Charts June 20-26, 2022

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten

1 SOOTHSAYERS | "Last Days" [Single] | Red Earth

2 NOORI AND HIS DORPA BAND | Beja Power! Electric Soul & Brass From Sudan's Red Sea Coast | Ostinato

3 TIKEN JAH FAKOLY | "Ou Est-Ce Que Tu Vas?" [Single] | Chapter Two/Wagram

4 LOS CALVOS | Estos Son Los Calvos | El Palmas

5 DERYA YILDIRIM AND GRUP SIMSEK | "Bal" [Single] | Bongo Joe/Catapulte

6 PEDRO LIMA | Recordar E Vivir: Antogolia Vol. 1 | Bongo Joe

7 BKO | Djine Bora | Bongo Joe

8 MADALISTO BAND | Musakayike | Bongo Joe

9 SOMI | Zenzile: The Reimagination Of Miriam Makeba | Salon Africana

10 SATELLITES | Satellites | Batov

A world out of time

June 26 is Independence Day in Madagascar, the world's second largest island nation (surpassed only by Indonesia) and one of its greatest biodiversity hot spots.  It's also a hot spot for indigenous music, with influences flowing in from East, Central and Southern Africa, Oceania, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, the Arab world, France and of course the USA.

 

But Malagasy music sounds like nothing else in the world.  Hear for yourself this week (Sunday June 26, 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) when I'll play an hour of music from Madagascar.  Also this week: new reggae from Soothsayers and Tiken Jah Fakoly, some Anatolian psych-rock and sounds of Sudan.

Charts June 13-19, 2022

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten

1 EZRA COLLECTIVE | "Victory Dance" [Single] | Partisan

2 LOS BITCHOS | Let The Festivities Begin! | City Slang

3 VIEUX FARKA TOURE | Les Racines | World Circuit

4 ORIENTAL BROTHERS INTERNATIONAL BAND | Oku Ngwo - Di Ochi | Palenque

5 SHAOLIN AFRONAUTS, THE | "The Simien Fox b/w Rumba Cyclique" [Single] | Freestyle

6 NOORI AND HIS DORPA BAND | Beja Power! Electric Soul and Brass from Sudan's Red Sea Coast | Ostinato

7 JESUS PAGAN Y SU ORQUESTA | Salsa De La Mata 'From The Roots' | Peace & Rhythm

8 DA CRUZ | "Serpentes" Feat Magogo [Single] | Horus

9 BORGA REVOLUTION!: GHANAIAN DANCE MUSIC IN THE DIGITAL AGE, 1983-1992 (VOLUME 1) | various artists | Kalita

10 MOKTAR GANIA AND GNAWA SOUL | Masterisé | Musjomusic/Nuits d'Afrique

Charts June 6-12, 2022

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten

1 LUCIBELA | Amdjer | Lusafrica

2 IBIBIO SOUND MACHINE | Electricity | Merge

3 AFRODELIC | Dusunkun Hakili | self-released

4 ORIENTAL BROTHERS INTERNATIONAL BAND | Oku Ngwo - Di Ochi | Palenque

5 BKO | Djine Bora | Bongo Joe

6 JESUS PAGAN Y SU ORQUESTA | Salsa De La Mata 'From The Roots' | Peace & Rhythm

7 SALTPOND CITY BAND | Boko A Ko | Meet Me There

8 DA CRUZ | "Serpentes feat. Magugu" [Single] | Horus

9 LEYLA MCCALLA | Breaking The Thermometer | Anti-

10 BRASIL NOVO | various artists | Musica Macondo

En super forme

I wouldn't say that I'm personally en super forme this week -- more like just managing to get by.  But the music on this week's program certainly is en super forme.  And especially this reissue of a 1982 album by one of Africa's greatest and most underappreciated bands, Super Djata of Mali.  You'll hear a track from them, and one from a current Malian band who are definitely influenced by them: BKO.

 

Also this week (Sunday June 12, 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 continuation of the Congolese jams that ended last week's show, Afro-rap that most certainly isn't Afrobeats, the barefoot diva and her heirs, and an assortment of new and old salsa.

Charts May 30 - Jun 5, 2022

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten

1 EBIRAC ALL STARS | various artists | Numero Group

2 LUCIANA DEMINGONGO AND DESOUZA SANTU MONGONGO ELENGI | Let's Go! | Une Plume Une Voix Une Guitare

3 SALTPOND CITY BAND | Boko A Ko | Meet Me There

4 FANFARE CIOCARLIA | "First Aid Klezmer (Dunkelbunt remix)" [Single] | Asphalt Tango

5 NOORI AND HIS DORPA BAND | "Saagama" [Single] | Ostinato

6 LINDA AYUPUKA | "Annebooy" [Single] | Mais Um

7 CAPTAIN PLANET | "Moqueca" [Single] | Bastard Jazz

8 MARCO FLORES Y LA JEREZ | "Dos Hojas Sin Rumbo feat. Julio Preciado" [Single] | Nacional

9 SATURNO 2000 - LA REBAJADA DE LOS SONIDEROS 1962-1983 | various artists | Analog Africa

10 ORCHESTRE MASSAKO | Orchestre Massako [EP] | Analog Africa

God created everything

Linda Ayupuka is a gospel singer from Bolgatanga, the largest town in Ghana's Upper East region, right on that country's borders with Burkina Faso and Togo.  It's a hot spot for music right now with artists like King Ayisoba, Guy One and Alostmen gaining international recognition, and Ayupuka might be the next to break out.  You'll hear a song from her forthcoming album God Created Everything on this week's program, alongside other sui generis Afro-electronica from across the continent.

 

Also this week (Sunday June 5, 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 tribute to Jerry Gonzalez on what would have been his 73rd birthday; some trippy cumbia; brass bands from Mexico, Romania, India and the USA; smooth Brazilian samba-funk; and a little bit of soukous leading into Ambiance Congo at 3:00.