April 23, 2019

Program April 24, 2019

April is usually one of the big months for new releases in the music world (September and October are the others).  For a variety of reasons (WRIR's Spring 2019 Fund Drive, personal matters), I haven't had much opportunity to feature new music this month.

So I've got some catching up to do, and that's the focus of this week's program.  The whole first hour is dedicated to new releases and new reissues in the Afro-funk and Latin bags, including the great new Carnaval single from two of my favorites Colombian bands, Bomba Estereo and Systema Solar (pictured above).

The second hour has more new sounds from Mali and Niger, a look at the Balkan-Caribbean connection, and we finish up with some particularly crazed Balkan vocalists.  Should be fun.

April 21, 2019

Charts Mar 30 - Apr 19, 2019

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 IBIBIO SOUND MACHINE | Doko Mien | Merge
2 DEXTER STORY | Bahir | Soundway
3 BONGO HOP, THE | Satingarona Pt 2 | Underdog
4 COCHEMEA | All My Relations | Daptone
5 MIRAMAR | "Salida/Urgencia" [Single] | Daptone
6 BUDOS BAND, THE | V | Daptone
7 GRUPO FANTASMA | American Music: Vol. VII | Blue Corn
8 MDOU MOCTAR | Ilana: The Creator | Sahel Sounds
9 HAMA SANKARE | Niafunke | Clermont
10 DJ PANKO | Panko Pa' Palenque | Palenque

April 10, 2019

Mdou Moctar | Ilana: The Creator

ARTIST: Mdou Moctar
TITLE: Ilana: The Creator
LABEL: Sahel Sounds
Here’s the album I, and a lot of Moctar’s fans, have been waiting for him to make. The left-handed guitarist from Agadez, Niger has worn a path through Europe and the USA in the last several years, leaving audiences with mouths agape at his technique and energy and at the forward propulsion of his band.

Hama Sankare | Niafunke

ARTIST: Hama Sankare
TITLE: Niafunke
LABEL: Clermont Music
Veteran singer-percussionist Sankare, a former member of Ali Farka Toure’s Groupe ASKO, is a native of Niafunke, Mali, best known as Ali Farka Toure’s home town.

April 9, 2019

Program April 10, 2019

WRIR's Spring 2019 Fund Drive wraps up on Wednesday April 10 at 11 PM. Many of the folks receiving this message have already donated during this drive or are monthly sustaining members -- thank you to all of you for keeping 97.3 FM, Richmond's tower of low power, on the radio and internet airwaves for another six months. We can't do it without you!

April 2, 2019

Program April 3, 2019

WRIR's Spring 2019 Fund Drive starts on Wednesday April 3 at 3:00 PM -- we're working to raise $40,000 by Wednesday April 10 to power "the tower of low power" in Richmond for another six months.  I'm writing to encourage you to make a donation once again this spring.

You can make that donation in two minutes by clicking this link: http://wrir.org/donating.  Or you can call or visit us between 9 AM and 9 PM during the drive, April 3 through April 10.  Our phone number is 804-622-9747; our address is 1621 W. Broad Street, 2nd floor.  If you'd like to know about the cool premiums we're offering to donors this drive, just click here: http://www.wrir.org/donate.

April 1, 2019

Charts March 23-29, 2019

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 MIRAMAR | "Salida / Urgencia" [Single] | Daptone
2 COCHEMEA | All My Relations | Daptone
3 MDOU MOCTAR | Ilana: The Creator | Sahel Sounds
4 BONGO HOP, THE | Satingarona Pt 2 | Underdog
5 GLOAMING, THE | 3 | Real World
6 IBIBIO SOUND MACHINE | Doko Mien | Merge
7 AHMED AG KAEDY | Akaline Kidal | Sahel Sounds
8 DEXTER STORY | Bahir | Soundway
9 LOBO MARINO | At Appalachian South Folklife Center | self-released
10 DAKTARIS, THE | Soul Explosion [Remastered] | Desco/Daptone