Program September 30, 2011

Let me start with a big Global A Go-Go thank you to the over 500 donors who contributed more than $38,000 during WRIR's Summer 2011 Fund Drive.  Both those numbers are new records for us -- in fact, both are 20 percent higher than we've ever achieved before.  We're blown away by your support and generosity.

Kal | Do You Know Who I Am?

ARTIST:  Kal 
TITLE:  “Do You Know Who I Am?” 
LABEL:  Asphalt Tango 

REVIEW:  Kal (“black” in the Romani language) is one of the most exciting bands in the former Yugoslavia.

Charts September 25, 2011

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 BIO RITMO |  La Verdad | Electric Cowbell
2 CAMBODIAN SPACE PROJECT | 2011: A Space Odyssey | Metal Postcard
3 JOLLY BOYS | Great Expectation | eOne Music
4 VARIOUS ARTISTS | El Sonido De Tupac Amaru | Masstropicas
5 GRUPO 2000 | El Destape | Masstropicas
6 TABOU COMBO | Respect | Secret Stash
7 VARIOUS ARTISTS | 101 Things To Do In Bongolia | Electric Cowbell
8 RAY LUGO AND THE BOOGALOO DESTROYERS | Mi Watusi | Freestyle
9 SEUN ANIKULAPO-KUTI AND EGYPT 80 | From Africa With Fury: Rise | Knitting Factory
10 GRUPO OZ | Miss Thing | Secret Stash

Program September 23, 2011

I want to thank everyone who has donated so generously thus far in WRIR's Summer 2011 Fund Drive, which continues through Sunday.  As I write this note on Thursday night, we've already raised $22,000, which is more than we've ever made in the first seven days of a fund drive.

The Cambodian Space Project | 2011: A Space Odyssey

ARTIST:  The Cambodian Space Project

TITLE:  2011: A Space Odyssey

LABEL:  Metal Postcard

REVIEW:  Straight outta Phnom Penh, the Cambodian Space Project play 1960’s-style Cambodian rock with a 21^st century twist.

Los Destellos | Constelacion

ARTIST:  Los Destellos

TITLE:  Constelacion

LABEL:  Secret Stash

REVIEW:  Los Destellos are probably the best-known purveyors of chicha, the psychedelic cumbia that is Peru’s great contribution to 60’s and 70’s music. 

Joni Haastrup | Wake Up Your Mind

ARTIST:  Joni Haastrup

TITLE:  Wake Up Your Mind

LABEL:  Tummy Touch / Soundway

REVIEW:  Joni Haastrup was Nigeria’s soul brother number one in the 60’s and 70’s, a major superstar in the optimistic early years of independence.

El Sonido De Tupac Amaru

ARTIST:  various artists

TITLE:  El Sonido De Tupac Amaru

LABEL:  Masstropicas

REVIEW:  Barbes Records’ two The Roots Of Chicha compilations and Vampisoul’s Cumbia Beat set have introduced thousands of listeners to the pleasures of Peruvian psychedelic cumbia.

Charts September 18, 2011

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 SAMPA MAPANGALA AND ORCHESTRA VIRUNGA | Maisha Ni Matamu | Virunga
2 BIO RITMO | La Verdad | Electric Cowbell
3 SENOR FLAVIO | Nueva Ola | Nacional
4 MAMANI KEITA | Gagner L'Argent Francais | No Format!
5 TABOU COMBO | Respect | Secret Stash
6 K. FRIMPONG AND HIS CUBANO FIESTAS | Blue Album | Continental / Secret Stash
7 SEUN ANIKULAPO-KUTI AND EGYPT 80 | From Africa With Fury: Rise | Knitting Factory
8 JOLLY BOYS | Great Expectation | eOne Music
9 GEORGE DANQUAH | Hot And Jumpy | Secret Stash
10 VARIOUS ARTISTS | The Rhythms Of Black Peru | Secret Stash

Take It Easy My Brother Charles

DJ Greybeard (right) is out of town this weekend at a fabulous event for which he bought his tickets long before the fund drive's dates were changed:

http://www.ponderosastomp.com/ponderosa_stomp_10_concert.php

Program September 16, 2011

This week, Global A Go-Go has the honor of kicking off WRIR's Summer 2011 Fund Drive -- the drive starts on Friday September 16 at 5 PM and wraps up on Sunday September 25 at 3 PM. And I'll be joined this week by the University of Richmond's Gamelan Raga Kusuma, who will play Balinese beleganjur and gender wayang music live in our studios.

Charts September 11, 2011

CMJ New World Top Ten
1 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Bambara Mystic Soul | Analog Africa
2 RENE LOPEZ | E.S.L. | Nat Geo Music
3 TINARIWEN | Tassili | Anti-
4 GRUPO 2000 | El Destape | Masstropicas
5 OMAR SOULEYMAN | Haflat Gharbia: The Western Concerts | Sublime Frequencies
6 JOSE CONDE | Jose Conde | PiPiKi
7 MARIACHI EL BRONX | Mariachi El Bronx (II) | ATO
8 SENOR FLAVIO | Nueva Ola | Nacional
9 CORNERSHOP | "What Did The Hippie Have In His Bag?" [Single] | Ample Play
10 MAMANI KEITA | Gagner L'Argent Francais | No Format

Bambara Mystic Soul

ARTIST:  various artists 

TITLE:  Bambara Mystic Soul: The Raw Sound Of Burkina Faso 1974-1979 

LABEL:  Analog Africa
REVIEW:  Burkina Faso is a land-locked country that was part of French West Africa in the colonial era and achieved independence (as Haute Volta) in 1960.

Grupo 2000 | El Destape

ARTIST:  Grupo 2000 

TITLE:  El Destape 

LABEL:  Masstropicas
REVIEW:  Chicha, the psychedelic Peruvian cumbia sound of the 60’s and 70’s, is in the midst of a remarkable global revival.

Rene Lopez | E.L.S.

ARTIST:  Rene Lopez 

TITLE:  E.L.S. 

LABEL:  Nat Geo Music
REVIEW:  Rene Lopez is a New York born-and-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist; this is his third solo album.

Omar Souleyman | Haflat Gharbia: The Western Concerts

ARTIST:  Omar Souleyman

TITLE:  Haflat Gharbia: The Western Concerts

LABEL:  Sublime Frequencies 
REVIEW:  Syria’s Omar Souleyman is the undisputed king of electronic dabke music.

Program September 9, 2011

I have a bunch of norteno rock picked out for this week's program -- maybe the most famous song in that style (but I'll bet you didn't know that Sam wrote it about his cat?), plus some other oldies and a couple of new contributions to the genre by Mariachi El Bronx and Jose Conde. 

Charts September 4, 2011

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 BIO RITMO | La Verdad | Electric Cowbell
2 TINARIWEN | Tassili | Anti-
3 SENOR FLAVIO | Nueva Ola | Nacional
4 RAY LUGO AND THE BOOGALOO DESTROYERS | Mi Watusi | Freestyle
5 K. FRIMPONG AND HIS CUBANO FIESTAS | Blue Album | Secret Stash
6 JOSE CONDE | Jose Conde | PiPiKi
7 LOBI TRAORE | Bwati Kono | Kanaga System Crush
8 MORY KANTE | Sabou | Riverboat
9 MARIACHI EL BRONX | Mariachi El Bronx (II) | ATO
10 SAMBA TOURE | Crocodile Blues | Riverboat

Bio Ritmo | La Verdad

ARTIST:  Bio Ritmo 

TITLE:  La Verdad 

LABEL:  Electric Cowbell 

REVIEW:  It’s hard to believe, but Bio Ritmo is now 20 years old.

Program September 2, 2011

Richmond's salsa machine, Bio Ritmo, releases their new album La Verdad on September 20, and they're celebrating with a two-part CD release party -- they'll perform live on Global A Go-Go on September 23 at 5 PM as part of WRIR's Summer 2011 Fund Drive, followed by a gig at Gallery 5 later that evening.