Rebeldía y twist

Global A Go-Go welcomes Romperayo to Richmond -- they're playing at Révéler Experiences on Saturday August 23.  Here's how bandleader Pedro Ojeda describes them: "As if Colombian tropical music from decades past traveled to the city on an acid discharge."

 

Ojeda is no more than one degree of separation from every cool project that's coming out of Bogotá Colombia right now.  If you saw Frente Cumbiero in May, that was Ojeda behind the drum kit.  You can also find him there with Los Pirañas, his cooperative trio with Mario Galeano (who leads Frente Cumbiero) and Eblis Alvarez (who leads Meridian Brothers).

 

All of those other bands have toured the USA multiple times, and all but Los Pirañas have played here in Richmond.  But this is Romperayo's first American tour, and it is long overdue.  Check out a whole set of Romperayo music this week on Global A Go-Go, if you're thinking about checking them out at Révéler next weekend.

 

Also this week (Sunday August 17, 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): Moroccan gnawa meets jazz via Saha Gnawa; three distinctive takes on Afrobeat from Trio Mokili, Bejuco and Ousmane Kouyaté; the blistering Mande rock of Orchestra Gold; new cumbia variants by Terror/Cactus, Minyo Crusaders, La Bands Chuska and Quitapenas; and music from Chicha Libre and its offshoots, since Chicha Libre will be back in Richmond, also at Révéler, on Sunday September 7.

Charts Jul 21 - Aug 10, 2025

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten

1 MULATU ASTATKE | Mulatu Plays Mulatu | Strut

2 STORY OF NACIONAL RECORDS, THE, VOL. UNO Y DOS | various artists | Nacional

3 MIRAMAR | Entre Tus Flores | Ansonia

4 SORCERERS, THE | Other Worlds and Habitats | ATA

5 HABIBI FUNK 031: A SELECTION OF MUSIC FROM LIBYAN TAPES | various artists | Habibi Funk

6 TAKESHI TERAUCHI AND BLUE JEANS | Let's Go Eleki Bushi | 180g

7 NANA BENZ DU TOGO | Sé Nam | Komos

8 EDNA MARTINEZ PRESENTS PICO: SOUND SYSTEM CULTURE FROM THE COLOMBIAN CARIBBEAN | various artists | Strut

9 NEBA SOLO | Tuma Duma | Blanc Manioc

10 BIO RITMO | "Largos Caminos" [Single] | Locutor

The Big BW & the Sun of Latin Music

I've never wanted Global A Go-Go to be "that show that's always talking about musicians who died," but sometimes you just have to stop and pay your tribute.  Tribute is certainly due in the case of Eddie Palmieri, who passed away on Wednesday at the age of 88.

 

By any reasonable reckoning one of the most important musicians of the 20th century, Palmieri is responsible for many of the innovations that have made Latin music such a dynamic cultural force.  When you listen to salsa today, or Latin jazz, or Latin soul, almost everything you're hearing builds on his ideas, compositions and recordings.  The whole second hour this week will be devoted to Palmieri's music of the 1960s and 70s.

 

Also this week (Sunday August 10, 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), I'll resume the tribute I started three weeks ago to Chris "Mu" Faiumu of the pioneering New Zealand band Fat Freddy's Drop with selections from their four most recent albums.

 

Plus you'll hear from Mulatu Astatke, who's blessedly still with us at age 81 and will soon release Mulatu Plays Mulatu, a valedictory statement that Mulatu calls "the culmination of my work bringing [Ethio-jazz] to the world," and more new Ethio-jazz from The Sorcerers.