Uplifter or downpressor?

Photograph by Michael Lease

I'm going to start this week's program with a tribute to George Floyd in honor of his family -- that is, all of us.

Rastafarians have a theory of language called Wordsound: a word should sound like what it means.  So 'oppressor' doesn't make sense -- you can't start a negative term with the "up" sound.  Rasta says 'downpressor' instead, giving you the image of a man with his knee on your neck, pressing down.

In these times, it's incumbent on all of us to choose: Am I an uplifter or a downpressor?  I don't think there's an in-between.

Also this week (Monday June 8, 3:00-5:00 PM on WRIR, for two weeks afterwards at wrir.org/listen, check your local listings for airing on other radio stations, and any old time at my podcast site), Global A Go-Go uplifts you with a song by Idir, who brought Algerian Kabyle music to the world; women of cumbia; Igbo Afrobeat from Nigeria; the first ever international release from Djibouti; and a Balkan beats dance party.

Podcast: radio4all.net/index.php/program/105882
All the podcasts: radio4all.net/index.php/series/Global+A+Go-Go


Artist | Country | Song | Recording | Label | Year

Oliver Lake | USA | Separation | Matador Of 1st & 1st | Passin' Thru | 1997
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros | England UK | Global A Go-Go | Global A Go-Go | Hellcat | 2001

Gregory Isaacs | Jamaica | Babylon Too Tough | Babylon Too Tough - single | 17 North Parade | 1975
Peter Tosh | Jamaica | Downpressor Man | Equal Rights | Columbia | 1977
Willie Williams | Jamaica | Armagideon Time | Armagideon Time - single | Studio One | 1979
Queen Ifrica | Jamaica | I Can't Breathe | Climb | VP | 2017

Tamikrest | Mali-Algeria-France | Anha Achal Wad Namda | Tamotait | Glitterbeat | 2020
Idir | Algeria-France | A Tulawin (Une Algerienne Debout) (feat Manu Chao) | Identites | Saint George | 1999
Franck Biyong | Cameroon | Anywhere Trouble (club mix) | Trouble | Hot Casa | 2020

Kumbia Queers | Argentina-Mexico | Mis Botas | Kumbia Nena! | Horario Invertido | 2007
Nohe & Sus Santos | Honduras-Mexico-USA | Come As You Are | Tempestad | Avokado Artists | 2020
Lila Downs | Mexico-USA | Viene La Muerte Echando Rasero | Balas Y Chocolate | Sony Music Latin | 2015
Bomba Estereo | Colombia | Fuego | Blow Up | Nacional | 2009

Tabansi Studio Band | Nigeria | Kama Sofoa | Wakar Alhaizi Kano / Mus'en Sofoa | BBE | 2020

Ethio Stars feat Mulatu Astatke | Ethiopia | Yetentu Tez Alew | Addis 1988 | Piranha | 1992
Dur-Dur Band | Somalia | Shaleedayaa | Mogadisco: Dancing Mogadishu, Somalia 1972-1991 | Analog Africa | 1991
Groupe RTD | Djibouti | Halkaasad Dhigi Magtiisa | The Dancing Devils Of Djibouti | Ostinato | 2020
Sharhabil Ahmed | Sudan | Argos Farfish | The King Of Sudanese Jazz | Habibi Funk | 196x

RotFront | Germany-Ukraine-Hungary-Russia | Kontrabanda (feat RasKar) | 17 Deutsche Tanze | GMO | 2014
Magnifico | Slovenia | Zum Zum | Magnification | Piranha | 2010
Dzambo Agusevi Orchestra | North Macedonia | Brasses For The Masses | Brasses For The Masses | Asphalt Tango | 2020
Mahala Rai Banda vs Shantel | Romania-Germany | Mahalageasca (Bucovina dub) | Bucovina Club Vol. 2 | Essay | 2005
Geo Da Silva | Romania | I'll Do You Like A Truck (Balkanik remix) | I'll Do You Like A Truck (Balkanik remix) - single | YouTube | 2008
Boban & Marco Marcovic Orchestra | Serbia | Turbo Dizel | Gipsy Manifesto | Piranha | 2013