December 28, 2015

Program December 30, 2015: Best of the Rest of 2015

Global A Go-Go closes the books on 2015 with another look at the year in review.  This week, the focus is on individual songs: my favorite singles of the year, top tracks from albums that didn't quite make my best-of lists, and great songs hidden on otherwise forgettable long-players.

I've said it before, I'll say it again: we're once again living in a singles era.  So folks like me who recap their favorite recordings by focusing solely on albums (as I did on my last two shows) are missing some big pieces.  This week's show is designed to remedy that flaw -- I think you'll hear just as much great music this week as you did on my previous two best-of-2015 recaps.

Bonne annee et bonne sante!

December 20, 2015

Charts December 20, 2015

Here are my last charts of the year.  No CMJs until the first week of January, so in their place are my favorite compilations, reissues and historic recordings of 2015 (don't forget to click through if you want to see my reviews of each item).  I'll be back with you on January 4; bonne annee et bonne sante to all!


Global A Go-Go's Top Ten Compilations, Reissues and Historic Recordings of 2015
1.  Thomas Mapfumo | Lion Songs: Essential Tracks In The Making Of Zimbabwe | Lion Songs
2.  various artists | Senegal 70: Sonic Gems & Previously Unreleased Recordings From The 70s | Analog Africa
3.  various artists | The Rough Guide To Psychedelic Cumbia | World Music Network
4.  Letta Mbulu | In The Music The Village Never Ends | Be With
5.  various artists | Next Stop Soweto, Vol. 4: Zulu Rock, Afro-Disco And Mbaqanga 1975-1985 | Strut
6.  Dieuf-Dieul De Thies | Aw Sa Yone Vol. 2 | Teranga Beat
7.  Zdob Si Zdub | 20 De Veri | MediaPro Music
8.  E.T. Mensah & The Tempos | King Of Highlife Anthology | RetroAfric
9.  various artists | Big Box Of Afrosound | Vampisoul
10. Amara Toure | 1973-1980 | Analog Africa


Honorable Mention
various artists | The Brasileiro Treasure Box Of Funk & Soul | Cultures Of Soul
Os Brazoes | Os Brazoes | Mr Bongo
Buena Vista Social Club | Lost And Found | World Circuit
various artists | Chicas! Vol. 2:  Spanish Female Singers 1963-1978 | Vampisoul
Roger Damawuzan & Les As Du Benin | Wait For Me | Hot Casa
various artists | Don't Think I've Forgotten: Cambodia's Lost Rock And Roll | Dust-To-Digital
various artists | Highlife On The Move: Selected Nigerian & Ghanaian Recordings From London & Lagos, 1954-66 | Soundway
Ginger Johnson & His African Messengers | African Party | Freestyle
Mazhar Ve Fuat | Turkuz Turku Cagiririz! | Shadoks Music
Youssou N'Dour & Le Super Etoile De Dakar | Fatteliku (Live In Athens 1987) | Real World

December 15, 2015

Program December 16, 2015: Top Ten Compilations of 2015

This week, it's my annual tribute to the cratediggers of the world: the folks who unearth the forgotten, the obscure and in some cases the never-before-heard.  And a shout out as well to the curators: the people who put music we might already know into a new, enlightening context.

I'm referring here to the people responsible for the world music compilations, reissues and historic recordings that I enjoyed in 2015.  I'll highlight 20 of them on this week's program, including music from 18 different countries covering seven decades of recorded music.

Click "Read More" to see my 2015 Top Ten (compilations, reissues and historic recordings division).

December 7, 2015

Program December 9, 2015: Top Ten New Releases Of 2015

This week, I'll run down my picks for the top new releases of 2015: a Top Ten plus ten more honorable mentions.  Then next week (Dec 16), it's on to the best compilations, reissues and historic recordings of 2015.  After a week off, I'll be back on Dec 30 with the best of the rest -- all the great songs that didn't fit onto the previous two programs.

Isn't that overkill?  Not really, at least I don't think so.  WRIR received 548 new world music releases in 2015; then there's all the new stuff that was never sent to the station that I bought or streamed during the year.  Add them all up, and you'll see that my top-lists are just six or so percent of all the new music I heard in 2015.  Far from overkill, I'd say it's actually pretty selective company.

Of course, the proof of the pudding is in the eating -- tune in to Global A Go-Go in December and hear for yourself just how good a year in world music 2015 was.  I'd say it was very good, in fact one of the best recent vintages.

Click "Read More" to see my 2015 Top Ten (new releases division).

Charts December 6, 2015

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 BIO RITMO | "Oriza" [Single] | Peace And Rhythm
2 GRUPO FANTASMA | Problemas | Blue Corn Music
3 ELIKEH | Kondona | Ropeadope
4 FAT FREDDY'S DROP | Bays | The Drop
5 BIXIGA 70 | III | Glitterbeat
6 ROGER DAMAWUZAN AND LES AS DU BENIN | Wait For Me | Hot Casa
7 CEU | Live | Six Degrees
8 QWANQWA | Volume Two | FPE
9 SOULJAZZ ORCHESTRA | Resistance | Strut
10 BOOGARINS | Manual | Other Music

December 1, 2015

Program December 2, 2015

It's old-school soul school this week on Global A Go-Go -- lots of soul-influenced material from all over sprinkled throughout this week's program, some from back in the 70s and some from today.

For example: Latin soul from Ralfi Pagan and Grupo Fantasma, Afro-funk by Prince D'gibs and Roger Damawuzan, Brazilian samba-soul (Los Incriveis) and Afrobeat (Bixiga 70).  And three very distinct versions of an Ethiopian song called "I Like Your Afro" (pictured above).  For real.