Funana for all

Funana is the accordion-based dance music of the badius, the escaped enslaved people who populate Santiago Island in Cabo Verde.  It's fast-paced and exciting, and dangerous enough that it was essentially illegal until the Portuguese left in 1975.  On the November 18 edition of Global A Go-Go, you'll hear three funana classics from the 80s and 90s that will get you some serious aerobic exercise.

Also this week: West African highlife, salsa dura from the USA and Colombia, a Balkan brassive attack, four songs the Garifuna Collective played during their visit to the Richmond Folk Festival, and a cool new female global-fusion duo from Berlin via Goa, India.

Charts November 2-8, 2019

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 LOS SHAIN'S | El Ritmo De Los Shain's | Munster
2 KOKOLO AFROBEAT ORCHESTRA | 100 Fevers | Peace & Rhythm
3 KEITH AND TEX | Greatest Hits 1966-1970 | Rebel Sound
4 LONDON AFROBEAT COLLECTIVE | Humans | self-released
5 POUR ME A GROG: THE FUNANA REVOLT IN 1990S CABO VERDE | various artists | Ostinato
6 LAKOU MIZIK | HaitiaNola | Cumbancha
7 RACHID TAHA | Je Suis Africain | Believe
8 HOPE MASIKE | The Exorcism Of A Spinster | Riverboat
9 OUMAR KONATE | I Love You Inna | Clermont
10 CONJUNTO GUANTANAMO | "El Son Convidando" [Single] | Nganga

Back in the saddle again

It's great to be in Studio A after a six month absence, feeling good and with a satchel full of music I've haven't yet played on the radio.

A prime example is Poetic Trance by Aziz Sahmaoui & University Of Gnawa (pictured above), linking the sounds of the Maghreb and sub-Saharan Africa.  And there's plenty of room for long-time Global A Go-Go favorites like Gogol Bordello and Bembeya Jazz National, plus vintage finds like Stephen Cheng's 1967 reggae in Chinese.

Join me on November 11 in my new time slot, Mondays 3 to 5 PM, or catch the podcast later.

Charts Oct 26 - Nov 1, 2019

I'm back in the saddle again!  I'm pleased to announce that Global A Go-Go is returning to WRIR's airwaves.  The program will air on Mondays from 3 to 5 PM Eastern time beginning on November 11.  You can hear the show in Richmond on 97.3 FM, or anywhere that you have an internet connection at wrir.org.  Podcasts will also return at www.radio4all.net/index.php/series/Global+A+Go-Go.


WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 EARLY CONGO MUSIC 1946-1962: FIRST RUMBA TO THE REAL RUMBA | various artists | El Sur
2 POUR ME A GROG: THE FUNANA REVOLT IN 1990S CABO VERDE | various artists | Ostinato
3 AFROINS, LOS | A Gozar Salsomanos | Vampisoul
4 GARIFUNA COLLECTIVE, THE | Aban | Stonetree
5 CANALON DE TIMBIQUI | De Mar Y Rio | Llorona
6 ADNAN OTHMAN | Bershukor: A Retrospective Of Hits By A Malaysian Pop Yeh Yeh Legend | Sublime Frequencies
7 LOCOBEACH | Psychedelic Disco Cumbia | Dorsal Fin/Peace & Rhythm
8 KEITH AND TEX | Greatest Hits 1966-1970 | Rebel Sound
9 FARAFI | Calico Soul | Piranha
10 ADOLFO ECHEVERRIA Y SU ORQUESTA | Sabroso Bacalao | Vampisoul

Charts October 12-25, 2019

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 ORIENTALES DE PARAMONGA, LOS | Fiesta En Oriente | Infopesa
2 BUDOS BAND, THE | V | Daptone
3 Y LA BAMBA | Entre Los Dos [EP] | Tender Loving Empire
4 BONGO HOP, THE | Satingarona Pt. 2 | Underdog
5 POUR ME A GROG: THE FUNANA REVOLT IN 1990S CABO VERDE | various artists | Ostinato
6 LAKOU MIZIK | HaitiaNola | Cumbancha
7 AFROINS, LOS | A Gozar Salsomanos | Vampisoul
8 HOPE MASIKE | The Exorcism Of A Spinster | Riverboat
9 RACHID TAHA | Je Suis Africain | Believe
10 LONDON AFROBEAT COLLECTIVE | Humans | self-released

Charts October 5-11, 2019

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 GARIFUNA COLLECTIVE, THE | Aban | Stonetree
2 BUDOS BAND, THE | V | Daptone
3 Y LA BAMBA | Entre Los Dos [EP] | Tender Loving Empire
4 NUSRAT FATEH ALI KHAN AND PARTY | Live At WOMAD 1985 | Real World
5 HOPE MASIKE | The Exorcism Of A Spinster | Riverboat
6 ZENOBIA | Zenobia [EP] | Crammed
7 ALMA AFROBEAT ENSEMBLE | Monkey See, Monkey Do | Slow Walk
8 BLASSICS, THE | Togetherings | Odd Funk
9 LUKA PRODUCTIONS | Falaw | Sahel Sounds
10 RACHID TAHA | Je Suis Africain | Believe

Charts Sep 21 - Oct 4, 2019

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 JUANA MOLINA | "Paraguaya Punk" [Single] | Crammed
2 JULIAN Y SU COMBO | Noche De Fiesta | Vampisoul
3 ORIENTALES DE PARAMONGA, LOS | Fiesta En Oriente | Infopesa
4 BUDOS BAND, THE |  V | Daptone
5 AFROSIDERAL | El Olimpo De Los Orishas | Wonderwheel
6 CHE APALACHE | Rearrange My Heart | Free Dirt
7 GARIFUNA COLLECTIVE, THE | Aban | Stonetree
8 LOS SHAIN'S | El Ritmo De Los Shain's | Munster
9 ROBERT Y SU BANDA | Soy La Lea | Vampisoul
10 OUMAR KONATE | I Love You Inna | Clermont Music

Charts September 14-20, 2019

I'll be on vacation next week, so my next charts will come in two weeks, covering the period September 21 - October 4.


WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 RACHID TAHA | Je Suis Africain | Believe
2 EARLY CONGO MUSIC 1946-1962: FIRST RUMBA TO THE REAL RUMBA | various artists | El Sur
3 VITTO MEIRELLES | Da Hora | Cooking Vinyl
4 LUCIBELA | Laco Umbilical | Lusafrica
5 AFROINS, LOS | A Gozar Salsomanos | Vampisoul
6 KALETA AND SUPER YAMBA BAND | Medaho | Ubiquity
7 OTAVA YO | Do You Love | ARC
8 TINARIWEN | Amadjar | Anti-
9 AGGROLITES, THE | Reggae Now! | Pirates Press
10 GARIFUNA COLLECTIVE, THE | Aban | Stonetree

Charts September 7-13, 2019

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 TINARIWEN | Amadjar | Anti-
2 RACHID TAHA | Je Suis Africaine | Believe
3 KALETA AND SUPER YAMBA BAND | Medaho | Ubiquity
4 GOOD ONES, THE | "The Farmer" [Single] | Anti-
5 WEMBLER'S DE IQUITOS, LOS | Vision Del Ayahuasca | Barbes
6 DANIELA SOLEDADE | A Moment Of You | Blue Line
7 AHMEDOU AHMED LOWLA | Terrouzi | Sahel Sounds
8 DAYME AROCENA | Sonocardiogram | Brownswood
9 KANAZOE ORKESTRA | Tolonso | Buda Musique
10 GILI YALO | Made In Amharica [EP] | Dead Sea

Charts Aug 31 - Sep 6, 2019

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 ALTIN GUN | Gece | ATO
2 BUDOS BAND, THE | The Budos Band V | Daptone
3 MIRAMAR | "Salida/Urgencia" [Single] | Daptone
4 NICOLA CONTE AND GIANLUCA PETRELLA | Free Your Mind [EP] | Schema
5 MARCIA GRIFFITHS | "Ska Medley" [Single] | Tad's
6 AYMEE NUVIOLA | A Journey Through Cuban Music | Top Stop
7 MOSQUITO CABARET | The Modern Life Of Insects | self-released
8 AWARENESS ART ENSEMBLE | "Awful Situation" [Single] | Love City
9 WUTA MAYI | La Face Cachee | Sterns
10 KARINE POLWART | Scottish Songbook | Hegri

Charts August 24-30, 2019

I'm back after a lengthy health-related absence, feeling much better now.  I've resumed my music director activities and I'm looking forward to bringing Global A Go-Go back to the airwaves as soon as a slot is available at WRIR.  Look for WRIR's world music charts every week in this space.

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 RACHID TAHA | Je Suis Africain | Believe
2 BUDOS BAND, THE | V | Daptone
3 YOUSSOU N'DOUR | History | Naive
4 COMBO CHIMBITA | Ahomale | Anti-
5 ROBERTO LOPEZ | Kaleido Stropico | Curura Musique
6 LAGARTIJEANDO | Jallalla | Wonderwheel
7 ALEX CUBA | Sublime | Caracol
8 CHE APALACHE | Rearrange My Heart | Free Dirt
9 IBIBIO SOUND MACHINE | Doko Mien | Merge
10 MINYO CRUSADERS | Echoes Of Japan | Mais Um

Program April 24, 2019

April is usually one of the big months for new releases in the music world (September and October are the others).  For a variety of reasons (WRIR's Spring 2019 Fund Drive, personal matters), I haven't had much opportunity to feature new music this month.

So I've got some catching up to do, and that's the focus of this week's program.  The whole first hour is dedicated to new releases and new reissues in the Afro-funk and Latin bags, including the great new Carnaval single from two of my favorites Colombian bands, Bomba Estereo and Systema Solar (pictured above).

The second hour has more new sounds from Mali and Niger, a look at the Balkan-Caribbean connection, and we finish up with some particularly crazed Balkan vocalists.  Should be fun.

Charts Mar 30 - Apr 19, 2019

WRIR's NACC World Top Ten
1 IBIBIO SOUND MACHINE | Doko Mien | Merge
2 DEXTER STORY | Bahir | Soundway
3 BONGO HOP, THE | Satingarona Pt 2 | Underdog
4 COCHEMEA | All My Relations | Daptone
5 MIRAMAR | "Salida/Urgencia" [Single] | Daptone
6 BUDOS BAND, THE | V | Daptone
7 GRUPO FANTASMA | American Music: Vol. VII | Blue Corn
8 MDOU MOCTAR | Ilana: The Creator | Sahel Sounds
9 HAMA SANKARE | Niafunke | Clermont
10 DJ PANKO | Panko Pa' Palenque | Palenque

Mdou Moctar | Ilana: The Creator

ARTIST: Mdou Moctar
TITLE: Ilana: The Creator
LABEL: Sahel Sounds
Here’s the album I, and a lot of Moctar’s fans, have been waiting for him to make. The left-handed guitarist from Agadez, Niger has worn a path through Europe and the USA in the last several years, leaving audiences with mouths agape at his technique and energy and at the forward propulsion of his band.

Hama Sankare | Niafunke

ARTIST: Hama Sankare
TITLE: Niafunke
LABEL: Clermont Music
Veteran singer-percussionist Sankare, a former member of Ali Farka Toure’s Groupe ASKO, is a native of Niafunke, Mali, best known as Ali Farka Toure’s home town.