August 15, 2020

Crossroads can't hold me

She has released two albums since 2018 and she's already being compared to Angelique Kidjo, Patti Smith, PJ Harvey, the White Stripes, the Alabama Shakes and Rokia Traore.  Sounds like good company to be in.  Who is she?

The answer is Moonlight Benjamin, a Haitian singer-songwriter now based in Toulouse, France and working with a four-piece band led by guitarist Mattis Pascaud.  I'm a little late in getting to Benjamin's music, but I'm really into it now.  I'll play a set of her songs this week on Global A Go-Go; maybe that will get you into it as well.

Also this week (Monday August 17, 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): some American renditions of northeast Brazil's "music for maids and taxi drivers," Balkan sounds with an emphasis on the singers rather than the brass, a cumbia-tronica dance party, Afropop from Senegal, and music from the far edge of Afrobeat.

Podcast: radio4all.net/index.php/program/106397
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

Forro In The Dark | Brazil-USA | Nonsensical | Dia De Hoda | Nublu | 2008
Nation Beat | USA | Forro De Dois Amigos | Forro De Dois Amigos - single | NBM | 2020
Matuto | USA-Brazil | Dois Nordestes | Matuto | Ropeadope | 2009

Muharem Serbezovski & Ansambl Crni Diamante | North Macedonia | Ramajana | Ramajana - single | PGP RTB | 1977
Jaakko Laitinen & Vaara Raha | Finland | Madonruokaa | Borek | Playground Music Finland | 2020
Jony Iliev | Bulgaria | Godzila | Ma Maren Ma | Asphalt Tango | 2002
Saban Bajramovic & Ansambl Svete Sesica | Serbia | Ederlezi Avela (Durdevdan Dolazi) | Ederlezi Avela | Diskos | 1969

Bang Data | USA | Bailazo | Mucho Poco | Futuro Sonico / Rockolito Music | 2014
Hector Guerra | Bolivia-Spain-Mexico | La Cumbia Del Cuervo (feat Alberto Pedraza) | Gracias Por Existir | Pachamama Dreams | 2015
El Dusty | USA-Mexico | Sacudete El Polvo (feat Los Masters Plus) | Cumbia City | Aftercluv | 2018
Noblezza | Colombia | Coletera | Coletera -single | Codiscos | 2020
Kumbia Boruka | Mexico-France-Peru-Chile-Colombia | Se Siente La Cumbia (feat Naaman) | Se Siente La Cumbia - single | self-released | 2018

Ousmane Toure | Senegal | Nenam | Nenam | Origines SA | 2002
Modou Toure | Senegal | Melokane | Touki | ARC | 2020
Youssou N'Dour | Senegal | Gaiende (The Lion) | The Lion | Virgin | 1989

Moonlight Benjamin | Haiti-France | Port-au-Prince | Siltane | Ma Case | 2018
Moonlight Benjamin | Haiti-France | Siltane | Siltane | Ma Case | 2018
Moonlight Benjamin | Haiti-France | Simido | Simido | Ma Case | 2020
Moonlight Benjamin | Haiti-France | Pasay | Simido | Ma Case | 2020

The Budos Band | USA | Long In The Tooth | Long In The Tooth - single | Daptone | 2020
The Superpowers | USA | 32 Bit | Trance For Nation | Young Cub | 2008
The Shaolin Afronauts | Australia | Flight Of The Ancients | Flight Of The Ancients | Freestyle | 2011
Femi Kuti | Nigeria | Can't Buy Me | Africa For Africa | Knitting Factory | 2011

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