November 30, 2015

Charts November 29, 2015

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 BIO RITMO | "Oriza" [Single] | Peace And Rhythm
2 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Senegal 70: Sonic Gems And Previously Unreleased Recordings From The 70's | Analog Africa
3 M'TORO CHAMOU | "Umani" [Single] | Le Cri De L'Ocean Indien
4 TIKEN JAH FAKOLY | Racines | Barclay
5 PROTOJE | Ancient Future | Mr Bongo
6 ELIKEH | Kondona | Ropeadope
7 DIEUF-DIEUL DE THIES | Aw Sa Yone Vol. 2 | Teranga Beat
8 BLACK MASALA | I Love You Madly | self-released
9 GRUPO FANTASMA | Problemas | Blue Corn Music
10 KANDIA KOUYATE | Renascence | Sterns

November 27, 2015

December 2015 Concert Calendar

December's Global A Go-Go picks:
  1. From Morocco via New York City, Innov Gnawa (pictured above) makes three appearances in Washington DC this month: Friday Dec 4 at the Hill Center, an early show Sunday Dec 20 at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage, and then a late gig that night at Bossa Bistro
  2. Bio Ritmo celebrates the release of their latest single "Oriza" with a performance at the Broadberry on Friday Dec 18
  3. East African retro-pop act Alsarah & The Nubatones, just back from touring Europe and Morocco, play Tropicalia in DC on Friday Dec 18
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 December calendar.

November 24, 2015

Bio Ritmo | Oriza

ARTIST: Bio Ritmo
TITLE: Oriza
LABEL: Peace & Rhythm
Richmond’s aces of indie-salsa throw a curveball on their new single: it’s a cumbia.

Elikeh | Kondona

ARTIST: Elikeh
TITLE: Kondona
LABEL: Ropeadope
Elikeh is a Washington DC-based sextet led by singer-guitarist Massama Dogo, an immigrant from Togo.

Protoje | Ancient Future

ARTIST: Protoje
TITLE: Ancient Future
LABEL: Mr Bongo
Protoje is part of the current generation of artists leading a reggae revival in Jamaica. And it’s badly needed, since most of the music I hear coming off the island sounds like it’s made for New York’s Hot 97.

Senegal 70: Sonic Gems & Previously Unreleased Recordings From The 70's

ARTIST: various artists
TITLE: Senegal 70: Sonic Gems & Previously Unreleased Recordings From The 70’s
LABEL: Analog Africa
Analog Africa and Teranga Beat, two superb crate-digging operations, team up for this set of Senegalese music just before and during the development of mbalax.

November 23, 2015

Program November 25, 2015

On Wednesday at 3 PM you might be on your way to visit relatives for Thanksgiving, but I'll be in WRIR's studios bringing you two hours of music that will make sitting in traffic a little bit more tolerable.

This week you'll hear a track from Analog Africa and Teranga Beat's fabulous new Senegal 70 compilation, a song recorded in 1976 and unreleased until this Friday.  Also on the new music tip there's singer-songwriter M'Toro Chamou from Ile De Mayotte; French soul-reggae band Soul Sugar; Jamaican dancehall toaster Protoje; and XIXA, a chicha band from Tucson -- all artists being played for the first time ever on Global A Go-Go.

Oh, and a new record from an artist that I've played more than a few times -- Bio Ritmo's brand new single, which goes on sale December 1.

Charts November 22, 2015

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 KANDIA KOUYATE | Renascence | Sterns
2 SOULJAZZ ORCHESTRA | Resistance | Strut
3 LURA | Heranca | Lusafrica
4 VARIOUS ARTISTS | The Rough Guide To Psychedelic Cumbia | World Music Network
5 DOUG BEAVERS | Titanes Del Trombon | ArtistShare
6 JOAN SORIANO | Me Decidi | iASO
7 MARIEM HASSAN AND VADIYA MINT EL HANEVI | Baila Sahara Baila | Nubenegra
8 BIXIGA 70 | III | Glitterbeat
9 CEU | Live | Six Degrees
10 TERAKAFT | Alone (Ténére) | Out|Here

November 18, 2015

Charts November 15, 2015

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 DIEUF-DIEUL DE THIES | Aw Sa Yone Vol. 2 | Teranga Beat
2 GRUPO FANTASMA | Problemas | Blue Corn Music
3 BLACK MASALA | I Love You Madly | self-released
4 FAT FREDDY'S DROP | Bays | The Drop
5 ST. GERMAIN | St. Germain | Nonesuch
6 ADAMA YALOMBA | Waati Sera | Mesa/Bluemoon
7 BIXIGA 70 | III | Glitterbeat
8 QWANQWA | Volume Two | FPE
9 TROMBORANGA | Golpe Con Melodia | self-released
10 BRIAN CHILALA AND NGOMA ZASU | Vangaza! | SWP

November 10, 2015

Program November 11, 2015

How good could a band who never released a recording during their original life be?  In the case of Dieuf-Dieul De Thies (pictured above), the answer is "on par with the best-known Senegalese artists of their day: Orchestra Baobab and Etoile De Dakar."

Volume 2 of Dieuf-Dieul's original 1981-82 sessions has just been issued by Teranga Beat Records; you'll hear a nice long, spacious selection from it on this week's program.  By the way, the band's original members are so excited about their 30-year-delayed career as recording artists that they've reunited to gig in Senegal and are hoping to tour Europe and the USA next year.  More power to them!

Also this week: dub and blues, two great tastes that taste great together; the newest Balkan beats from Germany, Bosnia, Moldova and Washington DC; and 21st century Afrobeat.

Dieuf-Dieul De Thies | Aw Sa Yone Vol. 2

ARTIST: Dieuf-Dieul De Thies
TITLE: Aw Sa Yone Vol. 2
LABEL: Teranga Beat
Two and a half years ago, I raved about the first-ever album from Senegalese band Dieuf-Dieul De Thies: recorded in 1982, the session somehow went unreleased for 31 years and was one of my favorites of 2013.

November 9, 2015

Charts November 8, 2015

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 VARIOUS ARTISTS | The Brasileiro Treasure Box Of Funk And Soul | Cultures of Soul
2 ADAMA YALOMBA | Waati Sera | Mesa/Bluemoon
3 KANDIA KOUYATE | Renascence | Sterns
4 ROGER DAMAWUZAN AND LES AS DU BENIN | Wait For Me | Hot Casa
5 TERAKAFT | Alone | Out|Here
6 ELIKEH | Kondona | Ropeadope
7 DOUG BEAVERS | Titanes Del Trombon | self-released
8 MACKA B | Neva Played A 45 | Peckings
9 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Biggest Reggae One Drop Anthems 2015 | Greensleeves
10 KUKU | Ballads And Blasphemy | Buda Musique

November 3, 2015

Program November 4, 2015

By popular demand I'll play some roots reggae this week, including a request to hear The Mighty Diamonds plus the new album by Cote D'Ivoire's Tiken Jah Fakoly (pictured above), probably my favorite reggae release of the year.

Also this week: the oriental sound in West African music, another trip to the Islamic funk belt, and guitar heroes of the Sahel.

November 2, 2015

Charts November 1, 2015

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 FAT FREDDY'S DROP | Bays | The Drop
2 BLACK MASALA | I Love You Madly | self-released
3 ADAMA YALOMBA | Waati Sera | Mesa/Bluemoon
4 GRUPO FANTASMA | Problemas | Blue Corn Music
5 BIXIGA 70 | III | Glitterbeat
6 CEU | Live | Six Degrees
7 PAT THOMAS AND THE KWASHIBU AREA BAND | Pat Thomas And Kwashibu Area Band | Strut
8 CHUCHO VALDES | Tribute To Irakere: Live At Marciac | Jazz Village
9 BOOGAT | Neo-Reconquista | Maisonette
10 DR. ED CALLE | Presents Mamblue | Mojito

November 1, 2015

November 2015 Concert Calendar

November's Global A Go-Go picks:
    1. Richmond's No BS! Brass celebrates the release of their new album Brass Knuckles with a full weekend of performances at Balliceaux, Thursday November 12 through Saturday November 14
    2. Youssou N'Dour (pictured above), African superstar and the man who almost became president of Senegal, makes an appearance at George Washington University's Lisner Auditorium on Tuesday November 17
    3. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts' Best Cafe is a perfect venue for the Afro-Zen Allstars' take on Ethio-jazz, Thursday November 19
    4.  The legendary Eddie Palmieri and his Salsa Orchestra take over DC's Howard Theatre on Friday November 27
        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 November calendar.