Program October 12, 2012

It's Richmond Folk Festival time once again (that's me and DJ Graybeard above, at the Festival a few years ago).  And that means it's time for another edition of Global A Go-Go's guide to the folk festival.

This year, I'm focusing in on four artists: Moroccan gnawa master Hassan Hakmoun and his band; Forro Pe De Ferra All Stars, playing accordion-driven forro music from northeast Brazil; Septeto Nacional De Ignacio Pineiro, who pioneered the Cuban son habanero style 80 years ago; and Fred Wesley & The New JB's, led by a man who can say he was literally present at the birth of funk.

Charts October 7, 2012

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 TIM MAIA | World Psychedelic Classics 4: Nobody Can Live Forever: The Existential Soul Of Tim Maia | Luaka Bop
2 FIREWATER | International Orange! | Bloodshot
3 ROYAL BAND DE THIES | Kadior Demb | Teranga Beat
4 SOULJAZZ ORCHESTRA | Solidarity | Strut
5 ONDATROPICA | Ondatropica | Soundway
6 SOFRITO | International Soundclash | Strut
7 ANTIBALAS | Antibalas | Daptone
8 BIO RITMO | Introducing Bio Ritmo | Introducing
9 VARIOUS ARTISTS | The Rough Guide To The Music Of Ethiopia | World Music Network
10 TERAKAFT | Kel Tamasheq | World Village

Program October 5, 2012

Tim Maia, Brazil's Cosmic Soul Brother #1, led a life that sounds like fiction.  Among his most outrageous exploits: turning the executives at his record label on to LSD, and joining a cult that believed humans came to Earth on flying saucers.

Tim's fabulously soulful, psychedelic, oh-so-70s music is the subject of a new retrospective by Luaka Bop Records; you'll hear two tracks from it this week on Global A Go-Go.

Tim Maia | World Psychedelic Classics 4

ARTIST:  Tim Maia 
TITLE:  World Psychedelic Classics 4 – Nobody Can Live Forever: The Existential Soul Of Tim Maia 
LABEL:  Luaka Bop 
Here is Luaka Bop’s long-awaited compilation of the music of one of Brazil’s most remarkable stars.

Charts September 30, 2012

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1  Royal Band De Thies | Kadior Demb | Teranga Beat
2  Sofrito: International Soundclash | (various artists) | Strut
3  Staff Benda Bilili | Bouger Le Monde! | Crammed
4  Antibalas | Antibalas | Daptone
5  Richmanian Ramblers, The | World, Sister World | self-released
6  Souljazz Orchestra, The | Solidarity | Strut
7  Cissokho, Diabel | Kanabory Siyama | World Village
8  Ondatropica | Ondatropica | Soundway
9  Bio Ritmo | Introducing Bio Ritmo | Introducing
10  Terakaft | Kel Tamasheq | World Village

Royal Band De Thies | Kadior Demb

ARTIST:  Royal Band De Thies
TITLE:  Kadior Demb
LABEL:  Teranga Beat
Here’s a great never-before-released 1979 Senegalese session.  Royal Band was led by singers Mapathe (James) Gadiaga (who would go on to found Super Cayor, and was also a member of Star Band, Xalam and Super Diamono) and Adama (Secka) Seck (who still leads Royal Band to this day).

Program September 28, 2012

First of all, here's a big Global A Go-Go thank you to the 531 folks who have donated over $39,000 so far in WRIR's Fall 2012 Fund Drive.  The number of donors is a new record, and the dollar total is among our top three of all time, so it has been an extremely successful drive.  And it's not over yet -- we still have premiums to share with you if you donate soon via our secure on-line server:

https://wrir.wufoo.com/forms/fund-drive-donation-wrirlp-973-fm

Charts September 23, 2012

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1  Antibalas | Antibalas | Daptone
2  Souljazz Orchestra, The | Solidarity | Strut
3  Staff Benda Bilili | Bouger Le Monde! | Crammed
4  Super Borgou De Parakou, Le | The Bariba Sound | Analog Africa
5  Black Bazar | Black Bazar | Lusafrica
6  Jharis De Nana, Los | Los Creadores Del Sonido De La Carretera Central | Masstropicas
7  Quantic & Alice Russell With The Combo Barbaro | Look Around The Corner | Tru Thoughts
8  Funkees, The | Dancing Time: The Best Of Eastern Nigeria's Afro Rock Exponents 1973-77 | Soundway
9  Grupo 2000 | El Destape | Masstropicas
10  For Whom The Cowbell Tolls | (various artists) | Electric Cowbell

Program September 21, 2012

WRIR's 16th fund drive is getting close to its end; we're scheduled to wrap it up on Sunday September 23.  Thank you to everyone who has donated so far -- your contributions will keep us on the air for another six months, and they'll help us build the capabilities we'll need so we can thrive long into the future.

The Souljazz Orchestra | Solidarity

ARTIST:  The Souljazz Orchestra

TITLE:  Solidarity

LABEL:  Strut

Now in their tenth year together, Ottawa's Souljazz Orchestra's fifth full-length cements them as one of the finest Afro-Latin-Caribbean ensembles anywhere in the world. 

Charts September 16, 2012

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1  Bio Ritmo | Introducing Bio Ritmo | Introducing
2  L'Afrique Enchantee: C'est Moi Le Chef! | (various artists) | Sony France
3  Firewater | International Orange! | Bloodshot
4  For Whom The Cowbell Tolls | (various artists) | Electric Cowbell
5  BALKANIZE! | … For You Are Made Of Stars | self-released
6  Happy Lucky Combo | Lucky Buddha | self-released
7  Staff Benda Bilili | Bouger Le Monde! | Crammed
8  Nabay, Janka & The Bubu Gang | En Yay Sah | Luaka Bop
9  Cissoko, Ba | Nimissa | Cristal
10 Kottarashky & The Rain Dogs | Demoni | Asphalt Tango

Program September 14, 2012

As everyone who lives in Virginia is painfully aware, there's an election coming up soon.  Coincidentally, it's also public and community radio fund drive season -- WRIR's drive starts on Friday September 14 at 5:00 PM.  Why do I mention these two not-necessarily-eagerly-anticipated events in one breath?  Click "Read More" to find out.

Charts September 9, 2012

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 ZANI DIABATE AND LES HERITIERS | Tientalaw | Sterns Africa
2 ONDATROPICA | Ondatropica | Soundway
3 SOFRITO | International Soundclash | Strut
4 ANTIBALAS | Antibalas | Daptone
5 BIO RITMO | Introducing Bio Ritmo | Introducing
6 TERAKAFT | Kel Tamasheq | World Village
7 ALHOUSSEINI ANIVOLLA | Anewal/The Walking Man | Riverboat
8 DEBO BAND | Debo Band | Sub Pop / Next Ambiance
9 KRAR COLLECTIVE | Ethiopia Super Krar | World Music Network
10 BOBAN I MARKO MARKOVIC ORKESTAR | Golden Horns | Piranha

Zani Diabate & Les Heritiers | Tientalaw

ARTIST:  Zani Diabate & Les Heritiers 
TITLE:  Tientalaw 
LABEL:  Sterns  

These are the last recordings by composer and guitarist Zani Diabate (pronounced Jah-bah-tay’).  Zani Diabate, with his Super Djata Band, made his debut in the West in the early 1980s with an outstanding album reissued on the Mango label.

Charts September 2, 2012

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 DIABEL CISSOKHO | Kanabory Siyama | World Village
2 ANTIBALAS | Antibalas | Daptone
3 VARIOUS ARTISTS | L'Afrique Enchantee: C'est Moi Le Chef | Sony France
4 JANKA NABAY AND THE BUBU GANG | En Yay Sah | Luaka Bop
5 ONDATROPICA | Ondatropica | Soundway
6 STAFF BENDA BILILI | Bouger Le Monde! | Crammed
7 BIO RITMO | Introducing Bio Ritmo | Introducing
8 VARIOUS ARTISTS | The Rough Guide To The Music Of Ethiopia | World Music Network
9 DEBO BAND | Debo Band | Sub Pop / Next Ambiance
10 BOBAN I MARKO MARKOVIC ORKESTAR | Golden Horns | Piranha