Un poquito de pena

It's time for another installment in Global A Go-Go's "Get in the Garage" series focusing on garage-rock from around the world.  This time the focus is on Peru, which had a massive rock 'n' roll scene kick-started by a band that anticipated punk-rock a decade ahead of the name, Los Saicos (pictured above) and pushed into overdrive by a military junta that declared war on rock music in 1968.  Sometimes you gotta have something to rebel against ....

Also this week (Monday November 30, 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): a classic long jam from Senegal's Orchestra Baobab, the psychedelic sounds of West Africa, Fat Freddy's Drop meets Tony Allen, another installment in "Salsa African Style" and scorching desert blues from the Sahel.

Charts November 17-23, 2020

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten

1 MAWULI DECKER | "Lololi-Lomko" [Single] | Matasuna

2 KOKOROKO | "Baba Ayoola" [Single] | Brownswood

3 BOUNALY | Music From Saharan WhatsApp 10 [EP] | Sahel Sound

4 ABELARDO CARBOBO Y SU CONJUNTO | Guana Tangula | Vampisoul

5 BOSQ | Y Su Descarga Internacional | Bacalao

6 MODOU TOURE | Touki | ARC

7 MONKEY MARC | Vital Sound | Digikillaz/DubShot

8 LEYLA MCCALLA | Vari-Colored Songs: A Tribute To Langston Hughes | Smithsonian Folkways

9 JUANA MOLINA | ANRMAL (Live In Mexico) | Crammed

10 SONGHOY BLUES | Optimisme | Fat Possum

Celestial blues

Kokoroko is a young octet from London fronted by three female horn players; their music bridges Afrobeat, highlife and modern jazz.  They've released an EP and a couple of singles so far, and I expect more good things from them in the future.

Kokoroko's brand new single "Baba Ayoola" is a tribute to saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi's grandfather.  It's an ideal introduction to their sound and you'll be hearing it on this week's episode of Global A Go-Go.

Also this week (Monday November 23, 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): acoustic music of the Sahel, old-fashioned Afropop is sounding good to me right now, three 5-star albums of South African jazz, modern highlife from Ghana and the roots of Colombian champeta, where cumbia meets Afrobeat.

Charts November 10-16, 2020

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten

1 BROOKLYN RAGA MASSIVE | In D | self-released

2 GYPTIAN | "Warm & Easy" [Single] | VP

3 ALFREDO LINARES | Lo Que Tengo | Vampisoul

4 BOSQ | Y Su Descarga Internacional | Bacalao

5 VUSI MAHLASELA | Shebeen Queen | ATO

6 LOS MOCOSOS | All Grown Up | Hip Spanic

7 MISTA SAVONA PRESENTS HAVANA MEETS KINGSTON | "Beat Con Flow (feat Cimafunk)" [Single] | Cumbancha-Baco

8 SONGHOY BLUES | Optimisme | Fat Possum

9 JUANA MOLINA | ANRMAL (Live In Mexico) | Crammed

10 LUCAS NWANANGA AND HIS BAND | Back To Soweto | Umsakazo

Back to Soweto

Lucas Nwananga can't go back to Soweto -- he's from Yorkshire.  He grew up collecting rare recordings of South African township jive and mbaqanga, then he taught himself to play all the instruments on those records by ear.  "His Band" is just Lucas playing guitars, bass, brushed snare drum and melodica, recreating the sonics of 1960s South Africa in his home during the lockdown.

 

Back To Soweto is one of the most joyful albums I've heard in 2020.  Tune in to Global A Go-Go this week and hear a selection from it for yourself, alongside some of the vintage jive that inspired it.

 

Also this week (Monday November 16, 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): Brooklyn Raga Massive's Terry Riley-inspired In D, North African rock 'n' roll, lovers rock - the romantic side of reggae, some tuneful Latin soul and salsa dura para los bailadores y los oyentes.

Charts November 3-9, 2020

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten

1 BOSQ | Y Su Descarga Internacional | Bacalao

2 JUANA MOLINA | ANRMAL (Live In Mexico) | Crammed

3 KELEKETLA | Keleketla! | Ahead Of Our Time

4 ZEDASHE | Silver Sanctuary | Electric Cowbell

5 RICARDO LEMVO AND MAKINA LOCA | N'Dona Ponte | Mopiato

6 COLOR DE TROPICO | various artists | El Palmas

7 NAHAWA DOUMBIA | Kanawa | Awesome Tapes From Africa

8 QWANQWA | Volume 3 | Wuzzawazzee Industries

9 MINYO CRUSADERS AND FRENTE CUMBIERO | From Tokyo To Bogota [EP] | Mais Um

10 ACID COCO | Mucho Gusto | El Palmas

Rebellion manifesto

Gaye Su Akyol is a rock star in Turkey -- and the rest of the world is starting to pay attention as well.  She's an outspoken advocate for the rights of women and queer people, but her lyrics are just ambiguous enough to keep her safe from Ergodan's censors and enforcers.  At least so far.

Musically, she and a whole generation of young artists are reviving Anatolian rock, Turkey's home-grown psychedelic sound of the 1970s.  Akyol has a new single and it's her most forthright statement to date, both musically and politically.  Tune in this week and hear "Isyan Manifestosu" (Rebellion Manifesto) on Global A Go-Go.

Also this week (Monday November 9, 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): wild singing from three sides of the Black Sea, Ethiopian sounds, Latin remixes made for the dance floor, new music from Mali's Nahawa Doumbia and a question: how fast can you dance?

Charts Oct 27 - Nov 2, 2020

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten

1 LA LOCURA DE MACHUCA 1975-1980 | various artists | Analog Africa

2 KELEKETLA | Keleketla! | Ahead Of Our Time

3 MADE KUTI | "Free Your Mind" [Single] | Partisan

4 WARSAW AFROBEAT ORCHETRA | Antibody | Peace & Rhythm

5 BUDOS BAND, THE | Long In The Tooth | Daptone

6 MODESTE HUGUES AND KILEMA | Ala Maintso - Green World | ARC

7 RICARDO LEMVO AND MAKINA LOCA | N'Dona Ponte | Mopiato

8 MUKAMBO PRESENTS GLOBAL AFROBEAT MOVEMENT | various artists | NYP

9 NATION BEAT | The Royal Chase | self-released

10 GARMARNA | Forbundet | Season Of Mist

Budos rising

The Budos Band has been a Global A Go-Go staple from the beginning -- their first album came out in 2005, the same year WRIR went on the air.  Their new album, Long In The Tooth, is a return to their original sound, their best in 10 years.  Hear for yourself as I play a track from the new album along with ones from their first four releases.

 

Also this week (Monday November 2, 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): European folk-rock appropriate for the spoopy season, four from Madagascar, Colombia's crazy pre-champeta sounds, Afrobeat from behind the former Iron Curtain, and Made Kuti's debut plus what his father and grandfather sounded like at the same age.