Charts February 12, 2012

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Istanbul 70: Psych, Disco, Folk Classics | Nublu
2 BONGA | Hora Kota | Lusafrica
3 COMRADE FATSO AND CHABVONDOKA FEAT OUTSPOKEN & LASSANA DIABATE | "Korokoza" [Single] | Nomadic Wax
4 PINKER TONES | Special 10th Anniversary Edition | Nacional
5 BACHATA LEGENDS | The Bachata Legends | iASO
6 VARIOUS ARTISTS | The Original Sound Of Cumbia | Soundway
7 IDRISSA DIOP & CHEIKH TIDIANE TALL | Diamonoye Tiopite: L'Epoque De L'Evolution | Teranga Beat
8 KARANTAMBA | Ndigal | Teranga Beat
9 CAMBODIAN SPACE PROJECT | 2011: A Space Odyssey | Metal Postcard
10 OMAR SOULEYMAN | Haflat Gharbia: The Western Concerts | Sublime Frequencies

Bonga | Hora Kota

ARTIST:  Bonga

TITLE:  Hora Kota

LABEL:  Lusafrica

REVIEW:  Bonga Kwenda is the most famous voice in Angolan music.  His classic album Angola 72, recorded in exile, is widely regarded as the soundtrack of the Angolan independence movement.

Program February 10, 2012

I'm featuring a new recording this week from Bonga (pictured above), the voice of Angola's independence movement in the 1970's who is releasing his 30th album next week.

Charts February 5, 2012

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 NOVALIMA | Karimba | ESL Music
2 PINKER TONES | Special 10th Anniversary Edition | Nacional
3 DJ REKHA AND DAVE SHARMA | "Pyar Baile" [Single] | Beat Bazaar
4 GUELEWAR | Halleli N' Dakarou | Teranga Beat
5 ZDOB SI ZDUB | Basta Mafia! | Asphalt Tango
6 RENE LOPEZ | E.L.S. | Nat Geo Music
7 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Istanbul 70: Psych, Disco, Folk Classics | Nublu
8 MAMADOU AND VANESSA | Faso Mali | self-released
9 COMRADE FATSO AND CHABVONDOKA FEAT OUTSPOKEN & LASSANA DIABATE | "Korokoza" [Single] | Nomadic Wax
10 VIJANA JAZZ BAND | The Koka Koka Sex Battalion | Sterns

Istanbul 70: Psych, Disco, Folk Classics

ARTIST:  various artists 

TITLE:  Istanbul 70: Psych, Disco, Folk Classics

LABEL:  Nublu 

REVIEW:  I guess we can call Turkish 70’s music the latest reissue trend, on the strength of recent compilations of Cem Karaca, Erkin Koray, and now this sampler from Nublu (the label and NYC club owned by Turkish-Swedish musician Ilhan Ersahin) curated by Istanbul-based DJ Baris K.

Program February 3, 2012

This week's episode of Global A Go-Go is dedicated to getting you revved up for WRIR's annual Party For The Rest Of Us, this year celebrating our seventh birthday.  It's at the Renaissance Ballroom, 107 W. Broad Street, starting at 7 PM; all the details are here:

http://wrir.org/index.php?/blog/entry/6155
https://www.facebook.com/events/182491748515477

Charts January 29, 2012

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 LOS DESTELLOS | Constelacion | Secret Stash
2 BLACK TRUTH RHYTHM BAND | Ifetayo | Soundway
3 VARIOUS ARTISTS | The Original Sound Of Cumbia | Soundway
4 IDRISSA DIOP & CHEIKH TIDIANE TALL | Diamonoye Tiopite: L'Epoque De L'Evolution | Teranga Beat
5 GUELEWAR | Halleli N' Dakarou | Teranga Beat
6 LIJADU SISTERS | Danger | Knitting Factory
7 CEM KARACA | Kardaslar & Apaslar | Guerssen
8 FUSIOON | Absolute Fusioon | B-Music
9 NOVALIMA | Karimba | ESL Music
10 PINKER TONES | Special 10th Anniversary Edition: Singles 2001-2011 | Nacional

Program January 27, 2012

On Saturday, Buzzy Lawler ends the weekly seven-year run of his superb Shake Some Action radio program on WRIR.  With his prior radio experience, jobs at many of Richmond's finest record stores and gigs with a variety of bands, Buzzy immediately gave brand-new, all-volunteer WRIR a greatly needed dose of credibility.

Charts January 22, 2012

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 MAMADOU AND VANESSA | Faso Mali | self-released
2 BACHATA LEGENDS | The Bachata Legends | iASO
3 BLACK TRUTH RHYTHM BAND | Ifetayo | Soundway
4 DAWDA JOBARTEH | Northern Light Gambian Night | Sterns
5 VARIOUS ARTISTS | The Original Sound Of Cumbia | Soundway
6 ZDOB SI ZDUB | Basta Mafia! | Asphalt Tango
7 ANALOG PLAYERS SOCIETY | "Let The Music Play" / "Dance Hall Days" [Single] | Redbud
8 MARTY DREAD | It Sometimes Rains In Paradise | Five Corners
9 BEATS ANTIQUE | Elektrafone | Antique
10 NOVALIMA | Karimba | ESL Music

Mamadou & Vanessa | Faso Mali

ARTIST:  Mamadou & Vanessa 

TITLE:  Faso Mali 

LABEL:  self-released 

REVIEW:  Mamadou & Vanessa Sidibe, based in Berkeley California, are among the leading American exponents of neo-traditional Malian music.

Program January 20, 2012

We're going to dig into some reggae versions this week; you and I usually call them "covers."  These aren't just any old covers -- all the songs were mega-hits in their original incarnations, which gives the reggae versions a certain je ne sais quoi.  For example, how about Yellowman (pictured above) covering the equally pigmentally challenged (but of his own choice) Michael Jackson?

Charts January 15, 2012

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 NOVALIMA | Karimba | ESL Music
2 VARIOUS ARTISTS | The Original Sound Of Cumbia | Soundway
3 COMRADE FATSO AND CHABVONDOKA FEAT OUTSPOKEN & LASSANA DIABATE | "Korokoza" [Single] | Nomadic Wax
4 PINKER TONES | Special 10th Anniversary Edition: Singles 2001-2011 | Nacional
5 DJ REKHA AND DAVE SHARMA | "Pyar Baile" [Single] | Beat Bazaar
6 MARTIN SIMPSON | Purpose + Grace | Topic
7 SHAWN LEE'S INCREDIBLE TABLA BAND | Tabla Rock | Ubiquity
8 BEATS ANTIQUE | Elektrafone | Antique
9 IDRISSA DIOP & CHEIKH TIDIANE TALL | Diamonoye Tiopite: L'Epoque De L'Evolution | Teranga Beat
10 VIJANA JAZZ BAND | The Koka Koka Sex Battalion | Sterns

Novalima | Karimba

ARTIST:  Novalima 

TITLE:  Karimba 

LABEL:  ESL Music 

REVIEW:  Novalima is a quartet of Peruvian musicians and producers who perform with a six-piece live band that’s augmented, on their albums, by a bevy of additional studio players.  On Karimba, their fourth album, they continue to work on the same idea that originally inspired them – the notion of fusing traditional Afro-Peruvian music with contemporary global DJ culture.

Program January 13, 2012

After four weeks in a row of specially-themed programs, I have quite a bit of catching up to do.  So this week you'll hear a half-dozen premiers -- recent releases I haven't yet played at all on the radio.  Among them is the new single from Zimbabwe's Comrade Fatso & Chabvondoka (pictured above), who blend mbira pop in the style of Thomas Mapfumo with spoken word poetry.

Charts January 8, 2012

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 BIO RITMO | La Verdad | Electric Cowbell
2 RATTLEMOUTH | 5 | self-released
3 VARIOUS ARTISTS | The Original Sound Of Cumbia | Soundway
4 BLACK TRUTH RHYTHM BAND | Ifetayo | Soundway
5 VIJANA JAZZ BAND | The Koka Koka Sex Battalion | Sterns
6 EL REGO | El Rego | Daptone
7 JOLLY BOYS | Great Expectation | eOne Music
8 IDRISSA DIOP & CHEIKH TIDIANE TALL | Diamonoye Tiopite: L'Epoque De L'Evolution | Teranga Beat
9 FRENTE CUMBIERO | Meets Mad Professor | Vampisoul
10 CAMBODIAN SPACE PROJECT | 2011: A Space Odyssey | Metal Postcard