Program August 31, 2012

The year is 1986.  After an international campaign on his behalf by Amnesty International, Fela Kuti is released from a Nigerian prison where he had been held for almost two years on fabricated currency-smuggling charges.  He embarks on a worldwide tour, including a long-planned visit to the USA with his Egypt 80 band.

I was fortunate enough to see Fela and Egypt 80 perform on this tour, on November 13 in Chicago.  And now there's a legal, licensed recording from the tour, made a week earlier at Detroit's Fox Theatre.  This week on Global A Go-Go, you and I get to relive a little bit of that experience.

Diabel Cissokho | Kanabory Siyama

ARTIST:  Diabel Cissokho
TITLE:  Kanabory Siyama
LABEL:  World Village
Senegalese kora player Diabel Cissokho, now based in London, has worked as a sideman for important West African artists such as Baaba Maal and Kandia Kouyate; here he steps forward on his debut album as a bandleader.

Charts August 26, 2012

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 ONDATROPICA | Ondatropica | Soundway
2 SOFRITO | International Soundclash | Strut
3 BIO RITMO | Introducing | Introducing
4 JANKA NABAY AND THE BUBU GANG | En Yay Sah | Luaka Bop
5 BALKANIZE! | ... For You Are Made Of Stars | self-released
6 KOTTARASHKY AND THE RAIN DOGS | Demoni | Asphalt Tango
7 ZANI DIABATE AND LES HERITIERS | Tientalaw | Sterns Africa
8 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Sensacional Soul, Vol. 3 | Vampisoul
9 STAFF BENDA BILILI | Bouger Le Monde! | Crammed
10 ANTIBALAS | Antibalas | Daptone

Program August 24, 2012

Staff Benda Bilili have come a long way -- from homeless in the Kinshasa zoo to Rotary Club spokesmen.  (Yes, this is the first ever reference to the Rotary Club on Global A Go-Go, and quite possibly the last.)

This amazing Congolese band releases their second album in September and makes their first tour of the USA in October, including a performance at the Howard Theatre in Washington DC.  You'll hear a song from their new album Bouger Le Monde! this week on Global A Go-Go.

Charts August 19, 2012

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 SOFRITO | International Soundclash | Strut
2 STAFF BENDA BILILI | Bouger Le Monde! | Crammed
3 ANTIBALAS | Antibalas | Daptone
4 BIO RITMO | Introducing Bio Ritmo | Introducing
5 TUNE-YARDS, ANGELIQUE KIDJO, AHMIR ?UESTLOVE THOMPSON, AKUA NARU | "Lady" [Single] | Knitting Factory
6 ELIKEH | Between 2 Worlds | Azalea City
7 TEX SOUL AND THE BAYONETS | "Uto Nwa" B/w "Osi Na Ngada" | Academy
8 MANUEL GALBAN | Blue Cha Cha | Concord Picante
9 ONDATROPICA | Ondatropica | Soundway
10 VARIOUS ARTISTS | L'Afrique Enchantee: C'est Moi Le Chef | Sony France

Ondatropica | Ondatropica

ARTIST:  Ondatropica

TITLE:  Ondatropica

LABEL:  Soundway 

Ondatropica is a project organized by Will (Quantic) Holland and Mario (Frente Cumbiero) Galeano, two musicians in their 30s who are obsessed with the wide scope of popular music that has been produced in Colombia: cumbia, vallenato, porro, currulao, champeta, salsa and more.

Sofrito: International Soundclash

ARTIST:  various artists

TITLE:  Sofrito: International Soundclash

LABEL:  Strut 

Sofrito is the London-based DJing team of Hugo Mendez and Frankie Francis – this is the second compilation they’ve put together for the Strut label.

Staff Benda Bilili | Bouger Le Monde!

ARTIST:  Staff Benda Bilili

TITLE:  Bouger Le Monde!

LABEL:  Crammed 

Staff Benda Bilili is one of those bands whose back-story threatens to overshadow its music.

Charts August 12, 2012

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 ANTIBALAS | Antibalas | Daptone
2 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Sensacional Soul, Vol. 3 | Vampisoul
3 BIO RITMO | Introducing Bio Ritmo | Introducing
4 VARIOUS ARTISTS | The Rough Guide To The Music Of Ethiopia | World Music Network
5 VARIOUS ARTISTS | L'Afrique Enchantee: C'est Moi Le Chef! | Sony France
6 JANKA NABAY AND THE BUBU GANG | En Yay Sah | Luaka Bop
7 DEBO BAND | Debo Band | Sub Pop / Next Ambiance
8 BALKANIZE! | ... For You Are Made Of Stars | self-released
9 TUNE-YARDS, ANGELIQUE KIDJO, AHMIR ?UESTLOVE THOMPSON, AKUA NARU | "Lady" [Single] | Knitting Factory
10 BA CISSOKO | Nimissa | Cristal

Antibalas | Antibalas

ARTIST:  Antibalas 

TITLE:  Antibalas 

LABEL:  Daptone

Antibalas has been the tip of the American Afrobeat spear since its founding in 1998.  Back then, an American band playing music inspired by Fela Kuti was a novelty; today most medium-sized cities in the USA have an Afrobeat ensemble.

Program August 10, 2012

Art by Matt Brotka, who inks at Salvation Tattoo Gallery here in Richmond

http://mattbrotka.com  http://salvationgallery.com

It's Joe Strummer's 60th birthday this month, and it's 10 years this year since he died (the dates are August 21 and December 22, respectively).  Joe's music, words and deeds are some of the main inspirations for this radio program.  You probably know that the name of this show comes from one of his songs -- it's the show's theme song as well, you hear it at the start of every episode of "Global A Go-Go."

This week, we celebrate Joe Strummer's life with a few additional songs from the pen, voice and guitar of John Graham "Woody" Mellor, better known as Joe Strummer.  Also this week -- what's new in the world of world music is Afrobeat; the old and new waves of Ethiopian music; Italy to New Zealand via Brazil.

Charts August 5, 2012

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 BIO RITMO | Introducing Bio Ritmo | Introducing
2 VARIOUS ARTISTS | The Rough Guide To The Music Of Ethiopia | World Music Network
3 VARIOUS ARTISTS | L'Afrique Enchantee: C'est Moi Le Chef | Sony France
4 DEBO BAND | Debo Band | Sub Pop / Next Ambianc
5 HAPPY LUCKY COMBO | Lucky Buddha | self-released
6 TERAKAFT | Kel Tamasheq | World Village
7 BALKANIZE! | ...For You Are Made Of Stars | self-released
8 BA CISSOKO | Nimissa | Cristal
9 KOO NIMO | Highlife Roots Revival | Riverboat
10 KOTTARASHKY AND THE RAIN DOGS | Demoni | Asphalt Tango

Program August 3, 2012

It's a holiday weekend in Burkina Faso -- its citizens commemorate independence from the French 52 years ago on August 5, and Revolution Day and the country's name change from Haute-Volta to Burkina Faso ("the land of the people of integrity") is celebrated on August 4.

Global A Go-Go marks the holidays with a set of music old and new from Burkina Faso, including a classic from that country's number one musical export, singer Amadou Balake.  By the way, that's yours truly pictured above at the Burkina-Mali border in 2005.

Bio Ritmo | Introducing Bio Ritmo

ARTIST:  Bio Ritmo 

TITLE:  Introducing Bio Ritmo 

LABEL:  Introducing

Bio Ritmo needs no introduction in their hometown of Richmond, Virginia, where they’ve been wowing listeners and dancers since 1991 with their unique take on salsa.