Black Masala | I Love You Madly

ARTIST: Black Masala
TITLE: I Love You Madly
LABEL: self-released
If you haven’t seen them yet, DC’s Black Masala is one of the most exciting live acts anywhere in the USA right now.

Fat Freddy's Drop | Bays

ARTIST: Fat Freddy’s Drop
TITLE: Bays
LABEL: The Drop
The best-selling band at home in New Zealand (their debut album is 9X platinum there) is back with their fourth studio album, and it’s a beauty.

Grupo Fantasma | Problemas

ARTIST: Grupo Fantasma
TITLE: Problemas
LABEL: Blue Corn Music
The fifth studio album by this 15-year-old nine-piece band from Austin is their best yet.

Program October 28, 2015

Amother successful WRIR fund drive, our 22nd, is now in the books.  Here's a big Global A Go-Go thank you to the over 480 donors who contributed more than $38,000 in our Fall 2015 Fund Drive.  And a special thanks to the 42 folks who named Global A Go-Go as one of their favorite programs -- I'm truly honored.

Remember, it's not too late to donate -- we still have the special Fall 2015 Fund Drive premiums available if you donate online here: http://bitly.com/Donate2Wrir.

Now that we've wrapped up another successful fund drive that will keep WRIR in the black for another six months, it's time to celebrate the best way I know how: with two hours of killer music from around the world.

I have lots of new October releases to share with you this week: Austin's Latin funk killers Grupo Fantasma (pictured above); ace Malian sideman Adama Yalomba stepping out in front of his own band; deep reggae grooves from Jamaica's Luciano, Akae Beka of St. Croix and New Zealand's Fat Freddy's Drop; and DC Balkan blasters Black Masala.

Program October 21, 2015

Art by Lynn Murphy for the Go Bike! project

Richmond Independent Radio's Fall 2015 Fund Drive is currently underway; it continues through Tuesday October 27.  We're intending to raise $35,000 in this fall's drive, which will keep WRIR doing everything it does for Richmond and for our listener base, 24/7 for the next six months.

We'd really appreciate your support in keeping community radio radio strong in Richmond -- WRIR is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, and we're building to make the next ten years even better.  You can make a donation in one of three ways:

1. By visiting our secure online donation site at http://bitly.com/Donate2Wrir
2. By calling 804-622-9747
3. Or by visiting us in person at 1621-B W. Broad Street (2nd floor)

As always, I have something special lined up for my listeners during the fund drive.  Capoeira Resistencia will be performing live on Global A Go-Go on Wednesday October 21.  Capoeira Resistencia was founded in 1992 by Mestre Panao (Robson Alexandre Pedro) in Sao Paulo, Brazil.  Mestre Panao moved to Richmond in 2006, where he operates his studio on Buford Road in Bon Air.

Capoeira is an over 400 year old Brazilian martial art developed by West African slaves and escaped slaves; it incorporates dance, acrobatics and music along with self-defense.  After soccer, it's believed to be the second most popular sport in Brazil, and it's developed a strong following of participants in the USA and all over the world.  The music of capoeira, performed by voices and percussion instruments, is an integral part of the practice of the sport -- games, exercises and performances are always accompanied by music.

Here's a special incentive to get you to donate.  There will be a $500 challenge during Global A Go-Go -- the first $500 that's donated during my program, starting on Wednesday at 3 PM, will be matched by a pair of generous contributors.  So get some extra bang for your buck -- donate during Global A Go-Go and your contribution will be doubled.  And don't forget to tune in, on the airwaves at 97.3 FM or online at http://wrir.org/listen.

Thank you for your support in the past, and thank you for considering making a donation during WRIR's Fall 2015 Fund Drive!

Follow me below the fold, if you'd like, for a little more inspiration ...

Charts October 18, 2015

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 ROGER DAMAWUZAN AND LES AS DU BENIN | Wait For Me | Hot Casa
2 FRANCESCA BLANCHARD | Deux Visions | Vis-A-Vis
3 KANDIA KOUYATE | Renascence | Sterns
4 AMADOU BALAKE | In Conclusion | Sterns
5 PAT THOMAS AND THE KWASHIBU AREA BAND | Pat Thomas And Kwashibu Area Band | Strut
6 OMAR | "Simplify" [Single] | Freestyle
7 ST GERMAIN | St Germain | Nonesuch
8 BIXIGA 70 | III | Glitterbeat
9 QWANQWA | Volume Two | FPE
10 SOULJAZZ ORCHESTRA | Resistance | Strut

Kandia Kouyate | Renascence

ARTIST: Kandia Kouyate
TITLE: Renascence
LABEL: Stern’s
Kandia Kouyate is perhaps the greatest living jelimuso (female singer of Mande traditional material). For most of her career, she has flown under the first world’s radar.

St Germain

ARTIST: St Germain
TITLE: St Germain
LABEL: Nonesuch
Ludovic Navarre, who performs and records as St Germain, is a key creator of the cool French style of electronica that made stars of Air and Daft Punk.

Program October 14, 2015

You'll hear two very different approaches to Malian music on this week's program.

Kandia Kouyate (pictured above), "La Dangereuse," one of Mali's greatest jelimusolu (female singers), has released her first new recordings in 13 years.  That's inspired me to play a set of the divas of Mali.

And St Germain, pioneer of the "French touch" in electronica, has released his first album in fifteen years, and this time he's prominently featuring Malian sounds.  So you'll hear some deep house, Malian style as well.

Also this week: some French singer-songwriters and more of salsa's new wave.

Program October 7, 2015

This week, Global A Go-Go presents a special in-studio performance by Zedashe (pictured above) from the Republic of Georgia.

Their seventh album, Our Earth And Water, is currently on WRIR's New & Recommended list; they are finishing up their fifth USA tour here in Richmond at the Folk Festival, where you can see them on Saturday at 3:45 and on Sunday at 2:45 and 4:00.  But before that, you can hear them Wednesday in WRIR's Studio C.

Zedashe's specialty is the polyphonic vocal music of Georgia, which is literally millenia old: it predates the introduction of Christianity to the region, which happened in the fourth century AD.  In addition, the ensemble performs music from all the regions of their home country, and they accompany themselves on a variety of instruments: hand drums, lutes, accordion and goat-skin bagpipes.

I hope you can join me for this unique Richmond radio experience.

Charts October 4, 2015

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 CEU | Live | Six Degrees
2 SOULJAZZ ORCHESTRA | Resistance | Strut
3 AMADOU BALAKE | In Conclusion | Sterns
4 WESTERN STANDARD TIME | A Big Band Tribute To The Skatalites, Vol. 2 | self-released
5 GRUPO FANTASMA | "Solo Un Sueno" [Single] | Blue Corn Music
6 MACKA B | Neva Played A 45 | Peckings
7 VIEUX FARKA TOURE AND JULIA EASTERLIN | Touristes | Six Degrees
8 FLAVIA COELHO | Mundo Meu | Mr Bongo
9 ZEDASHE | Our Earth And Water | Living Roots Music
10 QWANQWA | Volume Two | FPE

Bixiga 70 | III

ARTIST: Bixiga 70
TITLE: III
LABEL: Glitterbeat
Bixiga 70 is a five-year-old, leaderless 10-piece Brazilian instrumental collective. Their name refers to the street address and neighborhood in Sao Paulo where they formed.

Roger Damawuzan & Les As Du Benin | Wait For Me

ARTIST: Roger Damawuzan & Les As Du Benin
TITLE: Wait For Me
LABEL: Hot Casa
American funk and R&B swept like the Harmattan across West Africa in the late 1960’s, covering almost all popular music in a gritty 4/4 groove. The front men of the hottest bands would inevitably be described as the “James Brown of [your country’s name here].”