January 27, 2016

The Cliftones | Enemies Scatter

ARTIST: The Cliftones
TITLE: Enemies Scatter
LABEL: Rebel Sound
Every mid-sized or larger city in the USA has a “best reggae band in town.” The Cliftones are that band in Cincinnati, and they’re probably better than most all of their peers.

Dos Santos Anti-Beat Orquesta | Dos Santos

ARTIST: Dos Santos Anti-Beat Orquesta
TITLE: Dos Santos
LABEL: Alebrije
Dos Santos Anti-Beat Orquesta is a new five-piece combo from Chicago that plays cumbias and other Latin rhythms with the attack of rock ‘n’ roll.

La Mambanegra | La Galeria

ARTIST: La Mambanegra
TITLE: La Galeria
LABEL: self-released
La Mambanegra is the new project from Jacobo Velez, former front man of the outstanding urban Afro-Colombian big band La Mojarra Electrica.

January 26, 2016

Program January 27, 2016

La Mambanegra (pictured above) is a new group from Cali, Colombia flavoring indigenous sounds with 70s NYC salsa, dancehall, funk and hip hop.  Dos Santos Anti-Beat Orquesta is a hard-rocking new pan-Latin American cumbia band from Chicago.  Both these outstanding combos are making their Global A Go-Go debuts on this week's program.

Also this week: deep grooves from Mali, Italy and New Zealand; more fabulous Senegal 70's sounds; coupe decale keeps on keepin' on.

January 25, 2016

Charts January 24, 2016

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 LUKA PRODUCTIONS | Mali Kady | Sahelsounds
2 BLACK MASALA | I Love You Madly | self-released
3 DEBO BAND | Ere Gobez | FPE
4 DUBIOZA KOLEKTIV | Happy Machine | Koolarrow
5 DIVANHANA | Zukva | ARC
6 TISDASS | Yamedan | Sahelsounds
7 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Soul Sok Sega: Sega Sounds From Mauritius 1973-1979 | Strut
8 ADAMA YALOMBA | Waati Sera | Studio Mali
9 PROTOJE | Ancient Future | Mr Bongo
10 MEXRRISSEY | "International Playgirl" [Single] | Nacional

January 19, 2016

Luka Productions | Mali Kady

ARTIST: Luka Productions
TITLE: Mali Kady
LABEL: Sahelsounds
Sahelsounds is the record label run by “guerrilla ethno-musicologist” Christopher Kirkley; his objective is to release unrepresented music from Mali, Niger and Mauritania onto the world stage.

January 18, 2016

Program January 20, 2016

I've been listening to a lot of vintage South African music in recent months, most of it from the outstanding Electric Jive music blog, and much of it contributed to Electric Jive by Richmond-based artist Siemon Allen, whose Flat International website is creating a visual archive of rare South African recordings.

Lately I've really been digging "soul jive," a style that flourished in the late 70s that's equally indebted to South African mbaqanga and American R&B.  On this week's show, I'll spin eight of my soul jive favorites: eight great songs you'd be hard-pressed to find on vinyl or hear on the radio in America, in South Africa, or anywhere else.

Also this week: what's new in Balkan music, two pairs of reggae versions, and Malian Afropop.

Charts January 17, 2016

Rafael Ferrer, "Cortijo Tres Veces," 2012
WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 CORTIJO | The Ansonia Years: 1969-1971 | Vampisoul
2 RAM | 6: Manman M Se Ginen | self-released
3 BAABA MAAL | The Traveler | Palm/Marathon Artists
4 ADAMA YALOMBA | Waati Sera | Studio Mali
5 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Soul Sok Sega: Sega Sounds From Mauritius 1973-1979 | Strut
6 TISDASS | Yamedan | Sahelsounds
7 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Senegal 70: Sonic Gems And Previously Unreleased Recordings From The 70's | Analog Africa
8 FAT FREDDY'S DROP | Bays | The Drop
9 ST GERMAIN | St Germain | Nonesuch
10 KANDIA KOUYATE | Renascence | Sterns

January 12, 2016

Program January 13, 2016

Senegalese singer Baaba Maal, one of my all-time favorite artists, has a new album out (his eleventh).  It's a collaboration with Johan Hugo of The Very Best, and I'll give it a spin on this week's program.

Also this week: the Puerto Rican roots of salsa, mizik rasin from Haiti, and a Global A Go-Go tribute to David Bowie (see photo above for a hint of where I'm going with that).

January 11, 2016

Cortijo | The Ansonia Years 1969-1971

ARTIST: Cortijo
TITLE: The Ansonia Years 1969-1971
LABEL: Vampisoul
Volume 3 of Yannis Ruel’s Saoco project documenting Puerto Rican bomba and plena focuses on percussionist and bandleader Rafael Cortijo.

Baaba Maal | The Traveller

ARTIST: Baaba Maal
TITLE: The Traveller
LABEL: Palm / Marathon Artists
Baaba Maal is one of the true international stars in African music. He’s hands-down the planet’s best-known speaker of the Pulaar language, and he’s brought the music and traditions of the Tukolor people of northern Senegal and Mauritania across the globe.

RAM | 6: Manman M Se Ginen

ARTIST: RAM
TITLE: 6: Manman M Se Ginen
LABEL: self-released
RAM is one of Haiti’s most popular and important bands. Founded in 1990 by half-Haitian American expat Richard A. Morse, the 13-piece band has played every Thursday night at the Hotel Oloffson in Port-au-Prince for 25 years, tweaking the politicians and generals who run Haiti (and the men who own them) with their biting lyrics.

Charts January 10, 2016

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Soul Sok Sega: Sega Sounds From Mauritius 1973-1979 | Strut
2 DUBIOZA KOLEKTIV | Happy Machine | Koolarrow
3 DIVANHANA | Zukva | ARC
4 TISDASS | Yamedan | Sahelsounds
5 BIO RITMO | "Oriza" [Single] | Peace And Rhythm
6 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Senegal 70: Sonic Gems And Previously Unreleased Recordings From The 70's | Analog Africa
7 BIXIGA 70 | III | Glitterbeat
8 FAT FREDDY'S DROP | Bays | The Drop
9 KANDIA KOUYATE | Renascence | Sterns
10 PROTOJE | Ancient Future | Mr Bongo

January 5, 2016

Program January 6, 2016

Let's get started in 2016 with some brand-new music, shall we?  First up is the fabulous Bosnian punk-ska-Balkan brass band Dubioza Kolektiv (pictured above), whose new album will be released on February 5, and who are planning their first-ever tour of the USA later this year.

I have a whole hour of Balkan music this week, including a January 29 release from another Bosnian band, Divanhana -- these guys are more folk and jazz than punk and brass, however.  Also new this week: vintage sega music from the island nation of Mauritius, courtesy of Natty Ho, Konsole and Strut Records (due on February 4); and a superb desert blues outing by Niger's TisDass (released December 1 while everyone was working on their best-of-2015 lists).

January 4, 2016

Divanhana | Zukva

ARTIST: Divanhana
TITLE: Zukva
LABEL: ARC
Divanhana is a young band from Sarajevo that specializes in the urban folk music of ex-Yugoslavia.

Dubioza Kolektiv | Happy Machine

ARTIST: Dubioza Kolektiv
TITLE: Happy Machine
LABEL: Koolarrow
Dubioza Kolektiv is a seven-piece rock band from Bosnia & Herzegovina whose sound incorporates elements of punk, metal, hip hop, electronica, ska and Balkan brass and beats.

Soul Sok Sega: Sega Sounds From Mauritius 1973-1979

ARTIST: various artists
TITLE: Soul Sok Sega: Sega Sounds From Mauritius 1973-1979
LABEL: Strut
Sega is the most famous musical product of Mauritius, a small Indian Ocean island nation known for its biodiversity (it was the only home to the now-extinct dodo) and ethnic diversity (African, India, China and Europe are all well represented).

TisDass | Yamedan

ARTIST: TisDass
TITLE: Yamedan
LABEL: Sahelsounds
Desert blues from the Sahara, also known as assouf music or simply la guitare, continues to grow, evolve and expand – TisDass is its latest iteration.

Adama Yalomba | Waati Sera

ARTIST: Adama Yalomba
TITLE: Waati Sera
LABEL: Studio Mali
Adama Yalomba is a 45 year old singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Mali who’s best known for his work as a sideman with Rokia Traore, Bassekou Kouyate, Oumou Sangare, Ali Farka Toure and many of his country’s leading stars.

Charts January 3, 2016

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 BARRULE | Manannan's Cloak | Easy On The Record
4 DIEUF-DIEUL DE THIES | Aw Sa Yone Vol. 2 | Teranga Beat
5 AMARA TOURE | 1973-1980 | Analog Africa
6 TIKEN JAH FAKOLY | Racines | Barclay
7 PROTOJE | Ancient Future | Mr Bongo
8 ELIKEH | Kondona | Ropeadope
9 BLACK MASALA | I Love You Madly | self-released
10 FAT FREDDY'S DROP | Bays | The Drop