WRIR's Spring 2021 fund drive

One of the things I've missed the most during the COVID-19 pandemic has been live music.  There's a good chance you're feeling the same way as me.

 

So my program for what will hopefully be the last WRIR fund drive under pandemic conditions (Monday April 26, 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) is going to focus on some of the most memorable concerts I've attended over the last 40 years.

 

I have some unique stories to tell about shows I've been to: The night Fela Kuti got all the taxicabs off the road; unexpected pleasures in Paris, Barcelona and Vienna; driving 2-1/2 hours in a tropical storm to see an outdoor gig; hanging with Ethiopian attorneys in New York; and more.

 

And I'll be encouraging you to donate to WRIR before our Spring 2021 fund drive ends on Wednesday April 28 at 11 PM.  Like, how about doing it right now?  Just click on this link: wrir.org/donating

 

Oh, about that photograph above.  That's me and some of my WRIR colleagues enjoying live music at the Richmond Folk Festival in 2012.  Clockwise from top left, you're seeing Mike (Mr. Jazz) Gourrier of Bebop And Beyond, yours truly, Alyssa (P. Swann) Salomon of Can't Stop The Music, Charles (DJ Graybeard) Williams of The Other Black Music and The Motherland Influence and Carl (DJ Carlito) Hamm of If Music Could Talk.

Charts April 13-19, 2021

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten

1 JOSE CARLOS SCHWARZ AND LE COBIANA DJAZZ | Lua Ki Di Nos | Hot Mule

2 AYUUNA SULE | "Don't Be Lazy" [Single] | Rebel Up

3 DELGRES | 4:00 AM | PIAS

4 LOS MUTABLES | "Pasos En La Luna/Suspenso En El Espacio" [Single] | Munster

5 LOS MASTER PLUS | "Buena Vida" (feat Pato Machete) [Single] | Nacional

6 STRAIGHT FROM THE DECKS 2 | various artists | Pura Vida Sounds/Heavenly Sweetness

7 AFROSOUND | La Danza De Los Mirlos | Vampisoul

8 NATION BEAT | The Royal Chase | NBM

9 THE BOYS FROM NAIROBI: BENGA AND RUMBA FROM 1980S KENYA | various artists | No Wahala Sounds

10 ALOSTMEN | Kologo | Strut

Ban mwen on chanson

 

4:00 AM by Delgres, released earlier this month, is one of my favorite new albums so far this year.  They're a power trio from France with leader Pascal Danae on dobro, the bass line is provided by tuba, and drum kit finishes the combo.

 

Danae's parents are from Guadeloupe and his songs, mostly written in Creole, have echoes of both delta blues and the French Caribbean.  It's a new urban folk music for the 21st century, or the sound of an imaginary alternative New Orleans.  You'll hear a track from 4:00 AM on this week's program, along with a healthy dose of Caribbean sounds from Haiti, Martinique, Guadeloupe and the Dominican Republic.

 

Also this week (Monday April 19, 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): Cobiana Djazz of Guine-Bissau, more kologo music from Ghana, another cumbia sampler, and guitar music of Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

Charts April 6-12, 2021

 

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten

1 LES FILLES DE ILLIGHADAD | "Surbajo" [Single] | Sahel Sounds

2 STRAIGHT FROM THE DECKS 2 | various artists | Pura Vida Sounds/Heavenly Sweetness

3 KANE MATHIS | Geminus | Nyaato

4 COLOR DE TROPICO, VOL. 2 | various artists [Advance Tracks] | El Palmas

5 LEE FRY MUSIC | "Wianek (feat Alia Fay)" [Single] | self-released

6 ELIDA ALMEIDA | Gerasonobu | Lusafrica

7 NATION BEAT | The Royal Chase | NBM

8 YAADCORE, JAH9 AND SUBATOMIC SOUND SYSTEM | "Police In Helicopter" [Single] | Yard Birdz-Subatomic Sound

9 ALTIN GUN | Yol | ATO

10 TOMMY GUERRERO | Sunshine Radio | Too Good

You are flawless

The swinging 60s happened all over the planet, even in Ethiopia, one of the world's most tradition-loving and inward-focused countries.  We'll visit the Swinging Addis of the 60s and 70s on this week's edition of Global A Go-Go with five Ethio-oldies from that wonderful era.

 

Also this week (Monday April 12, 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): progressive folk music from Eastern Europe, new desert blues by Les Filles De Illighadad, the Senegambian kora, West Africa's funky Afropop and funana from the island nation of Cabo Verde.

Charts Mar 30 - Apr 5, 2021

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten

1 DELGRES | 4:00 AM | PIAS

2 EDO FUNK EXPLOSION VOL 1 | various artists | Analog Africa

3 LOS MUTABLES | "Pasos En La Luna/Suspenso En El Espacio" [Single] | Munster

4 STRAIGHT FROM THE DECKS 2 | various artists | Pura Vida Sounds/Heavenly Sweetness

5 MUITO KABALLA POWER ENSEMBLE | "Mamari" [Single] | Rebel Up

6 AMPEX, THE | The Ampex | Munster

7 JOAO SELVA | Navegar | Underdog

8 LOS TEDDY'S | Doce Psicoexitos | Munster

9 JUPITER AND OKWESS | Na Kozonga [Advance Tracks] | Everloving

10 CHRISTINE SALEM | Mersi | Blue Fanal

We'll do it live

In the immortal words of Bill O'Reilly (youtube.com/watch?v=Qy-Y3HJNU_s): "we'll do it live!"  Yes, Global A Go-Go is back in WRIR's Studio A for the first time in 56 weeks, thanks to the good work of Drs. Johnson & Johnson.  I'm looking forward to doing live radio again, and I can't wait to find out which mistakes I'm going to make in my rusty first week back.

Here's what you'll hear this week (Monday April 5, 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): new music from a German one-man band that's now a 9-piece powerhouse ensemble, some urbane MPB from Brazil, Afro-boogie circa 1978, hard-hitting island blues from France, and a double shot of Get In The Garage, a recurring feature on this show spotlighting garage rock from around the world.