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

Program August 31, 2012

The year is 1986.  After an international campaign on his behalf by Amnesty International, Fela Kuti is released from a Nigerian prison where he had been held for almost two years on fabricated currency-smuggling charges.  He embarks on a worldwide tour, including a long-planned visit to the USA with his Egypt 80 band.

I was fortunate enough to see Fela and Egypt 80 perform on this tour, on November 13 in Chicago.  And now there's a legal, licensed recording from the tour, made a week earlier at Detroit's Fox Theatre.  This week on Global A Go-Go, you and I get to relive a little bit of that experience.

Diabel Cissokho | Kanabory Siyama

ARTIST:  Diabel Cissokho
TITLE:  Kanabory Siyama
LABEL:  World Village
Senegalese kora player Diabel Cissokho, now based in London, has worked as a sideman for important West African artists such as Baaba Maal and Kandia Kouyate; here he steps forward on his debut album as a bandleader.

Charts August 26, 2012

WRIR's CMJ New World Top Ten
1 ONDATROPICA | Ondatropica | Soundway
2 SOFRITO | International Soundclash | Strut
3 BIO RITMO | Introducing | Introducing
4 JANKA NABAY AND THE BUBU GANG | En Yay Sah | Luaka Bop
5 BALKANIZE! | ... For You Are Made Of Stars | self-released
6 KOTTARASHKY AND THE RAIN DOGS | Demoni | Asphalt Tango
7 ZANI DIABATE AND LES HERITIERS | Tientalaw | Sterns Africa
8 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Sensacional Soul, Vol. 3 | Vampisoul
9 STAFF BENDA BILILI | Bouger Le Monde! | Crammed
10 ANTIBALAS | Antibalas | Daptone

Program August 24, 2012

Staff Benda Bilili have come a long way -- from homeless in the Kinshasa zoo to Rotary Club spokesmen.  (Yes, this is the first ever reference to the Rotary Club on Global A Go-Go, and quite possibly the last.)

This amazing Congolese band releases their second album in September and makes their first tour of the USA in October, including a performance at the Howard Theatre in Washington DC.  You'll hear a song from their new album Bouger Le Monde! this week on Global A Go-Go.