Program August 9, 2017

Kwaito is South Africa's answer to house music from Chicago, Detroit and New York City: disco's four-on-the-floor rhythm, deep bass, percussive samples, infectious melodies.  It's also a direct relative of mbaqanga and bubblegum, two popular South African styles that preceded it.  You'll hear the relationship this week on Global A Go-Go.

(As an aside, pantsula is the dance style most closely associated with kwaito -- you've seen it if you've seen Beyonce's "Run The World (Girls)" video.  Check out the amazing pantsula photo-animation above by Chris Saunders for the New York Times, and his photo gallery as well: https://nyti.ms/1OTaDxP)

Also this week: some artists who are performing in Richmond this week, crate-digging (with a shovel) in Somalia, and the sound of the gaita colombiana.

Charts August 6, 2017

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 THE BOMBAY ROYALE | Run Kitty Run | HopeStreet
2 RODRIGO GALLARDO & NICOLA CRUZ | El Origen | Wonderwheel
3 RUBEN GONZALEZ | Introducing | World Circuit
4 "OM" ALEC KHAOLI | Say You Love Me | Awesome Tapes From Africa
5 MEKLIT | When The People Move, The Music Moves Too | Six Degrees
6 RAFIKI JAZZ | Har Dam Sahara | Riverboat
7 OMAR SOULEYMAN | To Syria, With Love | Mad Decent
8 FRUKO Y SUS TESOS | Tesura | Vampisoul
9 ONDATROPICA | Baile Bucanero | Soundway
10 CHICAGO AFROBEAT PROJECT FEAT TONY ALLEN | What Goes Up | self-released

Program August 2, 2017

Regis Gizavo, the Big Box Man of Madagascar, was one of the most amazing accordionists you'll ever hear.  He made a career in France in the Corsican band I Muvrini, as accompanist for Cabo Verdean divas Cesaria Evora, Lura and Mayra Andrade, and playing with tennis-star-turned-pop-star Yannick Noah and African legends Kekele and the Mahotella Queens.

But all his music is rooted in the traditions of Tulear, the dusty southwest region of Madagascar that he called home.  Regis himself went home for the last time on July 16, dying way too young at age 58.  I'll play a few of my favorites from Regis' catalog, including a track from his very last album, released June 9 by the band Toko Telo.

Also this week: West Africa's Oriental sound; some soca hits of the 80s and today, just in time for Crop Over in Barbados (it's always carnival season somewhere); and Global A Go-Go's African dance party continues.

Charts July 30, 2017

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 MEKLIT | When The People Move, The Music Moves Too | Six Degrees
2 CHICAGO AFROBEAT PROJECT FEAT TONY ALLEN | What Goes Up | self-released
3 JUANA MOLINA | Halo | Crammed
4 OTE MALOYA: THE BIRTH OF ELECTRIC MALOYA ON REUNION ISLAND 1975-1986 | VARIOUS ARTISTS | Strut
5 THE BOMBAY ROYALE | Run Kitty Run | HopeStreet
6 RUBEN GONZALEZ | Introducing | World Circuit
7 OUMAR KONATE | Oumar Live In America | Clermont
8 OM ALEC KHAOLI | Say You Love Me | Awesome Tapes From Africa
9 PROFESSOR WOUASSA | Grow Yes Yes! | Matasuna
10 MAMADOU KELLY | Politiki | Clermont

The Bombay Royale | Run Kitty Run

ARTIST: The Bombay Royale
TITLE: Run Kitty Run
LABEL: HopeStreet
The Bombay Royale is an 11-piece band led by saxophonist Andy (The Skipper) Williamson and fronted by two Indian-Australian singers, Parvyn Kaur Singh (aka The Mysterious Lady) and Shourov (The Tiger) Bhattacharya.

Ruben Gonzalez | Introducing

ARTIST: Ruben Gonzalez
TITLE: Introducing
LABEL: World Circuit
Here’s a reissue of then-77-year-old Ruben Gonzalez’s first solo album, 20 years after its initial release.

Program July 26, 2017

The Bombay Royale (pictured above) is an 11-piece band from Melbourne, Australia that's equally inspired by Bollywood and by spaghetti westerns -- think A.R. Rahman meets Ennio Morricone and you'll have an idea of what they sound like.

Their new album Run Kitty Run is a boatload of fun -- it will be released on August 11, but you can hear a track from it this week on Global A Go-Go.  Also this week: vintage Cuban cha-cha-chas, mambos and guarachas; progressive Afrobeat; and highly unlikely reggae covers.

Charts July 23, 2017

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 MEKLIT | When the People Move, The Music Moves Too | Six Degrees
2 OUMAR KONATE | Oumar Live In America | Clermont Music
3 RAMON GOOSE | Long Road To Tiznit | Riverboat
4 "OM" ALEC KHAOLI | Say You Love Me [EP] | Awesome Tapes From Africa
5 UMOJA | 707 [EP] | Awesome Tapes From Africa
6 FRUKO Y SUS TESOS | Tesura | Discos Fuentes
7 DONA ONETE | Banzeiro | Mais Um Discos
8 ONDATRÓPICA | Baile Bucanero | Soundway
9 GOGOL BORDELLO | "Walking On The Burning Coal" [Single] | Cooking Vinyl
10 PEYOTI FOR PRESIDENT FEAT JEREMY CORBYN | "We The People" [Single] | Sordid Soup

Ramon Goose | Long Road To Tiznit

ARTIST: Ramon Goose
TITLE: Long Road To Tiznit
LABEL: Riverboat
Ramon Goose is an English guitarist whose interest in American pre-war Delta blues has gradually expanded to include the blues-related styles of North and West Africa.

Oumar Konate | Oumar Live In America

ARTIST: Oumar Konate
TITLE: Oumar Live In America
LABEL: Clermont Music
Malian guitarist Oumar Konate and his trio toured the USA coast-to-coast in 2014 – one of their stops was at Balliceaux here in Richmond.

Umoja | 707 & "Om" Alec Khaoli | Say You Love Me

ARTIST: Umoja                                        "Om" Alec Khaoli
TITLE:   707                                             Say You Love Me
LABEL: Awesome Tapes From Africa
With global interest in the disco era peaking right now, people ought to be checking out bubblegum, South Africa’s local answer to disco.

Program July 19, 2017

Rick James (pictured above) on Global A Go-Go?  No, and he better not grind his dirty boots into my new suede couch.  Actually, it's bass player and producer "Om" Alec Khaoli, whose music was as popular in South Africa in the 80's as Rick James' was in the USA in the same decade.

This week on Global A Go-Go you'll hear a selection of Khaoli's best from his bands The Beaters, Harari and Umoja, including a couple of new reissues from the Awesome Tapes From Africa label.

Also this week: Meklit and a few other globally-minded singer-songwriters, new sounds from Gogol Bordello and Peyoti For President, and two species of West African guitarists: delta bluesmen and arena-rock shredders.

Charts July 16, 2017

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 POP MAKOSSA: THE INVASIVE DANCE BEAT OF CAMEROON 1976-1984 | VARIOUS ARTISTS | Analog Africa
2 OUMOU SANGARE | Mogoya | No Format
3 ELZA SOARES | End Of The World Remixes | Mais Um Discos
4 LOBO MARINO | The Mulberry House | self-released
5 NINA MIRANDA | Freedom of Movement | Six Degrees
6 KONDI BAND | Salone | Strut / INTL BLK
7 JERRY CANS, THE | Inuusiq | Aakuluk
8 JUANA MOLINA | Halo | Crammed
9 CAMILLE | Oui | Balulalo
10 L'ORCHESTRA AFRISA INTERNATIONAL | Melanie | Colomotion

Program July 12, 2017

(Photo above by the legendary Malick Sidibe of Mali: "Regardez-moi?" [1962])

Great to be back after a week away from the studio; thanks to the Haberdasher for sitting in for me last week.

It's time for a mid-summer African music dance party on Global A Go-Go.  No filler, just killer: two hours of music for your listening and dancing pleasure from Mali, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and Ghana.  Tracks released this summer and stuff from back in the 70s and 80s, all in one steamy, sensual mix.

Charts July 9, 2017

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 Omar Souleyman | To Syria, With Love | Mad Decent
2 Mamadou Kelly | Politiki | Clermont Music
3 Lobo Marino | The Mulberry House | self-released
4 Nina Miranda | Freedom Of Movement | Six Degrees
5 Juana Molina | Halo | Crammed
6 Afous D'Afous | Tenere | Sahelsound
7 Fruko Y Sus Tesos | Tesura | Vampisoul
8 L'Orchestre Afrisa International | Melanie | Colomotion
9 various artists | Uzelli Psychedelic Anadolu | Uzelli
10 Tamikrest | Kidal | Glitterbeat