Charts February 15-21, 2020

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 GUASA, CUNUNO Y MARIMBA: AFRO-COLOMBIAN MUSIC FROM THE PACIFIC COAST | various artists | Vampisoul
2 AFROINS, LOS | Goza La Salsa | Vampisoul
3 MDOU MOCTAR | "Ibitlan" b/w "Tiknass (Sunbone)" [Single] | Sahel Sounds
4 DAVID WALTERS | Soleil Kreyol | Heavenly Sweetness
5 WUTA MAYI | La Face Cachee | Sterns
6 POUR ME A GROG: THE FUNANA REVOLT IN 1990S CABO VERDE | various artists | Ostinato
7 TINARIWEN | Amadjar | Anti-
8 PERU NEGRO | Son De Los Diablos | Vampisoul
9 JOUWALA COLLECTIVE | Bazaar | self-released
10 ADOLFO ECHEVERRIA Y SU ORQUESTA | Sabroso Bacalao | Vampisoul

It's carnival time

This week marks the end of a season characterized by excess in every dimension, a general reversal of everyday rules and norms, and mockery of authorities.  No, I'm not talking about Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign.  I'm talking about carnival season, which comes to a close this week on Shrove Tuesday.

Monday February 24 on Global A Go-Go we'll take a musical visit to the six largest carnivals in the Americas, starting with three in Brazil: Carnaval do Rio de Janeiro, Carnaval Baiano in Salvador da Bahia and the carnival in Recife.  We'll also touch down at the Carnaval de Barranqilla in Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago Carnival in Port of Spain, and Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

You'll hear the kind of authentic party music from across eight decades that you'd be digging if you were in any of those places today.  If you're not there, this will be the next best thing.

Charts February 1-14, 2020

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 DAVID WALTERS | Soleil Kreyol | Heavenly Sweetness
2 ANTIBALAS | Fu Chronicles | Daptone
3 LOS SHAINS | El Ritmo De Los Shains | Munster
4 LEVE LEVE: SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE SOUNDS (70S - 80S) | various artists | Bongo Joe
5 ALEFA MADAGASCAR: SALEGY, SOUKOUS AND SOUL FROM THE RED ISLAND 1974-1984 | various artists | Strut
6 MARCOS VALLE | Cinzento | Deck
7 DALLAS | "Love From A Distance" [Single] | Rain Tree
8 ETRAN DE L'AIR | Music From Saharan WhatsApp 01 [EP] | Sahel Sounds
9 NIKANOR | Bajo El Sol | Rebel Up
10 EL WALI | Tiris | Sahel Sounds

Nicotiana

Rumput is quite possibly the most unique band in Richmond: they specialize in keroncong, Indonesian string band music.  Last time I checked, they were the only band in the USA playing this popular and very cool style.  They're also unusual in that they're a true multimedia endeavor, with original visual art in the form of wayang (Indonesian shadow puppets) and crankies (Appalachian scrolling panoramas) integrated into their performances.

Their next performance is on Tuesday February 18 at the Firehouse Theatre (more info here), where they'll be rolling out (pun intended) a new crankie on the subject of the ongoing deadly colonial history of tobacco.  Two Rumput members, musician John Priestley and visual artist Beth Reid, will join me in the studio Monday to talk about the band, their upcoming gig and the surprising parallels between Virginia and Indonesia.

Also this week: a tribute to Joseph Shabalaba, cadence from the French Caribbean, classic 1970s salsa dura, the marimba music of Colombia's Pacific coast, and more funana from Cabo Verde.

Charts January 25-31, 2020

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 KALETA AND SUPER YAMBA BAND | Medaho | Ubiquity
2 GEOFF BERNER | Grand Hotel Cosmopolis | Coax
3 DUBIOZA KOLEKTIV | #fakenews | Menart
4 WUTA MAYI | La Face Cachee | Sterns
5 KOKOLO AFROBEAT ORCHESTRA | 100 Fevers | Peace & Rhythm
6 LOCOBEACH |  Psychedelic Disco Cumbia | Dorsal Fin/Peace & Rhythm
7 LONDON AFROBEAT COLLECTIVE | Humans | self-released
8 LOS AFROINS | A Gozar Salsomanos | Vampisoul
9 OTAVA YO | Do You Love | ARC
10 YORKSTON/THORNE/KHAN | Navarasa : Nine Emotions | Domino

Maximum enjoyment

Producer and anthologist Lucas Silva likes to call his home country of Colombia "the Soukous Republic of America."  Indeed, Congolese soukous is perhaps the most central element of champeta, the syncretic music of urban Afro-Caribbean Colombia (especially the cities of Cartagena and Baranquilla) that Silva has been championing for more than 20 years.

This week on Global A Go-Go, you'll hear a set of guarapo, the sub-genre that features DJs remixing specifically Congolese discs.  As with everything in the world of champeta, the goal is vacile efectivo: that's slang for "maximum enjoyment."

Also this week: the first edition of Sahel Sounds' Music From Saharan WhatsApp, some vintage early 80s Afro-pop, a set of lovers rock for Dennis Brown's birthday, new Peruvian chicha via Belgium, and the superb new album by Antibalas.