GLOBAL A GO-GO

January 29, 2015

Program January 30, 2015

Black Masala (pictured above) returns to Global A Go-Go this week. They're a gypsy-inspired brass band from Washington DC who damn near blew the doors down when they played in WRIR's Live Room back in June.

Black Masala is back in Richmond for another live performance -- they're at the Camel Friday night along with M.H. And His Orchestra and Love Logic. But before that, they'll be back in the Live Room on Global A Go-Go -- don't miss it!

Charts January 25, 2015

Red Baraat | Gaadi Of Truth

ARTIST: Red Baraat
TITLE: Gaadi Of Truth
LABEL: Sinj
Red Baraat is one the most unique, explosive bands in America today. Led by dhol (double-headed Indian drum) player Sunny Jain, this 8-piece ensemble puts bhangra music into a whole new context: all horns and drums, they’re a desi brass band that draws as much on jazz, funk, hip hop and DC go-go as on any music from the subcontinent.

ARTIST: E.N Young
TITLE: Live Love Stay Up
LABEL: Roots Musician
E.N Young is a busy young San Diego-based reggae musician – he sings and writes songs, plays keyboards and melodica in the band Tribal Seeds, runs his own record label, and produces and engineers at his own recording studio.

Program January 23, 2015

I have a whole set of Brazilian music cued up for you this week, including one from the great Jorge Ben (pictured above with his VW Beetle) and covers of two of his hits. Also new music from Brooklyn dhol-and brass octet Red Baraat and west coast reggae jack-of-all-trades E.N Young, a set of Congolese classics, and much more.

Charts January 18, 2015

Program January 16, 2015

What does a West African garage band sound like? You'll hear one this week on Global A Go-Go -- Baba Commandant (pictured above) & The Mandingo Band from Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.

They do rehearse in a garage (videos are available), and they rock out just as aggressively as an American garage band. It's just that the rhythms are a hell of a lot more complicated.

Also this week: the sound of spiritual jazz, music of Morocco and Algeria, and a visit to NYC's barrio.

ARTIST: Baba Commandant & The Mandingo Band
TITLE: Juguya
LABEL: Sublime Frequencies
The Sublime Frequencies label is best known for its audio verite recordings and for reissues from Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Recently they’ve dipped their toe into releasing studio recordings of current artists, most famously Omar Souleyman.

ARTIST: Rebel Tumbao
TITLE: Rebel Tumbao
LABEL: Sacred Rhythm
Rebel Tumbao is a project originally conceived by Jose Claussell and Matt Jenson way back in 2002 based on their shared interest in deep groove music and the fight for social justice. It’s been a long time in the making, but their debut album is finally here.

ARTIST: Aziz Sahmaoui & University Of Gnawa
TITLE: Mazal
LABEL: World Village
Aziz Sahmaoui is a singer and multi-instrumentalist from France via Morocco who founded the excellent pan-Maghrebi ensemble Orchestre National De Barbes and went on to join Joe Zawinul’s jazz group as a percussionist.

Charts January 11, 2015

Program January 9, 2015

This week's program is my first chance to share 2015's music with you. The year may still be very young, but I already have some winners to bring to your attention, starting with Gandadiko by Mali's Samba Toure (pictured above), which I already can tell will be one of my favorite albums of the year.

I also have excellent new releases to share from Kasse Mady Diabate, Boubacar Traore (looks like another banner year for Malian music, what else is new?) and the Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band. Plus some old favorites sprinkled throughout, because that's how we roll on Global A Go-Go.

Kasse Mady Diabate | Kirike

ARTIST: Kasse Mady Diabate
TITLE: Kirike
LABEL: Six Degrees
Kasse Mady Diabate is probably Mali’s greatest living traditional singer, justly famous for his griot praise-song repertoire. Here’s he’s placed in an intimate setting devised by kora player Ballake Sissoko and cellist and producer Vincent Segal, whose duo collaborations have won wide acclaim.

ARTIST: Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band
TITLE: 21st Century Molam
LABEL: Studio Lam
Chris Menist and Maft Sai are best known for their Thai pop music compilations The Sound Of Siam and Thai? Dai! Now they’ve put together a band to play north-eastern Thai molam music.

ARTIST: Samba Toure
TITLE: Gandadiko
LABEL: Glitterbeat
This is the fourth solo album by Samba Toure, a guitarist, singer and songwriter from near Tombouctou who is best known for his work with Ali Farka Toure (no relation) and for standing in for the late Farka on Toumani Diabate’s Ali Farka Toure Variations tour.

GLOBAL A GO-GO

January 29, 2015

Program January 30, 2015

January 25, 2015

Charts January 25, 2015

January 23, 2015

Red Baraat | Gaadi Of Truth

E.N Young | Live Love Stay Up

January 22, 2015

Program January 23, 2015

January 18, 2015

Charts January 18, 2015

January 15, 2015

Program January 16, 2015

Baba Commandant & The Mandingo Band | Juguya

Rebel Tumbao | Rebel Tumbao

Aziz Sahmaoui & University Of Gnawa | Mazal

January 12, 2015

Charts January 11, 2015

January 8, 2015

Program January 9, 2015

January 7, 2015

Kasse Mady Diabate | Kirike

Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band | 21st Century Molam

Samba Toure | Gandadiko

GLOBAL A GO-GO'S HOST