November 4, 2023

Deep into highlife

If you listen to Global A Go-Go, you may have figured out that there's nothing I like better than a large ensemble.  The interplay between real musicians is one of the things I love most in music, so for me the bigger the band the better.  You don't hear a lot of laptop bands on this program.
 
Unsurprisingly, the new album by Deep Into Highlife by Santrofi, the young band from Accra that's updating Ghanaian highlife music for the 21st century, is right up my alley.  They went on tour in 2021 and 2022 with the 14 piece Berlin group Omniversal Earkestra backing them up, which means they were more than 25 strong when they recorded this live album.  You'll hear two selections from this excellent new recording on this week's show.

Also this week (Sunday November 5, 1:00-3:00 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): Lo Poloko's tropical big bang, the sound of the Colombian gaita, new rock en español from Barcelona's Dorian, Nusantara Beat's hipster Dutch-Indonesian rock and a slice of creole Afrobeat from Alpacas Collective.

 
 
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
 
Lo Poloko | Netherlands | Volovanes De Jaiba | Living La Covida Loca | AudioMaze | 2023
Sonido Gallo Negro | México | The Model | The Model / Cumbia De Las Pla​ñ​ideras - Single | Names You Can Trust | 2023
 
Nelda Piña Y Sus Tambores | Colombia | Folclor Costeño (feat Sixto Silgado "Paito") | Colombian Musical Powerhouses Vol. 4 | Alianza de Sellos Independientes de Colombia | 2023-2021
Los Gaiteros De San Jacinto | Colombia | Fanny Rosa | Fanny Rosa EP | Llorona | 2023
Sidestepper | Colombia-England UK | Come See Us Play | Supernatural Love | Real World | 2016
Systema Solar | Colombia | Yo Voy Ganao | La Revancha Del Burro | Sambumbia | 2013
 
Café Tacvba | México | Tengo Todo | Sino | Universal Music Latino | 2007
Dorian | Catalunya Spain | El Temblor (en el Liceu de Barcelona, en directo, feat Antonio García) | El Temblor - Single | Nacional | 2023
Radio Mundial | USA | Camaleón | Momento Eterno | Palm Pictures | 2006
Moneda Dura | Cuba | Lola | Mucho Cuida'o | Egrem | 2002
 
Nusantara Beat | Netherlands-Indonesia | Kota Bandung | Kota Bandung / Layung - Single | Bongo Joe | 2023
Phương Tâm | Vietnam | Buồn 18 (Sorrow at 18) | Magical Nights: Saigon, Surf, Twist & Soul (1964-1966) | Sublime Frequencies | 2021-196x
Adnan Othman & The Rhythm Boys | Malaysia | Budi Bahasa | Bershukor: A Retrospective Of Hits By A Malaysian Pop Yeh Yeh Legend | Sublime Frequencies | 2016-1969
The Cambodian Space Project | Cambodia-Australia | Kolos Srey Chaom (Love God) | 2011: A Space Odyssey | Metal Postcard | 2011
Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band | Thailand-England UK | Show Wong Molam International | 21st Century Molam | Studio Lam | 2014
 
Santrofi | Ghana-Germany | Alewa (feat Omniversal Earkestrsa) | Deep Into Highlife | Out Here | 2023
Santrofi | Ghana-Germany | Africa (feat Omniversal Earkestra) | Deep Into Highlife | Out Here | 2023
Bosq & Kaleta | USA-Colombia-Benin | Meji Meji | Sonayon / Meji Meji - Single | Bacalao | 2023
 
Alpacas Collective | Belgium | Movéfèzè (extended instrumental) | Movéfèzè - Single | Catalpas | 2023
Anthony Joseph & The Spasm Band | England UK-Trinidad & Tobago | She Is The Sea | Rubber Orchestras | Naïve | 2011
The Budos Band | USA | Raja Haje | III | Daptone | 2010

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