ocote Soul Sounds | Taurus | ESL Music
Red Hot + Rio 2: Nova Tropicalia | (various artists) | eOne Music
Shaolin Afronauts, The | Journey Through Time | Freestyle
Tabou Combo | Respect | Secret Stash

June 24, 2011

101 Things To Do In Bongolia

ARTIST:  various artists 
TITLE:  101 Things To Do In Bongolia 
LABEL:  Electric Cowbell 

REVIEW:  If you know the Richmond music scene, you probably know Jim Thomson.  He’s drummed for some of the most original bands this city has produced -- GWAR, Alter-Natives, Tulsa Drone, Bio Ritmo and many more.  Now based in Brooklyn, Jim added record-label-owner to his resume when he started Electric Cowbell Records a year ago.  So far, EC has specialized in 7-inch 45 RPM vinyl, although they’ll be branching out by releasing Bio Ritmo’s new long-player in September.  This CD/digital release summarizes the label’s first year’s work -- they’re off to a hell of a good start.  As you’d expect from Thomson, much of the music here has a global outlook.  Superhuman Happiness (tracks 1, 5, 8, 14 and 17) is led by Stuart Bogie; they sound a little like two projects on which Bogie is a key player: Antibalas and the Sway Machinery.  Debo Band, who wowed Richmond audiences in September with their vintage Ethiopian sound, contributes track 2 and its remix (12).  Spanglish Fly, featuring Bio Ritmo conguero Gabo Tomasini, rocks some vintage boogaloo (3), Bio Ritmo’s latest single is here (4, 13), and there’s a great chicha remix as well (7).  Something for everyone here. 
TOP TRACKS:    1    2    3    4    7 
ALSO RECOMMENDED:    12    13

Ray Lugo & The Boogaloo Destroyers | Mi Watusi

ARTIST:  Ray Lugo & The Boogaloo Destroyers 
TITLE:  Mi Watusi 
LABEL:  Freestyle 
REVIEW:  For a few years in the late 1960s, boogaloo was a Latin music craze that crossed over to the Anglo world in a big way.  It’s a fusion of the popular Cuban rhythms of the day (mambo, guajira and others) with the African-American styles that Hispanics were hearing in Spanish Harlem: soul, R&B and doo-wop.  It’s been called “the first Nuyorican music,” it produced the first million-selling Latin record in the USA (Joe Cuba’s “Bang Bang”), sophisticated players and listeners derided it as kids’ music and a crossover sellout.  In a way, it was the reggaeton of its day.  Ray Lugo, who also leads the Afrobeat band Kokolo (and was at one time a roadie for the Beastie Boys), has put together a combo to play this music of his parents’ generation.  Most of the tracks are covers (some are deep cuts even if you’re into the genre) and the band plays in very much an original boogaloo style, with just a touch of modern updating.  This is a great party disc -- ten short and sweet tracks, each one gets right to the heart of the matter, each one will have you up and doing the shing-a-ling in no time.  Nicely done. 
TOP TRACKS:    1    5    7    8 
ALSO RECOMMENDED:    2    3    4    6    10

Samba Mapangala & Orchestra Virunga | Maisha Ni Matamu

ARTIST:  Samba Mapangala & Orchestra Virunga 
TITLE:  Maisha Ni Matamu (Life Is Sweet) 
LABEL:  Virunga 
REVIEW:  Maryland-based Samba Mapangala is held in the highest regard by fans and musicians as one of the classic singers of soukous, the guitar-driven dance music that swept from the Congo to East Africa in the 70s and across the world in the 80s.  Mapangala has been keeping the flame burning with frequent international tours (he played at the Richmond Folk Festival in 2009) and a series of independently-released recordings.  He attracts some of the top players in the business -- guitarists Beniko Popolipo (Zaiko Langa Langa), Huit Kilos (Afrisa International) and Syran Mbenza (Quatre Etoiles) contribute solos and mi-solos; singers Wuta Mayi (Kekele), Ballou Canta (Soukous Stars) and Suzanna Owiyo (a major Kenyan star) add vocals.  This is an excellent addition to the catalog of a man whose recorded output is consistently strong.  The high-energy numbers here are 1 and 4, 2 and 5 are mid-tempo rumba congolaise, 6 is acoustic and 3 is reggae-influenced.  Soukous certainly isn’t the flavor of the week in African music, but for the literally millions of worldwide fans of this music, Samba Mapangala delivers the goods as always. 
TOP TRACKS:    1    2    4 
ALSO RECOMMENDED:   3    5    6    7    8

June 23, 2011

Program June 24, 2011

In music, everything old is eventually new again.  And right about now, nothing seems newer than boogaloo, the Latin/soul hybrid that burned up dance floors in the late 60's.  This week, you'll hear tracks from two current bands who know how to do the shingaling: Ray Lugo (pictured above) & The Boogaloo Destroyers, and Spanglish Fly featuring long-time Bio Ritmo conguero Gabo Tomasini.

Also this week: reggae from Jamaica, South Africa and Senegal; Balkan beats at two tempos -- fast and faster; and sublime dance music from Central Africa.  Click "Read More" for today's tracklist; click here for a podcast of today's program:

http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/52683

The complete catalog of Global A Go-Go podcasts is here:

http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/series/Global+A+Go-Go


June 19, 2011

Charts June 19, 2011

CMJ New World Top Ten
1 VARIOUS ARTISTS | The Rough Guide To English Folk | World Music Network
2 DENGUE FEVER | Cannibal Courtship | Concord
3 K. FRIMPONG AND HIS CUBANO FIESTAS | Blue Album | Continental-Secret Stash
4 SEUN ANIKULAPO-KUTI AND EGYPT 80 | From Africa With Fury: Rise | Knitting Factory
5 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Highlife Time Vol. 2 | Vampisoul
6 SORRY BAMBA | Volume One 1970-1979 | Thrill Jockey
7 FUNK ARK | From The Rooftops | ESL Music
8 JOLLY BOYS | Great Expectation | eOne Music
9 ORCHESTRE POLY-RYTHMO | Cotonou Club | Strut
10 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Nigeria 70: Sweet Times: Afro Funk, Highlife, And Juju From 70s Lagos | Strut

CMJ New World Adds
1 VARIOUS ARTISTS | 101 Things To Do In Bongolia | Electric Cowbell
2 AMINA ALAOUI | Arco Iris | ECM
3 JAW | Jaw | Cantaloupe
4 RAY LUGO & THE BOOGALOO DESTROYERS | Mi Watusi | Freestyle
5 SAMBA MAPANGALA & ORCHESTRA VIRUNGA | Maisha Ni Matamu | Virunga

New & Recommended At WRIR
Abreu, Alexander Y Havana D'Primera | Haciendo Historia | Ahi-Nama
Balkan Brass Battle | (various artists) | Asphalt Tango
Bamba, Sorry | Volume One 1970-1979 | Thrill Jockey
Dengue Fever | Cannibal Courtship | Concord
Dzian! | Ali Shan A' Go Go | self-released
English Folk, The Rough Guide To | (various artists) | World Music Network
Frimpong, K. & His Cubano Fiestas | Blue Album | Continental / Secret Stash
Funk Ark, The | From The Rooftops | ESL Music
Gozalo! Bugalu Tropical 4 | (various artists) | Vampisoul
Hazmat Modine | Cicada | Barbes
Highlife Time, Volume 2 | (various artists) | Vampisoul
Hotel X | Unreleased 2010 | none
Jolly Boys, The | Great Expectation | eOne Music
Kuti, Seun Anikulapo & Egypt 80 | From Africa With Fury: Rise | Knitting Factory
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo | Cotonou Club | Strut
Sergent Garcia | Una Y Otra Vez | Cumbancha
SMOD | SMOD | Nacional
Terakaft | Aratan N Azawad | World Village
Toure, Vieux Farka | The Secret | Six Degrees
Western Jazz Band | Songs Of Happiness, Poison & Ululation: Dar Es Salaam Dancing Club 1973-1975 | Sterns

Recent Arrivals
101 Things To Do In Bongolia | (various artists) | Electric Cowbell
Alaoui, Amina | Arco Iris | ECM
Bidaia | "Buhamaik" | self-released
Jaw | Jaw | Cantaloupe
Juacali | DreadBass Soundsystem | Foreign Familiar
Lugo, Ray & The Boogaloo Destroyers | Mi Watusi | Freestyle
Mapangala, Samba & Orchestra Virunga | Maisha Ni Matamu | Virunga
No Te Va Gustar | Por Lo Menos Hoy | Nacional
Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides | (original soundtrack) | Walt Disney

June 15, 2011

Program June 17, 2011

I play music from all over the world on Global A Go-Go, but if you forced me to concentrate on only one region, I think it would have to be West Africa -- over the last 50 years straight through until today, there have been just so many great recordings from that part of the world.  We've received several excellent new West African reissues recently; they'll form the core of an all-West African program this week.

There'll be plenty of variety in the mix: Cuban influences, sounds of the Malian Empire, voodoo rhythms, highlife, makossa and more.  And we'll end with a set of African disco, which I think you're going to like if you just give it a chance.

Click "Read More" for today's tracklist; click here for a podcast of today's program:

http://radio4all.net/index.php/program/52535

The complete catalog of Global A Go-Go podcasts is here:

http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/series/Global+A+Go-Go


K. Frimpong | Blue Album

ARTIST:  K. Frimpong & His Cubano Fiestas
TITLE:  Blue Album
LABEL:  Continental / Secret Stash 
REVIEW:  Alhaji K. Frimpong was a Ghanaian singer and bandleader who released six or so albums in the 1970s and 80s.  His career bridged the time from when highlife was the dominant musical style in West Africa to when it was supplanted by afrobeat.  Frimpong’s sound is roughly a halfway point between the two, a mixture of languid melodies and urgent rhythmic drive.  He’s shown up on many of the most important West African compilations, and his original vinyl sells for premium prices.  Now the folks at Continental and Secret Stash have reissued his self-titled 1976 album, one of the most awesome tapes ever featured on the “Awesome Tapes From Africa” blog and pretty difficult to find otherwise.  Frimpong wasn’t the most popular artist in his own day, but his prominence has grown through time -- it’s safe to say that this is some of the best music of an era full of great recordings.  The band here (also known as Vis A Vis on their own sessions) is just superb; drummer Kung-Fu Kwaku is right up there with Tony Allen as a master of polyrhythms.  Don’t miss this one.
TOP TRACKS:    1    2    7    8 
ALSO RECOMMENDED:    3    4    5    6

June 13, 2011

Charts June 12, 2011

CMJ New World Top Ten
1 DENGUE FEVER | Cannibal Courtship | Concord
2 SEUN ANIKULAPO-KUTI AND EGYPT 80 | From Africa With Fury: Rise | Knitting Factory
3 DZIAN! | Ali Shan A' Go Go | self-released
4 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Sofrito: Tropical Discotheque | Strut
5 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Balkan Brass Battle | Asphalt Tango
6 WESTERN JAZZ BAND | Songs Of Happiness, Poison And Ululation | Sterns
7 HAZMAT MODINE | Cicada | Barbes
8 JOLLY BOYS | Great Expectation | eOne Music
9 SERGENT GARCIA | Una Y Otra Vez | Cumbancha
10 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Gozalo! Bugalu Tropical 4 | Vampisoul

CMJ New World Adds
1 DA CRUZ | Sistema Subversiva | Six Degrees
2 K. FRIMPONG & HIS CUBANO FIESTAS | Blue Album | Secret Stash
3 IKEBE SHAKEDOWN | Ikebe Shakedown | Ubiquity
4 CHEIKH LO | Jamm | Nonesuch / World Circuit
5 VARIOUS ARTISTS | The Rhythms Of Black Peru | Secret Stash

New & Recommended At WRIR
Abreu, Alexander Y Havana D'Primera | Haciendo Historia | Ahi-Nama
Balkan Brass Battle | (various artists) | Asphalt Tango
Bamba, Sorry | Volume One 1970-1979 | Thrill Jockey
Dengue Fever | Cannibal Courtship | Concord
Dzian! | Ali Shan A' Go Go | self-released
English Folk, The Rough Guide To | (various artists) | World Music Network
Funk Ark, The | From The Rooftops | ESL Music
Gozalo! Bugalu Tropical 4 | (various artists) | Vampisoul
Hazmat Modine | Cicada | Barbes
Highlife Time, Volume 2 | (various artists) | Vampisoul
Hotel X | Unreleased 2010 | none
Jolly Boys, The | Great Expectation | eOne Music
Kuti, Femi | Africa For Africa | Knitting Factory
Kuti, Seun Anikulapo & Egypt 80 | From Africa With Fury: Rise | Knitting Factory
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo | Cotonou Club | Strut
Sergent Garcia | Una Y Otra Vez | Cumbancha
SMOD | SMOD | Nacional
Terakaft | Aratan N Azawad | World Village
Toure, Vieux Farka | The Secret | Six Degrees
Western Jazz Band | Songs Of Happiness, Poison & Ululation: Dar Es Salaam Dancing Club 1973-1975 | Sterns

Recent Arrivals
Costa, Yamandu & Hamilton De Holanda | Live! | Adventure Music
Da Cruz | Sistema Subversiva | Six Degrees
Frimpong, K. & His Cubano Fiestas | Blue Album | Secret Stash
Harris, Stefon; David Sanchez; Christian Scott | Ninety Miles | Concord
Ikebe Shakedown | Ikebe Shakedown | Ubiquity
Lo, Cheikh | Jamm | Nonesuch / World Circuit

June 9, 2011

Program June 10, 2011

Seun Kuti (pictured above) has a new record out, fronting his father's old Egypt 80 band, and it's as hot as the first week of June in Richmond.  Hotter than his brother Femi's recent release, or than Fela's classics?  You be the judge -- I'll play each of them this week.

You'll also hear Dzian!, a fun post-modern Asian pop band from Charlottesville who are playing here this weekend; Guadeloupean cadence and Colombian porro; the latest single from the kings of coupe decale, Magic System; and some amazing electronic dance gospel music (I kid you not) from South Africa.  Where else but Global A Go-Go?

Click "Read More" for today's tracklist; click here for a podcast of today's program:

http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/52409

The complete catalog of Global A Go-Go podcasts is here:

http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/series/Global+A+Go-Go


Dzian! | Ali Shan A' Go Go

ARTIST:  Dzian!
TITLE:  Ali Shan A’ Go Go
LABEL:  self-released 
REVIEW:  Here’s a fun project from an unlikely source -- University of Virginia’s graduate school of music.  Dzian! describe themselves as a “post-fieldwork, post-academic project of public scholarship” and as “functional music.”  But don’t be put off by the jargon of academe -- it doesn’t interfere with the downright joyousness of the music here.  They’re working with vintage Asian pop source material here -- tracks 2 and 4 are Taiwanese, track 1 is Japanese (3 is an original), and they also incorporate pop music of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia in their live sets.  The guitars are kind of surfy, and violinist Rachel Thompson adds a Balkan/bellydance flavor to the sound, pushing Dzian! into the entirely unclassifiable category.  Sounds like several members of the band are moving to California soon -- that will be Virginia’s loss but the concept will probably get a lot more traction there than here, so hopefully there’s more Dzian! to look forward to in the future.  In the meantime, if you’re at all interested in Asian pop or the garage-psych era this is well worth your attention.
TOP TRACKS:    2    3    4 
ALSO RECOMMENDED:    1

The Rough Guide To English Folk

ARTIST:  various artists
TITLE:  The Rough Guide To English Folk
LABEL:  World Music Network
REVIEW:  Here in the USA, acoustic music and singer-songwriters are all the rage in the world of independent rock.  A similar phenomenon is going on in England.  Even more exciting is that there’s a serious, major revival in the world of English folk music, and it’s being led by young musicians.  The London-published magazine fRoots has championed this renaissance; its editor Ian Anderson (no, not the Jethro Tull guy) curated this overview.  He does slip in a handful of older recordings, but the key tracks here are from some of the best of the young folkies -- Bellowhead (track 1), Emily Portman (2), Ian King (3), Marry Waterson & Oliver Knight (12) and Bella Hardy (15).  And there’s a brilliant re-envisioning of “My Son John” (6) by the multicultural project The Imagined Village, which features Martin Carthy (one of the key players in the 1960s folk revival) and his daughter Eliza.  If you’re a fan of the new generation of American acoustic artists, give a listen to what’s happening on the other side of the pond.
TOP TRACKS:    1    3    6    12
ALSO RECOMMENDED:    2    10    15

Seun Anikulapo Kuti & Egypt 80 | From Africa With Fury: Rise

ARTIST:  Seun Anikulapo Kuti & Egypt 80
TITLE:  From Africa With Fury: Rise
LABEL:  Knitting Factory
REVIEW:  29-year-old Seun Kuti is the youngest son of Afrobeat founder Fela Kuti; Seun has been singing with Fela’s Egypt 80 ensemble since his father’s death in 1997; this is the second CD documenting a new era in the history of one of the world’s most illustrious bands.  There are now thousands of groups playing Afrobeat, but none of them sounds quite like Egypt 80 -- for power, drama, great horn arrangements (the background singers are used like an additional horn section) and total dedication to polyrhythmic groove, Egypt 80 under the musical direction of 75-year-old baritone sax player Lekan Animashaun really can’t be beat.  They’ve modernized their sound somewhat (the new material is played up to 50% faster than the 1970’s classics), but this is not Afrobeat-hyphen anything -- it’s the straight stuff.  Seun does a fine job on the songwriting and singing, and he’s a better saxophonist than his father ever was.  But make no mistake, the band is the star here.  An indispensible record, certainly one of the best of the year.
TOP TRACKS:    3    5    6    7
ALSO RECOMMENDED:    1    2    4

June 5, 2011

Charts June 5, 2011

CMJ New World Top Ten
1 DENGUE FEVER | Cannibal Courtship | Concord
2 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Persian Funk | Secret Stash
3 HOTEL X | Unreleased 2010 | none
4 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Balkan Brass Battle | Asphalt Tango
5 SORRY BAMBA | Volume One 1970-1979 | Thrill Jockey
6 DZIAN! | Ali Shan A' Go Go | self-released
7 SAMPA MAPANGALA AND ORCHESTRA VIRUNGA | Maisha Ni Matamu | Virunga
8 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Highlife Time, Volume 2 | Vampisoul
9 FUNK ARK | From The Rooftops | ESL Music
10 JOLLY BOYS | Great Expectation | eOne Music

CMJ New World Adds
1 DZIAN! | Ali Shan A' Go Go | self-released
2 SEUN ANIKULAPO KUTI AND EGYPT 80 | From Africa With Fury: Rise | Knitting Factory
3 BOUBACAR TRAORE | Mali Denhou | Lusafrica
4 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Nigeria 70: Sweet Times | Strut
5 VARIOUS ARTISTS | The Rough Guide To English Folk | World Music Network

New & Recommended At WRIR
Abreu, Alexander Y Havana D'Primera | Haciendo Historia | Ahi-Nama
Balkan Brass Battle | (various artists) | Asphalt Tango
Bamba, Sorry | Volume One 1970-1979 | Thrill Jockey
Bombino | Agadez | Cumbancha
Dengue Fever | Cannibal Courtship | Concord
Fania Records 1964-1980: The Original Sound Of Latin New York | (various artists) | Strut
Funk Ark, The | From The Rooftops | ESL Music
Gozalo! Bugalu Tropical 4 | (various artists) | Vampisoul
Hazmat Modine | Cicada | Barbes
Highlife Time, Volume 2 | (various artists) | Vampisoul
Hotel X | Unreleased 2010 | none
Jolly Boys, The | Great Expectation | eOne Music
Kuti, Femi | Africa For Africa | Knitting Factory
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo | Cotonou Club | Strut
Sergent Garcia | Una Y Otra Vez | Cumbancha
SMOD | SMOD | Nacional
Taylor, Ebo | Life Stories | Strut
Terakaft | Aratan N Azawad | World Village
Toure, Vieux Farka | The Secret | Six Degrees
Western Jazz Band | Songs Of Happiness, Poison & Ululation: Dar Es Salaam Dancing Club 1973-1975 | Sterns

Recent Arrivals
Delhi 2 Dublin | Planet Electric | self-released
Dzian! | Ali Shan A' Go Go | self-released
Earlyworm | Natty Droid | Renegade Recordings
Kinsella, Kevin | Great Design | ROIR
Kuti, Seun Anikulapo & Egypt 80 | From Africa With Fury: Rise | Knitting Factory
Nigeria 70: Sweet Times | (various artists) | Strut
Shayna Dread | Don't Fight The Youth | Catch Me Time
Traore, Boubacar | Mali Denhou | Lusafrica

June 2, 2011

Program June 3, 2011

The only thing more unruly than a Balkan brass band is (wait for it) two Balkan brass bands.  On the new CD Balkan Brass Battle and on their current tour (no, it's not coming to the USA) Serbia's Boban and Marko Markovic Orkestar (left in photo) face off with Romania's Fanfare Ciocarlia (right).  Better yet, they team up on several tracks and you'll hear one of them this week on Global A Go-Go as part of a set of Balkan brass insanity.

Also on this week's show: new music from Richmond's Hotel X and DC's The Funk Ark, Jamaican mento, West African highlife, and much more.  Click "Read More" for today's tracklist; click here for a podcast of today's program:

http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/52252

The complete catalog of Global A Go-Go podcasts is here:

http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/series/Global+A+Go-Go


The Funk Ark | From The Rooftops

ARTIST:  The Funk Ark
TITLE:  From The Rooftops
LABEL:  ESL Music
REVIEW:  Straight outta Washington DC (and yes, they have played in Richmond at least once so far), The Funk Ark is a mid-sized combo playing original instrumentals that are influenced by vintage funk, afrobeat and Latin soul.  This is their first full-length recording; it’s on Thievery Corporation’s ESL Music imprint.  Like a few other American bands of the same vintage (The Budos Band, Grupo Fantasma and Bronx River Parkway come immediately to my mind), The Funk Ark keeps their songs short (the longest track here is 5:16), sweet (there are catchy hooks and pithy solos throughout) and highly danceable.  In Nigeria, Femi Kuti’s Positive Force is playing afrobeat the same way -- maybe this is afrobeat for the iPod generation?  In any case, The Funk Ark delivers an enjoyable set that fans of the aforementioned bands are going to want to seek out.  Nothing fancy here -- just ten tracks, each one on the good foot and you’ll be hungry for more after the first listen.
REVIEWER:  Bill Lupoletti
TOP TRACKS:    2    4    6    7    10
ALSO RECOMMENDED:    1    3    5    8

Highlife Time, Volume 2

ARTIST:  various artists
TITLE:  Highlife Time, Volume 2
LABEL:  Vampisoul
REVIEW:  Long before afrobeat, juju, fuji or hiplife, highlife music ruled in Anglophone West Africa.  The roots of this style go back to the 19th century, some of the earliest commercial recordings in Africa are highlife sessions, and most of Nigeria and Ghana’s most famous musicians got their starts in highlife bands.  This well-curated two-disc set (credit to Londoners Rita Ray and Max Reinhardt, aka Shrine Synchro System, for the selections and the excellent notes) is an excellent overview of this diverse and long-lived genre.  Highlife thrives on its ability to incorporate a wide variety of influences, and this set really highlights that diversity -- you’ll hear elements of bebop (disc 1-track 1), calypso (1-2), Central African guitars (1-6, possibly the most popular African recording of all time), palm-wine guitar (1-9), even modern jazz (2-2) and marching bands (2-9) on this set.  If you’re at all interested in the roots of modern West African music, this set is worth your attention, and you’ll almost certainly fall in love with at least a few of these tracks.
REVIEWER:  Bill Lupoletti
TOP TRACKS:    1-1    1-2    1-6    2-5    2-6    2-9
ALSO RECOMMENDED:    1-3    1-9    2-1    2-2    2-3    2-4    2-7