June 27, 2018

Jupiter & Okwess | Kin Sonic

ARTIST: Jupiter & Okwess
TITLE: Kin Sonic
LABEL: Everloving
In a just world, Jean-Pierre (Jupiter) Bokondji would be the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s first international rock star.

Red Baraat | Sound The People

ARTIST: Red Baraat
TITLE: Sound The People
LABEL: Rhyme & Reason
Here’s the fifth album by Red Baraat, the brassy combo led by dhol (Indian barrel drum) player Sunny Jain that’s one of the most invigorating live acts today in any genre.

June 25, 2018

Program June 27, 2018

Jupiter Bokondji is the rare Congolese musician who isn't steeped in rumba Congolaise and soukous.  He grew up in East Berlin, and he and his band Okwess (pictured above) are making Central African rock 'n' roll.  Hear them, and some of their Afro-rock peers from the 70s to today, on this week's edition of Global A Go-Go.

Also this week: the high Andes sound; another cumbia dance party; and Red Baraat's world jazz, Punjabi stylee.

June 24, 2018

Charts June 24, 2018

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 NICOLA CONTE AND SPIRITUAL GALAXY | Let Your Light Shine On | MPS
2 BOMBINO | Deran | Partisan
3 NICKODEMUS | A Long Engagement | Wonderwheel
4 LISTEN ALL AROUND: THE GOLDEN AGE OF CENTRAL AND EAST AFRICAN MUSIC | various artists | Dust-To-Digital
5 IMARHAN | Temet | City Slang
6 VIBRONICS | Woman On A Mission | SCOOPS
7 DJENEBA AND FOUSCO | Kayeba Khasso | Lusafrica
8 ROOTZ RADICALS | "Bad Government" [Single] | Fett Music
9 BROWNOUT | Fear Of A Brown Planet | Fat Beats
10 BALOJI | 137 Avenue Kaniama | Bella Union

June 19, 2018

Program June 20, 2018

Desert blues superstar Oumara "Bombino" Moctar (pictured above), the "Sultan of Shred" from Agadez in Niger, has just released his sixth album.  It's the first in ten years that he's recorded in Africa -- there's no celebrity stars or crossover narrative here, just the best in Sahara Desert guitar.  You'll hear a track from it this week on Global A Go-Go, along with other artists from inside and north of the desert.

Also this week: vintage recordings from Central and East Africa, the Ethiopian tinge in jazz, and some hot dancehall and soca for this hot weather.

June 17, 2018

Charts June 17, 2018

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 DIALI CISSOKHO AND KAIRA BA | Routes | Twelve | Eight
2 ANGELIQUE KIDJO | Remain In Light | Kravenworks
3 YENI NOSTALJI | Yeni Nostalji | Ropeadope
4 LOS TEXMANIACS | Cruzando Borders | Smithsonian Folkways
5 ALI FARKA TOURE | The Source (Remastered) | World Circuit
6 CAMARAO | The Imaginary Soundtrack to a Brazilian Western Movie (1964-1974) | Analog Africa
7 BROWNOUT | Fear Of A Brown Planet | Fat Beats
8 LA DAME BLANCHE | Bajo El Mismo Cielo | Nacional
9 LUCIBELA | Laco Umbilical | Lusafrica
10 SEUN KUTI AND EGYPT 80 | Black Times | Strut

June 12, 2018

Program June 13, 2018

North Carolina has become an exporter of top-shelf West African music in recent years.  The trend started with Asheville's Toubab Krewe, followed shortly by Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba (pictured above) from Carrboro.  The latter's third album will be released on June 29, the former issued their latest in March, and you'll hear a track from both on this week's program.

Also this week: yet another cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" -- but this time in Yiddish, a trip to the Mexico-USA border for Norteno and rock 'n' roll, and Afrobeat and Afro-funk at drum & bass tempos.

June 10, 2018

Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba | Routes

ARTIST: Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba
TITLE: Routes
LABEL: Twelve | Eight
North Carolina has become an exporter of top-shelf West African music in recent years. The trend started with Asheville’s Toubab Krewe, followed shortly by Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba from Carrboro.

El Dusty | Cumbia City

ARTIST: El Dusty
TITLE: Cumbia City
LABEL: Aftercluv
Dusty Oliveira is a young DJ-producer from Corpus Christi, Texas with a fresh take on electro-cumbia.

Angelique Kidjo | Remain In Light

ARTIST: Angelique Kidjo
TITLE: Remain In Light
LABEL: Kravenworks
Remain In Light by Talking Heads is one of the last albums I thought needed to be remade. This 1980 classic is the high point of that band’s career and a master class in employing an African sensibility without resorting to mere imitation.

Mystic Bowie | Mystic Bowie's Talking Dreads

ARTIST: Mystic Bowie
TITLE: Mystic Bowie’s Talking Dreads
LABEL: MTMB Entertainment
I didn’t expect to be reviewing two albums of Talking Heads covers this week.

Charts June 10, 2018

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 ANGELIQUE KIDJO | Remain In Light | Kravenworks
2 YENI NOSTALJI | Yeni Nostalji | Ropeadope
3 MYSTIC BOWIE | Mystic Bowie's Talking Dreads | MTMB Entertainment
4 EL DUSTY |  Cumbia City | Aftercluv
5 NICOLA CONTE AND SPIRITUAL GALAXY | Let Your Light Shine On | MPS
6 BOMBINO | Deran | Partisan
7 ALI FARKA TOURE | The Source (Remastered) | World Circuit
8 EL HIJO DE LA CUMBIA | Genero Genero | Nacional
9 AFRICAN SCREAM CONTEST 2 | various artists | Analog Africa
10 ORQUESTA AKOKAN | Orquesta Akokan | Daptone

June 4, 2018

Program June 6, 2018

Two legendary African singers passed away in recent days.  Kasse Mady Diabate (pictured above), the man Salif Keita called "the greatest singer in Mali," was a direct descendant of the jelis (professional musicians and historians) who served Sundiata Keita when he founded the Malian Empire in 1235.  He died on June 1 at age 69.

Singer and soldier Tsehaytu Beraki died at age 79 on May 24, Eritrean Independence Day, in the Netherlands where she was granted political asylum in 1988.  Tsehaytu, "The Sunshine Of Eritrea," helped popularize the traditional Tigrigna music of Asmara, a sound that has greatly influenced both Eritrean and Ethiopian music.

This week on Global A Go-Go, you'll hear a whole set of Kasse Mady's work, from his days with L'Orchestre National Badema in the 1970s to his remarkable 2015 final solo album.  And from Tsehaytu I'll play a pair of songs, one from the 70s and the other from her Dutch comeback album of 2004; you'll also hear younger musicians working in the azmari tradition.

Also this week: Angelique Kidjo and Mystic Bowie both remake Talking Heads songs, and a set of electro-cumbia to get you dancing.

June 3, 2018

Charts June 3, 2018

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 AFRICAN SCREAM CONTEST 2 | various artists | Analog Africa
2 BOMBINO | Deran | Partisan
3 LES POULES A COLIN | Morose | self-released
4 NICOLA CONTE AND SPIRITUAL GALAXY | Let Your Light Shine On | MPS
5 ORQUESTA AKOKAN | Orquesta Akokan | Daptone
6 SIDI TOURE | Toubalbero | Thrill Jockey
7 IMARHAN | Temet | City Slang
8 SONIDO GALLO NEGRO | Mambo Cosmico | Glitterbeat
9 AFRO B | Afrowave 2 | Marathon Artists
10 MYSTERY OF THE BULGARIAN VOICES, THE | BooCheeMish | Prophecy