Program February 28, 2018

Some of the best rock music in the world right now is coming out of Africa, and that will be the focus of Global A Go-Go's first hour this week.  We'll start with the brilliant new album by Imarhan (pictured above) from Algeria, along with other artists from the second generation of desert blues.

Then we'll move on to another new release, this one by Mali's Djeneba & Fousco, plus rockers from Burkina Faso, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, all within the last decade.  Also this week: music from Africa's lusophone (Portuguese-speaking) countries and some remixes of Colombian champeta.

Imarhan | Temet

ARTIST: Imarhan
TITLE: Temet
LABEL: City Slang
Imarhan is a five-piece band from Tamanrasset, the largest Tuareg community in Algeria. They’re led by Iyad Moussa Ben Abderahmane aka Sadam, whose cousin Eyadou Ag Leche is the bassist for desert blues standard-bearers Tinariwen.

Thornato | Back It Up

ARTIST: Thornato
TITLE: Back It Up
LABEL: Wonderwheel
Thor Partridge is a New York-based producer of Cypriot descent who was born in Sweden. So yes, he comes by his global point of view naturally.

Vibronics | Woman On A Mission

ARTIST: Vibronics
TITLE: Woman On A Mission
LABEL: SCOOPS
Vibronics call themselves “the future sound of dub”; coming out of Leicester England in 1995, they’ve produced a dozen albums and scores of singles in the digital dub (electronic-based reggae) genre.

Charts February 25, 2018

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 HECTOR "COCO" BAREZ | El Laberinto Del Coco | Obi Musica
2 PLENA LIBRE | Amores En El Camino | GN Musica
3 DA CRUZ | Eco Do Futuro | Boom Jah/Broken Silence
4 THORNATO | Back It Up [EP] | Wonderwheel
5 FEMI KUTI | One People One World | Knitting Factory
6 LUCIBELA | Laco Umbilical | Lusafrica
7 HOLLIE COOK | Vessel Of Love | Merge
8 ALEXANDRA JACKSON | Legacy & Alchemy | Legacy & Alchemy
9 ANGOLA SAUDADE, VOL. 1 | various artists | Sons D'Africa
10 ONDENO | "Mayolye" [Single] | Rocafort

Djeneba & Fousco | Kayeba Khasso

ARTIST: Djeneba & Fousco
TITLE: Kayeba Khasso
LABEL: Lusafrica
Djeneba Kouyate and Fousseyni (Fousco) Sissoko are both descendents of griot families from Mali’s Kayes region.

Cesaria Evora | Carnaval De Mindelo

ARTIST: Cesaria Evora
TITLE: Carnaval De Mindelo
LABEL: Lusafrica
Lusafrica Records is the house that Cesaria built – Jose da Silva started the label in 1990 to release Cesaria Evora’s first international album, and Cabo Verde’s “barefoot diva” remains Lusafrica’s biggest seller even though she died in 2011.

Program February 21, 2018

Percussionist Hector "Coco" Barez (pictured above) is known here in Richmond for his work in the bands Bio Ritmo, Afro Zen Allstars, Miramar, Hotel X and Mekong Express, among others.

What you might not know is that he's an in-demand session and touring musician -- he spent seven years with the Grammy-winning Calle 13, and he's played with everyone from Tego Calderon and William Cepeda to Ruben Blades and Femi Kuti.

Coco's first solo album, El Laberinto Del Coco, has just been released.  He'll come by the studio this week to talk about the album, playing everything from boleros to progressive metal, how one of Puerto Rico's top congueros came to live in Richmond, and a whole lot more.  And you'll hear some tracks from the new album as well.

Also this week: Puerto Rican plena in salsa, and the sounds of Haiti's RAM, who'll be playing live in DC on Wednesday.

Charts February 18, 2018

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 LES FILLES DE ILLIGHADAD | Eghass Malan | Sahel Sounds
2 HAMAD KALKABA AND THE GOLDEN SOUNDS | 1974-1975 | Analog Africa
3 HOLLIE COOK | Vessel Of Love | Merge
4 BUMBA MASSA | V70 | Cantos
5 LITTLE AXE | London Blues | Echo Beach
6 DRUNKEN FOREIGNER BAND | White Guy Disease | Electric Cowbell
7 PLENA LIBRE | Amores En El Camino | GN Musica
8 BOUBACAR TRAORE | Dounia Tabolo | Lusafrica
9 DA CRUZ | Eco Do Futuro | Boom Jah/Broken Silence
10 IMARHAN | "Azzaman" [Single] | City Slang

Program February 14, 2018

Lovers rock is the flip side of roots reggae: it's romantic rather than dangerous, sunny instead of stormy.  It grew out of Jamaicans' love of American soul music.  They say all soul songs can be broken down into three categories: Beg, Scream and Shout.  Lovers rock is reggae's "Beg" songs.

The genre got its name and some fame in London in the mid 70's (it was tagged after a record label which got its own handle from an obscure Augustus Pablo B-side), but the sound predates the name and continues to be popular today.  Importantly, lovers rock was the avenue by which many female singers were able to break into the male-dominated Jamaican music business.

For Valentine's Day, I'll spin a full hour of some of my favorite lovers rock tracks.  Also this week: the man who got Mali dancing the twist and the Madison, and a set of samba-funk from Brazil.

Charts February 11, 2018

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 RUMPUT | Rumput | self-released
2 GUY ONE | #1 | Philophon
3 SONIDO GALLO NEGRO | Mambo Cosmico | Glitterbeat
4 DRUNKEN FOREIGNER BAND | White Guy Disease | Electric Cowbell
5 SPANGLISH FLY | Ay Que Boogaloo! | Chaco World
6 ROBERTO LOPEZ | Criollo Electrik | Stonetree
7 LOS CAMAROES | Resurrection Los | Analog Africa
8 HECTOR "COCO" BAREZ | El Laberinto Del Coco | Obi Musica
9 BRENDA NAVARRETE | Mi Mundo | Alma
10 CRIOLO | Espiral De Ilusao | Sterns Brasil

Program February 7, 2018

This week, it's the first live session of 2018 on Global A Go-Go.  I'll be joined in Studio C by Orkes Keroncong Rumput from right here in Richmond, the only active Indonesian keroncong group in North America.

Rumput's Hannah Standiford is on a Fulbright scholarship in Indonesia this academic year; she's back in the states briefly and rejoins her band for this session.  And Rumput is fortified by guest artist Danis Sugiyanto, here in Virginia on his own Fulbright, teaching at University of Richmond and William & Mary and playing with Rumput and Gamelan Raga Kusuma.

Both those bands will perform at Sound of Music Studios on Friday night.  But before then, you can catch Rumput live here on Global A Go-Go this week.

Charts February 4, 2018

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 HOLLIE COOK | Vessel Of Love | Merge
2 SONIDO GALLO NEGRO | Mambo Cosmico | Glitterbeat
3 LOS CHICOS MALOS | Los Chicos Malos | Vampisoul
4 LEVANTA POEIRA | various artists | Jazz & Milk
5 ROBERTO LOPEZ | Criollo Electrik | Stonetree
6 CANZONIERE GRECANICO SALENTINO | Canzoniere | Ponderosa
7 EXPANDERS, THE | Old Time Something Come Back Again, Vol. 2 | Easy Star
8 KRIES | Selo Na Okuke/Village Tracks | Riverboat
9 ORQUESTA AKOKAN | "Mambo Rapidito" [Single] | Daptone
10 JOE PILGRIM AND THE LIGERIANS | "Migrants" [Single] | SoulNurse