July 29, 2022

What I did on my summer vacation

I'm psyched to be back in the studio for the first time since early July, after a big vacation followed by a brief but annoying case of traveler's disease.  Big ups to Albert Green, Enzo Adimari and Josh Bearman for holding down Global A Go-Go in my absence.
 
One of the things I did on my summer vacation was see two great concerts in Paris: Fat Freddy's Drop at the legendary L'Olympia and Goran Bregović's Wedding & Funeral Band at Cabaret Sauvage.  I'll regale you with stories of the shows and music by both bands.  Sunday night brings The Budos Band and Brazilian samba-soul star Rogê to Richmond's Broadberry, and you'll hear both of them as well on this week's show.

Also this week (Sunday July 31, 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): João Selva sings "get out Bolsonaro," Cumbiamuffin revives the sound of Colombian big band porro cumbia, and a new compilation of Pedro Lima's music brings the puxa fire from São Tomé.

July 27, 2022

Charts Jun 27 - Jul 24, 2022

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten
1 NOORI AND HIS DORPA BAND | Beja Power! Electric Soul & Brass From Sudan's Red Sea Coast | Ostinato
2 LOS BITCHOS | Let The Festivities Begin! | City Slang
3 HOLLIE COOK | Happy Hour | Merge
4 DELGRES | "Mwen Vlé Maché" [Single] | Le Label/PIAS
5 AFRODELIC | Dusunkun Hakili | self-released
6 SHAOLIN AFRONAUTS, THE | "The Simien Fox b/w Rumba Cyclique" [Single] | Freestyle
7 SALTPOND CITY BAND | Boko A Ko | Meet Me There
8 IBIBIO SOUND MACHINE | Electricity | Merge
9 AFRIGO BAND | Ensi Eno | Olila
10 OLIVER NAYOKA | Oka Mmadu | Odogwu/Palenque

July 1, 2022

Dead men don't smoke marijuana

I'm leaving for a summer vacation later this week, will be back to Global A Go-Go on July 24.  In my absence, you'll enjoy two of my favorite WRIR selectors: Albert Green returns on July 10, and Enzo of Pop Goes The World takes the chair on July 17.  Before I hit the road, I wanted to make sure you get to hear some of the new releases I've been digging lately while they're still new.
 
So this week (Sunday July 3, 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) tune in for Delgres' Caribbean creole; Son Rompe Pera, the band everyone will be talking about at this fall's Richmond Folk Festival; highlife from Oliver Nayoka and Saltpond City Band; a reissue of S.E. Rogie (pictured above), the king of palm wine; Shaolin Afronauts' spiritual jazz; Afrodelic from Mali via Lithuania; and of course much more.