Blind guitarist-singer Daniel Gonora has been making his living performing on the streets of Harare, Zimbabwe since 2004. His four year old son Isaac joined him on drums in 2008. They call themselves Gonora Sounds and they play sungura, the quintessential popular sound of Zimbabwe that's based on traditional mbira (thumb piano) music adapted for the electric guitar.
Street videos of Daniel and Isaac have racked up more than 10 million views on the internet, and the family band was the subject of an award-winning 2017 documentary film You Can't Hide From The Truth. They're released a number of limited edition CDs but now for the first time there's a full-length, full band Gonora Sounds studio album, Hard Times Never Kill.
It's a revelation. 1970s and 1980s Zimbabwean artists like Thomas Mapfumo, the Four Brothers and The Bhundu Boys were some of the first African musicians I ever heard, so hearing Gonora Sounds brings me back to some of my favorite, most memorable music of all time. And I'll bring some of it for you this week on Global A Go-Go.
Also this week (Sunday February 13, 1:00-3:00 PM on WRIR, for two weeks afterwards on the wrir.org archive player, check your local listings for airing on other radio stations, and any old time at my podcast site): a reissued masterpiece of South African jazz by Abdullah Ibrahim; new music by Small Island Big Song, who will be performing at the University of Richmond in March; high energy Russian folk-rock; and 21st century takes on Mexican tradition.
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
Abdullah Ibrahim | South Africa | Manenberg Revisited | Water From An Ancient Well | Yellowbird | 1986
Pat Matshikiza & Kippie Moketsi | South Africa | Umgababa | Tshona! | We Are Busy Bodies | 1975
Oliver Mtukudzi | Zimbabwe | Rugare Rwamangwana | Strange Isn't It | RTP | 1988
Gonora Sounds | Zimbabwe | Wapinda Mazviri | Hard Times Never Kill | The Vital Record / Dust-to-Digital | 2022
The Bhundu Boys | Zimbabwe | Hupenyu Hwangu | The Bhundu Boys | Rugare | 1983
Gonora Sounds | Zimbabwe | Ndasuruvara Senjiva | Hard Times Never Kill | The Vital Record / Dust-to-Digital | 2022
Robson Banda & The New Black Eagles | Zimbabwe | Rambai Makashinga | Soweto | Nyati Nyati | 1986
Hallelujah Chicken Run Band | Zimbabwe | Mwana Wamai Dada Naye | Take One | Alula | 1974
Small Island Big Song | Taiwan-Mauritius-Tahiti (French Polynesia)-Madagascar-Papua New Guinea-Rapa Nui (Chile)-Marshall Islands-New Zealand-Borneo (Malaysia-Indonesia-Brunei)-Hawaii (USA) | Aoka (feat Sammy) | Our Island | self-released | 2022
Oki | Japan | Iuta Upopo (feat Umeko Ando) | Tonkori In The Moonlight (1996-2006) | Mais Um | 2003
Albert Kuvezin & Yat-Kha | Tuva Republic Russia | In A Gadda Da Vida | Re-Covers | World Village | 2006
Lucidvox | Russia | Swarm | Burn The Grief / Swarm - Single | Glitterbeat | 2022
Otava Yo | Russia | Guelder Rose Berries | Do You Love | ARC | 2019
Zdob Si Zdub | Moldova | Trece Vremea Omului | Basta Mafia! | Asphalt Tango | 2011
Khoomei Beat | Tuva Republic Russia | Kochegar | Changys Baglaash | ARC | 2021
Renee Goust | Mexico-USA | La Muchacha Alegre (feat Nancy Sanchez) | La Muchacha Alegre - Single | self-released | 2021
Mariachi El Bronx | USA | 48 Roses | II | ATO | 2011
Marco Flores Y La Jerez | Mexico | Ahora Es Cuando (feat Grupo Legitimo) | Ahora Es Cuando - Single | Nacional | 2022
Son Rompe Pera | Mexico | Proteus | Bootleg Cumbia Vol. 1: The Live On KEXP Session | self-released | 2021
Son Rompe Pera | Mexico | Los Chucos Suaves (feat Macha) | Batuco | AYA | 2020
No comments:
Post a Comment