March 26, 2019

Program March 27, 2019

Daptone Records, home of soul stars like the late Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley, has started dipping their toes into Latin music.  Their first effort was a beauty: the debut album by Orquesta Akokan (one of my favorites of 2018), recorded in Havana.

For their first Latin project in their own Brooklyn studio, what band did Daptone choose?  None other than Richmond's Miramar (pictured above at Daptone headquarters).  The single that resulted from that session will be released on Friday, and Global A Go-Go will premiere it this week.

You'll also hear two tracks from Inner Mongolia's Anda Union, who will perform live on Global A Go-Go next week to kick off WRIR's Spring 2019 Fund Drive.  I'll also be giving away a pair of tickets to see Anda Union's April 4 show at the University of Richmond.

Also this week: news from the Tamasheq bush telegraph; a whole set of throat singing; and the Haiti-Cabo Verde connection.

March 24, 2019

The Bongo Hop | Satingarona Pt. 2

ARTIST: The Bongo Hop
TITLE: Satingarona Pt. 2
LABEL: Underdog
Here’s the second release from trumpeter Etienne Sevet as The Bongo Hop; his first was one of my favorites of 2017.

DJ Panko | Panko Pa' Palenque

ARTIST: DJ Panko
TITLE: Panko Pa’ Palenque
LABEL: Palenque
Here’s the latest project from Lucas Silva, the man who’s done more than anyone to get Colombian champeta music in front of the masses. This time he’s engaged Barcelona-based DJ Panko to remix nine Silva-produced tracks.

Ibibio Sound Machine | Doko Mien

ARTIST: Ibibio Sound Machine
TITLE: Doko Mien
LABEL: Merge
The first two albums by Ibibio Sound Machine have been sensational in parts but inconsistent as a whole. On their third release, the band seems to have found the precise blend of African and first-world elements they’ve been searching for.

Ahmed Ag Kaedy | Akaline Kidal

ARTIST: Ahmed Ag Kaedy
TITLE: Akaline Kidal
LABEL: Sahel Sound
Guitarist-singer-songwriter Ahmed Ag Kaedy leads Amanar, one of the top bands in desert blues. He also had a key role in the development of Sahel Sounds, probably the most influential record label for Tamasheq music – Chris Kirkley, who runs Sahel Sounds, lived at Ahmed’s compound in Kidal, Mali for six months while he was building his label.

Miramar | Salida / Urgencia

ARTIST: Miramar
TITLE: “Salida” / “Urgencia”
LABEL: Daptone
Richmond’s Miramar, led by keyboardist Marlysse Simmons (Bio Ritmo) and fronted by singers Rei Alvarez (Bio Ritmo) and Laura Ann Singh (Quatro Na Bossa), specializes in boleros, the romantic ballads that were popular across the Americas in the 1940s and 50s.

Dexter Story | Bahir

ARTIST: Dexter Story
TITLE: Bahir
LABEL: Soundway
Dexter Story has worked all sides of the music business in his career: he’s done marketing and artist management, been a talent buyer and event producer, he’s produced and music-directed major events, and he’s a working musician as well.

Charts March 16-22, 2019

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 IBIBIO SOUND MACHINE | Doko Mien | Merge
2 DAKTARIS, THE | Soul Explosion [Remastered] | Desco / Daptone
3 COCHEMEA | All My Relations | Daptone
4 DEXTER STORY | Bahir | Soundway
5 BASSEKOU KOUYATE AND NGONI BA | Miri | OutHere
6 LEYLA MCCALLA | The Capitalist Blues | Jazz Village
7 MISTER KALI | Step Fast | Rebel Sound
8 AHMED AG KAEDY | Akaline Kidal | Sahel Sounds
9 DAWDA JOBARTEH | I Met Her By The River | Sterns Africa
10 LOBO MARINO | At Appalachian South Folklife Center | self-released

March 19, 2019

Program March 20, 2019

My friend and long-time WRIR supporter Stacie Birchett recently asked me to put together a dinner music playlist for the Better Housing Coalition (BHC)'s Stay Home RVA "non-event gala."  I was happy to do so and to help support the Richmond area's largest nonprofit community development corporation.

On today's show, I'm going to play the selections I chose for Stay Home RVA, and I've added on to them as well.  Since it's a dinner music playlist, you might describe it as a polite version of Global A Go-Go.  But it ain't background music -- no, it's some of my favorite non-dance tracks from around the world and across the decades, kind of a best of Global A Go-Go in its own right.

And since no Global A Go-Go program is complete without some dance tracks, I've added some on to the playlist.  For folks who'll be supporting BHC at Stay Home RVA, you can think of them as a lagniappe, an extra gift, and maybe the way to start the dance party you want to host after your dinner is over.

If you'd like to know more about supporting the Better Housing Coalition through Stay Home RVA April 29 through May 5, here are a couple of links for you to check out:

https://www.betterhousingcoalition.org/what-were-doing/stay-home-rva
https://www.stayhomerva.org

March 18, 2019

Charts March 15, 2019

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 VAUDOU GAME | Otodi | Hot Casa
2 IBIBIO SOUND MACHINE | Doko Mien | Merge
3 ROCKY DAWUNI | Beats Of Zion | Aquarian / Six Degrees
4 LEYLA MCCALLA | The Capitalist Blues | Jazz Village
5 DEXTER STORY | Bahir | Soundway
6 DJ PANKO | Panko Pa' Palenque | Palenque
7 DAKTARIS, THE | Soul Explosion [Remastered] | Desco / Daptone
8 COCOA TEA | Music Is Our Business | VP
9 HELADO NEGRO | This Is How You Smile | RVNG Intl.
10 SON PALENQUE | "Adios Batata (Cerrero Dub Mix)" [Single] | Llorona / Palenque

March 12, 2019

Program March 13, 2019

Los Angeles-based multi-instrumentalist Dexter Story (pictured above) overlays his background in soul, funk and jazz with his more recent interest in East African music.  His second album in this direction, Bahir, will be released on Friday, and it's a gem.  You'll hear a track from it on this week's show, surrounded by recordings by other American artists who are mining the rich vein of sound from Ethiopia and Sudan.

Also this week: vintage salsa Senegalaise; new Afro-funk from Rocky Dawuni and Ibibio Sound Machine; and the return of the Batusi.

March 10, 2019

Charts March 8, 2019

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 FREDERICO7 | Exotico Americano | self-released
2 LOBO MARINO | At Appalachian South Folklife Center | self-released
3 MDOU MOCTAR | Ilana (The Creator) [Advance Tracks] | Sahel Sounds
4 JUANECO Y SU COMBO | El Gran Cacique | Infopesa
5 HELADO NEGRO | This Is How You Smile | RVNG International
6 DAWDA JOBARTEH | I Met Her By The River | Sterns Africa
7 UMUT ADAN | Bahar | Riverboat
8 LE VENT DU NORD | Territoires | Borealis
9 BRANKO | Nosso | Enchufada
10 COMBO CHIMBITA | Ahomale [Advance Tracks] | ANTI-