The fundamental nature of being

The Shaolin Afronauts are an 11-piece ensemble from Adelaide, Australia who describe their sound as "interstellar futurist afro-soul" influenced equally by Fela Kuti and Sun Ra.  After three excellent albums of progressive Afrobeat in the early 2010s, they went silent from recording for eight years.

 

Now they're back with their most audacious project yet: a five-album box set of all original material called The Fundamental Nature Of Being that expands the band's sonic vision to incorporate experimental and new age electronica, Ethio-jazz, South African marabi, West Africa's post-colonial big band sounds, psychedelic rock and more alongside with their origins in Afrobeat and spiritual jazz.  It's a sprawling set, unwieldy at times, brilliant at others, and so much more ambitious than anything I've heard all year.

This week on Global A Go-Go (Sunday October 30, 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) I've selected three tracks from The Fundamental Nature Of Being to give you an idea of what's inside the tin.  You'll also hear a whole lot of new African music: highlife-jazz from Ghana, Afropop out of Guineé-Bissau and Togo, young Nigerians playing Afrobeat, Wassoulou rock from Burkina Faso, and a smoking new reissue of Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Cotonou Benin.

Charts October 10-16, 2022

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten

1 LA FEMME | Teatro Lucido | Disque Pointu/IDOL

2 DUNGEN | En År För Mycket Och Tusen Aldrig Nog | Mexican Summer

3 DERYA YILDIRIM AND GRUP SIMSEK | Dost 2 | Bongo Joe/Catapulte

4 STAR FEMININE BAND | Star Feminine Band In Paris | Born Bad

5 LATIN BROTHERS, THE | El Picotero | Vampisoul

6 EL COMBO BATANGA | "El Que La Rompe La Paga" [Single] | Lovemonk

7 HAMSI BOUBEKER | Le Chant Des Profondeurs | Frederiksberg

8 RAY PEREZ Y EL GRUPO CASABE | Ray Perez Y El Grupo Casabe | El Palmas

9 LOS DEMENTES | Manicomio A Locha | Vampisoul

10 AFROSOUND OF COLOMBIA VOL. 3, THE | various artists | Vampisoul

30 years of more sabor

When you think of Richmond's most famous musical exports, what comes to mind?  Maybe Jimmy Dean the sausage king?  Or possibly jazz legends like Lonnie Liston Smith and James "Plunky" Branch?  Probably Richmond's punk and metal scene: Lamb of God, Avail, Municipal Waste, Strike Anywhere and of course Gwar.

 

Well, if you're in Colombia, the correct answer by a mile is Bio Ritmo, Richmond's salsa machine and one of the top salsa bands anywhere in the world.  Gwar may have opened their own bar in Richmond, but Bio Ritmo actually has a bar named for them in Cali, Colombia!

 

Bio Ritmo is celebrating 30 years of "more sabor" with a special event next Sunday afternoon, October 23, at Hardywood's Richmond taproom, with emeritus members Jorge Negrón, Gabo Tomasini and Jim Thomson jetting in from Puerto Rico, New York and DC, respectively, to sit in.  Global A Go-Go will get you warmed up for the event with a set of Bio Ritmo music on this week's program.

Also this week (Sunday October 16, 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): new music from Benin's all female (ages 12-18 to boot) Star Feminine Band, Derya Yıldırım's Anatolian rock, Kabyle folk by Hamsi Boubeker, French rockers La Femme go Brazilian, and even more sabor from Spain's El Combo Batanga.

Charts October 3-9, 2022

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten

1 REDDY AMISI | Bailo Canto | Casa Do Canto Entertainment

2 STAR FEMININE BAND | Star Feminine Band In Paris | Born Bad

3 ERNESTO DJEDJE | Roi Du Ziglibithy | Analog Africa

4 JULIVERT | A Tamarit! | Microscopi

5 ALHAJI WAZIRI OSHOMAH | World Spirituality Classics 3: The Muslim Highlife Of Alhaji Waziri Oshomah | Luaka Bop

6 14 MAGNIFICOS BAILABLES | various artists | Vampisoul

7 DUNGEN | En År För Mycket Och Tusen Aldrig Nog | Mexican Summer

8 EL COMBO BATANGA | "El Que La Rompe La Paga" [Single] | Lovemonk

9 KABAKA PYRAMID | The Kalling | Ghetto Youths International / Bebble Rock

10 PAPA SAN | "Love About You" b/w "Lessons" [Single] | Beloved Group

A brother with perfect timing

Abdullah Ibrahim (formerly known as Dollar Brand) is 88 years young on October 9.  This week, Global A Go-Go gives him his roses while he's still among us (and still making fine music: he's doing a solo concert in Riedering, Germany on his birthday) with three selections from his vast catalogue, including the song that's been described as what you would get if you combined "A Love Supreme" with "Say It Loud - I'm Black And I'm Proud."

 

Also this week (Sunday October 9, 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): we recognize another piano playing birthday boy, Chucho Valdés (a mere 81 years old on Sunday); new Catalunyan folk-rock by the band Julivert; an introduction to Zamrock pioneers Witch, who come to Richmond on October 15; and Afropop classics from Cote D'Ivoire and Cameroon.

Charts Sep 26 - Oct 2, 2022

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten

1 ORCHESTRA FUEGO | Candela | self-released

2 REDDY AMISI | Bailo Canto | Casa Do Canto Entertainment

3 RIVERITA Y SU ORQUESTA NOCHE CALIENTE | Mi Linda Musica | Jibaro Productions

4 OLIVER NAYOKA | Oka Mmadu | Odogwu Entertainment / Palenque

5 LOS PAO PAOS | Los Pao Paos | Devil In The Woods

6 AYAHUASCA VOL. 2: CUMBIAS PSICODELICAS PERUANAS | various artists | Repsychled

7 CROSSROADS KENYA - EAST AFRICAN BENGA AND RUMBA, 1980-1985 | various artists | No Wahala Sounds

8 JOAO SELVA | Se Acabou [EP] | Underdog

9 SON ROMPE PERA AND GIL GUTIERREZ | "El Saleroso" b/w "Proteus" [Single] | Barbes

10 SONNY SINGH | Chardi Kala | self-released