I need some money

WRIR's Fall 2024 Fund Drive is now underway -- we're hard at work toward raising $45,000 by Saturday November 2nd to power Richmond Community Radio for another six months.  It's supporters like you who have made WRIR possible for the last 20 years, and now is the time that we ask you to donate what you can afford, and what this marvelous, successful experiment in community-built media is worth to you.

 

You can become a monthly supporter at this link: https://bit.ly/3QnrP5H.  Or make a one-time contribution here: https://bit.ly/3FnagN1.  Or simply go to wrir.org to donate and to find out more about the Fall 2024 Fund Drive, including the premiums available to donors and the events happening during the fund drive.

Global A Go-Go is here this week (Sunday October 27, 1:00-3:00 PM on WRIR, for two weeks afterwards at wrir.org/listen, and any old time at my podcast site) giving you some extra incentive to make that contribution.  The first $500 donated during Global A Go-Go will be doubled because I will personally match your gift.  Let's raise $1,000 and more for Richmond Community Radio on this edition of Global A Go-Go!

The background music for your generosity will be a South African dance party: two hours of bubblegum, kwaito, Shangaan electro and gqom from the 1980s through today for your listening, and especially your dancing, pleasure.  As it is every week, it's all free to anyone who tunes in via radio or internet.  But this week is special: it's one of just two weeks out of the year where we ask you to donate what you can to keep WRIR powered up.  Thank you for making Richmond Independent Radio's first 20 years possible, and we're counting on you once again in Fall 2024!

Loboko takes over Cause & Effect

Cause & Effect (Saturday 1-3 PM) is WRIR's weekly program focusing on a single artist and exploring in detail their work, their influences and their peers.  We don't often have the artist in question here in person for their own Cause & Effect.  But that's what's happening this week.

 

I will be hosting Cause & Effect this week (Saturday October 26, 1:00-3:00 PM on WRIR, for two weeks afterwards at wrir.org/listen, and any old time at my podcast site), and my in-studio guests will be the New York City-based Congolese band Loboko, who are performing Saturday night at Révéler Experiences.

 

David Noyes of WRIR's Ambiance Congo (alternate Sundays 3-5 PM, the only Congolese broadcast radio show in the USA) and The Motherland Influence (Sunday 5-7 PM) and I will interview the band.  And the band will take over the selector chair, spinning sounds they love, music that's influenced them, other artists working in related spaces, and maybe some of their unreleased recordings.

 

You can participate too by making a donation on Saturday, the first full day of WRIR's Fall 2024 Fund Drive, which is raising money to make programming like this show possible, powering "The Tower of Low Power" to keep Richmond Community Radio in the pink for another six months.  Just visit wrir.org, click the Donate button, and you're almost done!  Thank you for your support!

Charts October 14-20, 2024

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten

1 DOGO DU TOGO AND THE ALAGAA BEAT BAND | "Enouwo Lagnon" [Single] | We Are Busy Bodies

2 ABOUBAKAR TRAORE AND BALIMA | "Sabubu" b/w "Sonfo" [Single] | Zephyrus

3 SUPERFONICOS | Renaceré | Spaceflight

4 SECKOU KEITA | Homeland (Chapter 1) | Hudson

5 ROGER DAMAWUZAN AND LE AS DU BENIN | Tropicana Souvenir Vol. 2 | Hot Casa

6 SONGHOY BLUES | "Toukambela" [Single] | Studio Mali/Transgressive

7 NOVALIMA | "Exodus" [Single] | Six Degrees

8 ORIENTAL BROTHERS INTERNATIONAL BAND | Onye Rie Ibe Ya Erie | Odogwu/Palenque

9 NFALY DIAKITE | Hunter Folk Vol. 1: Tribute To Toumani Kone | Mieruba

10 META AND THE CORNERSTONES | "Lively & Up" [Single] | Metarize/Rebel Sound

The next Baba Commandant?

It seems like much of Richmond fell in love with the music of Baba Commandant & The Mandingo Band when they played here last spring at the Get Tight Lounge and last fall at the Richmond Folk Festival.  And we all mourned the tragic passing of Mamadou Sanou, aka Baba Commandant, of complications from malaria in November of 2023, just weeks after his last appearance here.

 

If you, like me, are missing Baba Commandant, let me recommend Aboubakar Traoré & Balima to your attention.  He's from Bobo-Dioulasso in Burkina Faso, the town where the Mandingo Band formed; he plays kamale ngoni (youth harp), a smaller cousin of Baba's donso ngoni (hunter's harp); and his music draws from the same Wassoulou groove, based on Mande hunters' traditional songs, as Baba's.  To me, Aboubakar Traoré & Balima are the next best thing to Baba Commandant & The Mandingo Band.  Hear them for yourself this week on Global A Go-Go.

Also this week (Sunday October 20, 1:00-3:00 PM on WRIR, for two weeks afterwards at wrir.org/listen, check your local listings for airing on other radio stations, and any old time at my podcast site): More sounds coming out of Malian tradition including new music from Songhoy Blues and Nfaly Diakité, the latest DC-via-Lomé release of Dogo Du Togo, the reunion of Nigeria's legendary highlife stars the Oriental Brothers, some old-fashioned Colombian big band porro cumbia, and the Latin hyphenate sounds of Superfónicos and La Mambanegra.

Charts October 7-13, 2024

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten

1 CELIA CRUZ AND JOHNNY PACHECO | Celia & Johnny | Fania

2 PRABIR TRIO | Long After The Empire | self-released

3 MIRAMAR | "Un Astro" [Single] | Ansonia

4 MARTIN LOPEZ Y SUS ESTRELLAS | Cocinando | Vampisoul

5 NUSRAT FATEH ALI KHAN | Chain Of Light | Real World

6 NYBOMA | Double Double | No Wahala Sounds

7 BONGO HOP, THE | "Dekonekte" [Single] | Underdog

8 ELISEO GOMES AND JOAQUIM VALERA | Chuma Lopes | Arabusta

9 ORQUESTA AKOKAN | Caracoles | Daptone

10 ROLANDO BRUNO Y EL GRUPO AREVALO | Cosas Raras | Peace & Rhythm/Electric Cowbell/DJ Cajon

Who is Loboko?

New York City-based Congolese band Loboko are coming to Richmond's Révéler Experiences on Saturday October 26.  You'll hear Loboko's music this week on Global A Go-Go, alongside other bands playing the awesome contemporary Congolese guitar-driven dance music called sebene.

 

(Just as a heads up, Loboko will also be my in-studio guest on WRIR's Cause & Effect program on the afternoon of October 26, during WRIR's Fall 2024 Fund Drive.  I'll be interviewing the band members at that time, and they'll also take over the show, spinning some of their favorite recordings, Congolese and otherwise, and maybe playing their own unreleased recordings too.)

As for the rest of what I'm playing this week (Sunday October 13, 1:00-3:00 PM on WRIR, for two weeks afterwards at wrir.org/listen, check your local listings for airing on other radio stations, and any old time at my podcast site), you'll hear more great African guitar music including a reissue of classic 1980s Congolese rumba by Nyboma and some smoking funaná from Cabo Verde by Eliseo Gomes & Joaquim Valera, plus a newly discovered qawwali recording by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the new single by Richmond's own Miramar, and The Bongo Hop's hot new French Caribbean-style track.

Charts Sep 30 - Oct 6, 2024

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten

1 MANU CHAO | Viva Tu | Because

2 AMADOU AND MARIAM | La Vie Est Belle | Because

3 MULATU ASTATKE AND HOODNA ORCHESTRA | "Tension" [Single] | Batov

4 CIMAFUNK | Pa' Tu Cuerpa | Terapia

5 SEUN KUTI AND EGYPT 80 | Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head) | Record Kicks

6 KIT SEBASTIAN | New Internationale | Brainfeeder

7 VOILAAA | C'est Tout | Favorite

8 LOS DUTIS | Surreal [EP] | Matachin

9 MIGHTY DIAMONDS AND TETRACK | Trouble Backstage | Reggae Library

10 TAJ WEEKES AND ZION ALBERT | "Cornerstone" [Single] | Jatta/Skank

Beaux dimanches

It's always a beautiful Sunday here on the radio at WRIR, what with programs like The Motherland Influence, Ambiance Congo, The Other Black Music, If Music Could Talk, Bebop & Beyond with Mr. Jazz, Club Unity and more, along with Global A Go-Go of course.

 

And none more beautiful than this Sunday (October 6, 1:00-3:00 PM on WRIR, for two weeks afterwards at wrir.org/listen, check your local listings for airing on other radio stations, and any old time at my podcast site) as we're featuring the new albums from both Manu Chao and Amadou & Mariam.

 

We're highlighting lots of new fall releases this week, including new Brazilian sounds from Saulo Duarte and MOMO.; new reggae by Taj Weekes & Zion Albert, Vincent Price & The Young Spirits (Halloween alert!), Pasnbesa and Big Boss Sound; the Turkish stylings of Aylin's Soulgarden and Altın Gün; and the Ethio-jazz of Mulatu Astatke & Hoodna Orchestra.

 

Plus I'll be giving away a pair of tickets for the October 12 Broadberry show of Cimafunk, Cuba's answer to Prince or George Clinton, so tune in to win, and to enjoy another beautiful Sunday on WRIR!

Charts September 23-29, 2024

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten

1 PENI CANDRA RINI | Wulansih | New Amsterdam

2 SERGE BULAT | Omorphita Cornershop | self-released

3 PENI CANDRA RINI | Wani | New Amsterdam

4 AMADOU AND MARIAM | La Vie Est Belle | Because

5 MOLCHAT DOMA | Belaya Polosa | Sacred Bones

6 NICOLE MITCHELL AND BALLAKE SISSOKO | Bamako Chicago Sound System | FPE

7 DJ VADIM | Soundcatcher 2.0 | King Dada Sounds

8 ACCRA QUARTET | Gbɛfalɔi (Travelers) | FPE

9 TAMADA | 9 Deadly Sins For Tamada | Alt Orient

10 HOWIE LEE | At The Drolma Wesel-Ling Monastery | Mais Um

Serge Bulat's Cornershop mixes

I recently met a musician from the Moldovan-Ukrainian border named Serge Bulat.  I'd classify his music as electronica; Aphex Twin and Bonobo are two artists you might know who Serge has cited as influences.  He’s also a field recordist and he integrates those sounds into his music.

 

Serge has a new album called Omorphita Cornershop and it has a song on it that includes Serge’s recording of the Bulgarian kaval player Theodosii Spassov. I’ve played Spassov’s music on Global A Go-Go before, so that caught my attention right away.  The other thing that caught my attention is that Serge says he’s currently based in Virginia. So I reached out to him to get more details.

 

In the course of our correspondence, Serge asked if I’d like to hear some mixes of the eclectic music that he listens to. You’re going to hear those mixes for yourself this week on Global A Go-Go (Sunday September 29, 1:00-3:00 PM on WRIR, for two weeks afterwards at wrir.org/listen, check your local listings for airing on other radio stations, and any old time at my podcast site).

 

I’m presenting Serge Bulat's Cornershop mixes as Serge created them: two 48-minute sets, one for each of the program's hours, with no breaks or talking in between, just a continuous flow of music that includes sounds from Moldova, Ukraine and the Roma world, but also from Kurdistan, Palestine, Japan, Africa and more.

Charts September 16-22, 2024

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten

1 LA SONORA MAZUREN | Magnetismo Animal | Barbes

2 KIT SEBASTIAN | "Bul Bul Bul" [Single] | Brainfeeder

3 SONGHOY BLUES | "Issa" [Single] | Studio Mali/Transgressive

4 AMADOU AND MARIAM | La Vie Est Belle | Because

5 ACCRA QUARTET | Gbɛfalɔi (Travelers) | FPE

6 AHMED MALIK | Musique Originale De Films (Volume 2) | Habibi Funk

7 ZAWOSE QUEENS, THE | Maisha | Real World

8 BAB L'BLUZ | Swaken | Real World

9 AZIZA BRAHIM | Mawja (Wave) | Glitterbeat

10 SARAMACCAN SOUND | Where The River Ends Is Only The Beginning | Glitterbeat

More polyrhythmic, even more lysergic

The music scene in Bogotá, Colombia is red-hot right now, and one of that city's finest bands will be visiting Richmond this week.  La Sonora Mazurén play at the Get Tight Lounge on Wednesday September 25, and you'll hear their music this week on Global A Go-Go.  I'll put them in context alongside tracks from other current bogotana bands like Meridian Brothers, Frente Cumbiero, La Perla, Romperayo and Conjunto Media Luna (the last three bands all share members with La Sonora Mazurén).

 

Speaking of hot, Richmond's bolero royalty Miramar have a new single coming out imminently on the legendary salsa label Ansonia.  And they will be performing with a slightly larger ensemble, the Richmond Symphony, at the Carpenter Theatre on October 5, so I'll play some Miramar music as well.

 

And trainee Tim joins me in the studio to spin a tasty selection of African and Brazilian vinyl.  So it's a jam-packed show this week (Sunday September 22, 1:00-3:00 PM on WRIR, for two weeks afterwards at wrir.org/listen, check your local listings for airing on other radio stations, and any old time at my podcast site), don't miss it!

Charts September 9-15, 2024

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten

1 ETRAN DE L'AIR | 100% Sahara Guitar | Sahel Sounds

2 DOGO DU TOGO AND THE ALAGAA BEAT BAND | "Avoude" [Single] | We Are Busy Bodies

3 SEUN KUTI AND EGYPT 80 | "Stand Well Well" [Single] | Record Kicks

4 MANU CHAO | "Tu Te Vas" feat. Laeti [Single] | Because

5 LA SONORA MAZUREN | Magnetismo Animal | Barbes

6 OLAMINA AND AWARENESS | Chant Down Babylon | Love City

7 PENI CANDRA RINI | Wulansih | New Amsterdam

8 LOS FULANOS | "Blue Monday b/w Why Don't We Do Some Boogaloo?" [Single] | Lovemonk

9 ZANJA ALL STARS | Cuban Jam Session, Vol. 1 | Zanja

10 MYRIAM GENDRON | Mayday | Thrill Jockey/Feeding Tube

Thumbs up for Mother Universe

The 20th annual Richmond Folk Festival is coming up Friday through Sunday, September 27th through the 29th.  And this week (Sunday September 15, 1:00-3:00 PM on WRIR, for two weeks afterwards at wrir.org/listen, check your local listings for airing on other radio stations, and any old time at my podcast site) it's time for Global A Go-Go's annual preview of the Folk Festival.

 

I'll be focusing on six artists: Javanese singer (and frequent Richmond visitor) Peni Candra Rini from Indonesia; psychedelic 79 year old benju player Ustad Noor Bakhsh from Balochistan; Tuareg Nigerien guitar shredder Bombino; theatrical Pugliese ensemble Canzioniere Grecanico Salentino (CGS for short), the biggest stars of Italian traditional music; chirimía brass band Rancho Aparte from Colombia's Pacific Coast; and self-taught Afro-futurist American musician and visual artist Lonnie Holley (pictured above).

 

Tune in and find out which international artists you don't want to miss at the Folk Festival, even if (or maybe, especially because) you've never heard of them before.

Charts September 2-8, 2024

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten

1 NIGERIA 70: THE DEFINITIVE STORY OF 1970'S FUNKY LAGOS | various artists | Strut

2 AFRICA NEGRA | Antologia Vol. 2 | Bongo Joe

3 LOS BITCHOS | Talkie Talkie | City Slang

4 ANNARELLA AND DJANGO | "Dakar Orebro" [Single] | We Are Busy Bodies/Sing A Song Fighter

5 LA SONORA MAZUREN | Magnetismo Animal | Barbes

6 PRISCILLA FRADE | "Baiao De Quatro Toques" [Single] | Mills

7 WE'VE GOT A GROOVY THING GOING: THE LATIN SOUL OF BOBBY MARIN | various artists | Vampisoul

8 TIDIANE THIAM | Africa Yontii | Sahel Sounds

9 MDOU MOCTAR | Funeral For Justice | Matador

10 HERMANOS GUTIERREZ | Sonido Cósmico | Easy Eye Sound/Concord