Program November 1, 2013

Thank you to the 506 people who donated more than $40,000 so far during WRIR's Fall '13 Fund Drive.  It's been a great success once again, thanks to you the listener -- you make this station possible, and we're so grateful for your support.

I said "so far" for a reason -- we're happy to continue accepting your donations, and providing you with some awesome donor premiums, even thought the drive is officially over.  You can help take us to $41,000 and beyond by clicking and donating here:

https://wrir.wufoo.com/forms/fund-drive-donation-wrirlp-973-fm

And a special thank-you goes out to the 47 donors who named Global A Go-Go as one of their favorite WRIR programs.  I'm flattered, and I owe all of you a great program this week -- hell, I owe you a great program every week.

Charts October 27, 2013

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 MULATU ASTATKE | Sketches Of Ethiopia | Jazz Village
2 ABELARDO CARBONO | El Maravilloso Mundo De Abelardo Carbono | Vampisoul
3 AFRICANDO | Viva Africando | Sterns
4 FREEDOM FAMILY | Ayentsoo | Academy LPs
5 JOSEPH KABASELE | Le Grand Kalle: His Life, His Music | Sterns
6 BLACK BAZAR | Round 2 | Lusafrica
7 JIMMY CLIFF | The KCRW Session | Universal
8 FAT FREDDY'S DROP | Blackbird | The Drop
9 ORCHESTRE POLY-RYTHMO DE COTONOU | Volume 3: The Skeletal Essences Of Afro Funk 1969-1980 | Analog Africa
10 CORNELL CAMPBELL MEETS SOOTHSAYERS | Nothing Can Stop Us | Strut

Program October 25, 2013

WRIR's Fall '13 Fund Drive, now just past its midpoint, is shaping up as one of our most successful drives, both artistically and financially, to date.

On the financial side of things, we're well on our way toward raising the $40,000 we need in order to keep Richmond Independent Radio solvent and vibrant for the next six months.  On the artistic side, I'd say that the programming (always good IMHO) has reached a new, higher level during the fund drive.

Especially noteworthy has been the remarkable number, variety and quality of live bands that have played in our Live Room, a facility built with money that folks like you have donated in our previous fund drives.  And I'm going to raise the bar a notch with this week's show, which will feature a live performance by the band Rattlemouth (pictured above).

Charts October 20, 2013

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 AZIZ SAHMAOUI | University Of Gnawa | General Pattern SARL
2 ABELARDO CARBONO | El Maravilloso Mundo De Abelardo Carbono | Vampisoul
3 AFRICANDO | Viva Africando | Sterns
4 MIGHTY DIAMONDS | Pass The Knowledge | 17 North Parade
5 GOGOL BORDELLO | Pura Vida Conspiracy | ATO
6 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Rough Guide To Psychedelic Bollywood | World Music Network
7 BLACK BAZAR | Round 2 | Lusafrica
8 CHRISTINE SALEM | Salem Tradition | Label Cobalt
9 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Peru Maravilloso | Tiger's Milk
10 BOOGARINS | As Plantas Que Curam | Other Music

Program October 18, 2013

WRIR's Fall '13 Fund Drive kicks off today at 5 PM with a performance by the Richmanian Ramblers on Global A Go-Go.  You can hear the kickoff event by tuning in to 97.3 FM at 5:00, or by listening to our internet live-stream at these web addresses (top for computers, bottom for smartphones):

http://wrir.serverroom.us:7722/wrir.m3u
http://wrir.org/tunein

I'm writing to encourage you to support Richmond Independent Radio during this drive, so let me start by thanking each of you who has donated in any of our previous fund drives.  And thanks as well for your interest in WRIR and in my program -- it's truly appreciated.

You can donate by calling 804-622-9747, by visiting us in person at 1621-B West Broad Street in Richmond, or via our secure online donation site at:

https://wrir.wufoo.com/forms/fund-drive-donation-wrirlp-973-fm

Abelardo Carbono | El Maravilloso Mundo De Abelardo Carbono

ARTIST: Aberlardo Carbono
TITLE: El Maravilloso Mundo De Abelardo Carbono: Psychedelia, Afroroots & Champeta In 1980s Barranquilla
LABEL: Vampisoul
There’s a massive re-examination of Colombian music now underway, spurred by the work of crate-diggers who are unearthing a trove of fabulous recordings to which the rest of the world had, until recently, paid scant attention. Add Abelardo Carbono to that list.

Peru Maravilloso: Vintage Latin, Tropical And Cumbia

ARTIST: various artists
TITLE: Peru Maravilloso: Vintage Latin, Tropical And Cumbia
LABEL: Tiger’s Milk
There’s more to Peruvian music than chicha – that’s one of the messages of this fine debut compilation from Tiger’s Milk Records, an outgrowth of London Peruvian restaurant Ceviche. This is a well-researched look at the Latin and tropical sounds of 60s and 70s Peru, with none of the tracks re-released since their original local pressings.

Charts October 6, 2013

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 AFRICANDO | Viva Africando | Sterns
2 CHRISTINE SALEM | Salem Tradition | Label Cobalt
3 BOBAN & MARKO MARKOVIC ORCHESTRA | Gipsy Manifesto | Piranha
4 ROKIA TRAORE | Beautiful Africa | Nonesuch
5 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Afrobeat Airways 2: Return Flight To Ghana 1974-1983 | Analog Africa
6 FREEDOM FAMILY | Ayentsoo | Academy LPs
7 THE MIGHTY DIAMONDS | Pass The Knowledge | 17 North Parade
8 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Red Hot + Fela | Knitting Factory
9 BOOGARINS | As Plantas Que Curam | Other Music
10 SIDI TOURE | Alafia | Thrill Jockey

Program October 4, 2013

The Richmond Folk Festival is an amazing event, but it can be kind of daunting -- 200,000 or so attendees, 34 performers, seven stages with acres of fried food on a stick between them.  How's a person to decide which artists to see and where to catch them, while avoiding walking 100 miles, getting stuck in pedestrian traffic, or ending up several football fields from the stage?

Well, I'm here to offer a few tips -- on this week's program I'll play the seven artists (world music division, naturally) that I'm personally most eager to see at this year's festival, which takes place next weekend, October 11-13.

I'm hoping you'll hear something you absolutely, positively want to check out in person as well.  Put that act at the center of your schedule, then work around them.  Think of it as Global A Go-Go's very particular guide to the Richmond Folk Festival.  You're welcome.

Boogarins | As Plantas Que Curam

ARTIST: Boogarins
TITLE: As Plantas Que Curam (Plants That Heal)
LABEL: Other Music
There’s a major psychedelic rock revival going on right now (check out WRIR’s “Sunrise Ocean Bender” program for all the details), and here’s a DIY recording from central Brazil that’s a prime example.

October 2013 Concert Calendar

October's Global A Go-Go picks:

1. Like many Richmonders, I block out the entire weekend of the Richmond Folk Festival each October (this year, it's the 11th through the 13th) knowing there will be many, many artists I want to see at this fabulous free festival.  This fall's lineup is one of the best ever, featuring Honduran Garifuna superstar (and congressman!) Aurelio Martinez, extraordinary Malian singer Abdoulaye "Djoss" Diabate, Christine Salem from tiny La Reunion in the Indian Ocean, and salsa giants the Spanish Harlem Orchestra (pictured above).
2. Antibalas, America's finest Afrobeat orchestra, make a stop in DC at the Black Cat on Thursday October 3
3. Yeni Turku, the popular and successful Turkish folk-rock band, come to Tropicalia in Washington on Thursday October 10
4. Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Toure (son of Ali), who wowed Richmond audiences at the Folk Festival a few years ago, plays at DC's Atlas Performing Arts Center on Friday October 11

 Have an event you'd like me to include, or a suggestion for the concert calendar?  Just drop me a line at globalagogoradio [at] gmail [dot] com, or leave me a message right here.

Click "Read more" to see the entire October calendar.