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

The compilation that started it all

As part of their 25th anniversary celebration, Strut Records on August 30th reissued Nigeria 70, the 2001 compilation that originally got the great African vinyl gold rush started.

 

Nigeria 70 certainly wasn't the first anthology of African music ever released, but it hit the zeitgeist at just the right time.  Its formula of deeply funky and deeply obscure music, extensive and erudite liner notes, brilliant graphic design, sensitive remastering and ethical licensing are the template for labels like Soundway, Analog Africa, Ostinato, Awesome Tapes From Africa and others (including Strut itself, of course) who are making great African recordings accessible to all listeners.

 

I'll play a couple of my favorite Nigeria 70 tracks on this week's program, and also a couple of selections from the outstanding recent compilation of the São Toméan band África Negra.

 

Also this week (Sunday September 8, 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): New acoustic African sounds from Tidiane Thiam and Annarella & Django, Brazilian forró including a new single by Priscilla Frade, the Latin psychedelia of Los Bitchos and La Sonora Mazurén, and some Latin soul to finish up the show.

Charts Aug 25 - Sep 1, 2024

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten

1 LA SONORA MAZUREN | Magnetismo Animal | Barbes

2 SANTROFI | "Amina" [Single] | Outhere

3 KAMPIRE PRESENTS: A DANCEFLOOR IN NDOLA | various artists | Strut

4 CIMAFUNK | Pa' Tu Cuerpa | Terapia

5 K.O.G | "Don't Take My Soul" [Single] | Pura Vida/Heavenly Sweetness

6 SISTER NANCY | "Bam Bam b/w Stalag" [Single] | VP

7 LINVAL THOMPSON, JONQUAN AND TICKLAH | "Bound To Fall" [Single] | Easy Star

8 SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR X GROOVE TERMINATOR | History Of House | Music Is Fun/House Of Latroit/Gallo

9 OLAMINA AND AWARENESS | Chant Down Babylon | Love City

10 KANKOU KOUYATE | N'Darila | One World

Meet La Sonora Mazurén

Richmond has hosted three Colombian bands in the last six months: La Perla, Meridian Brothers and Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto.  And now add a fourth, the biggest and maybe the most exciting of all of them: La Sonora Mazurén (LSM), who will play the Get Tight Lounge on Wednesday September 25.

 

LSM is a seven-piece rhythm machine from Bogotá with four percussionists (including two of the women from La Perla) and a bass guitar laying down the grooves, plus electric guitar, keyboards, accordion and lots of voices on top.  They're a sort of pan-American psychedelic dance band who take traditional rhythms from all over South and Central America in unexpectedly lysergic directions.

I'll introduce you to LSM this week on Global A Go-Go by playing a couple of tracks from their marvelous forthcoming third album Magnetismo Animal which will be released on October 4 (I think this will be an American radio premiere) and a couple of older ones as well.

Also this week (Sunday September 1, 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): Some dubby reggae to get things started, Central African guitar hits, acoustic Mande music from Mali, West African funk and hip hop, and soulful house music from South Africa.

Charts August 19-25, 2024

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten

1 CHAKRAVYUH | various artists | Qilla

2 CIMAFUNK | Pa' Tu Cuerpa | Terapia Productions

3 K.O.G | "Don't Take My Soul" [Single] | Pura Vida/Heavenly Sweetness

4 SISTER NANCY | "Bam Bam b/w Stalag" [Single] | VP

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

6 SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR X GROOVE TERMINATOR | History Of House | Music Is Fun/House Of Latroit/Gallo

7 LA LOM | The Los Angeles League Of Musicians | Verve

8 THIAGO FRANCA AND A ESPETACULAR CHARANGA DO FRANCA | "Toxic" [Single] | Mais Um

9 PENI CANDRA RINI | Wulansih | New Amsterdam

10 COMBO DAGUERRE | Fracassines | Barbes

Charts August 12-18, 2024

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten

1 SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR AND GROOVE TERMINATOR | History Of House | Music Is Fun/House Of Latroit/Gallo

2 MILTON NASCIMENTO AND ESPERANZA SPALDING | Milton + esperanza | Concord

3 KIT SEBASTIAN | "Metropolis" [Single] | Brainfeeder

4 PAULA MAYA | Rio De Janeiro | Yellow House

5 GIRL ULTRA | blush [EP] | Big Dada

6 AFRICA NEGRA | Antologia Vol. 2 | Bongo Joe

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

8 ANGELICA GARCIA | Gemelo | Partisan

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

10 MIGHTY JOSHUA | Dreaducation | Mighty Music

Charts Jul 29 - Aug 11, 2024

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten, Jul 29-Aug 4

1 ANGELICA GARCIA |  Gemelo | Partisan

2 THIAGO FRANCA & A ESPETACULAR CHARANGA DO FRANCA | "Toxic" [Single] | Mais Um

3 FANFARE CIOCARLIA | "Me Sem Rom" [Single] | Asphalt Tango

4 WAILERS, THE | The Best Of The Wailers | Jamwax

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

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

7 NATION BEAT | Archaic Humans | Ropeadope

8 BRUNA BLACK AND JOHN FINBURY | Va Revelacao | Green Flash

9 GHANA SPECIAL 2: ELECTRONIC HIGHLIFE AND AFRO SOUNDS IN THE DIASPORA, 1980-93 | various artists | Soundway

10 CONGO FUNK! SOUND MADNESS FROM THE SHORES OF THE MIGHTY CONGO RIVER | various artists | Analog Africa

 

 

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten, August 5-11

1 ANGELICA GARCIA | Gemelo | Partisan

2 JABULA | Afrika Awake | Strut

3 KIT SEBASTIAN | "Metropolis" [Single] | Brainfeeder

4 LAIZ AND THE NEW LOVE EXPERIENCE | Carcaru [EP] | Besser-Samstag

5 SIA TOLNO | Manene | Kingsland/Slow Walk

6 BONGO HOP, THE | "La Pata Coja" [Single] | Underdog

7 AWA KHIWE | "Zizobuya" [Single] | Outhere

8 GENTLEMAN AND SHAMS THE PRODUCER | "Watch Ova The City" [Single] | B-Rich

9 WAILERS, THE | The Best Of The Wailers | Jamwax

10 NANCY VIEIRA | Gente | Galileo

We will send them back

They call Awa Khiwe "The Village Girl" because she's from a rural area of Zimbabwe's Bulawayo province.  She raps in Ndebele, her hometown language which is closely related to Zulu, including all the click sounds.  This week on Global A Go-Go you'll hear the first single from her forthcoming debut album, "Zizobuya" (We will send them back), about the southern African custom of lobola or bride-price.

 

Also this week (Sunday August 11, 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): In the first hour, new reggae from Gentleman and H.L.R, a reissue of the first Wailers album from 1971, and current Afro releases by Afla Sackey, The Bongo Hop and Sia Tolno; in the second hour sounds from across southern Africa including Malawi's Madalitso Band, Sebongile Kgaila from Botswana, Brian Chilala of Zambia and South Africa's Penny Penny.

The undisputed master of the kora

Toumani Diabaté, the undisputed master of the kora, the most important classical instrument of West Africa, passed away on July 19 at age 58.  A 72nd generation griot whose ancestors have been poets, musicians and storytellers since the time of the Mande empire, Toumani introduced listeners from all parts of the globe to the ancient harmonies of the 21-stringed harp.

 

He brought his instrument decisively into the 21st century, recording the first solo kora album ever, working with musicians from across West Africa to build a new Mande musical vocabulary, and creating new traditions by jamming with artists from around the world.  The second hour of today's show is devoted exclusively to the music of Toumani Diabaté: his kora solos and duos, his West African ensembles and his cross-continental collaborations.

In Global A Go-Go's first hour this week (Sunday August 4, 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 joined in the studio by Brian Jones: drummer, educator and organizer of the Mingus Awareness Project.  We'll talk about the three Mingus concerts happening in Richmond next weekend, listen to music from several of the participating ensembles and hear some related brass band sounds from across the map.

Charts July 22-28, 2024

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten

1 SEUN KUTI AND EGYPT 80 | "T.O.P." [Single] | Record Kicks

2 GEORGE DEKKER | Right To Be Here | Blue Beat

3 MERIDIAN BROTHERS | Mi Latinoamerica Sufre | Ansonia/Bongo Joe

4 AFLA SACKEY AND AFRIK BAWANTU | Destination | Wah Wah 45s

5 ETANA | Nectar Of The Gods | Freemind

6 LAIZ AND THE NEW LOVE EXPERIENCE | Carcaru [EP] | Besser-Samstag

7 HERETIER WATA | Chemin De La Gloire (Edition Deluxe) | Obouo Productions

8 ORQUESTA OLIVIERI | Orquesta Olivieri | Vampisoul

9 ANGELICA GARCIA | Gemelo | Partisan

10 YEISY ROJAS | A Mis Ancestros | self-released

Charts July 15-21, 2024

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten

1 ORQUESTA AKOKAN | Caracoles | Daptone

2 SUPERFONICOS | Renacere | Spaceflight

3 LOS GAITEROS DE SAN JACINTO | Orgullo Colombiano | OM Producciones/Bad Vibes Good Friends

4 MODESTO DURAN | Fabulous Rhythms Of Modesto | Numero Group

5 NGOZI FAMILY | 99% Confusion | Now-Again

6 COMBO DAGUERRE | Fracassines | Barbes

7 MANU CHAO | "São Paulo Motoboy" [Single] | Because

8 ETRAN DE L'AIR | "Ighre Massina" [Single] | Sahel Sounds

9 SATURNO 4000 | "Ma Belle Fille" b/w "Solar Heart" [Single] | Batov

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

I will be reborn

A band's second album is supposed to be the hard one -- it's the one you write after you've spent your whole life on the first album's songs.  For Superfónicos though, the first album was the hard one.

 

Maybe it's because of the pandemic.  Maybe it's because they changed producers.  Maybe it's because four children were born to members of the band while the album was gestating.  Whatever it was, it took Superfónicos more than four years to make Renaceré ("I will be reborn").  You'd never guess that the process was so grueling -- this brassy, soulful, life-affirming record is one of the best things I've heard so far in 2024.  Tune in to Global A Go-Go this week to hear the album's title track.

Also this week (Sunday July 21, 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): Manu Chao is sounding like the old Manu Chao, new music from Orquesta Akokán and old music from the Cuban bandas gigantes who preceded them, Tete Mbambisa's updated South African marabi, a new single from desert blues heroes Etran de L’Aïr, and a fabulous anthology of África Negra from São Tomé & Príncipe.

Colombian pride

Bill Lupoletti of Global A Go-Go will be subbing for his WRIR colleague DJ Maiya on the first hour of the program she co-hosts, Head Empty Radio, Friday July 19 at 1 PM.

 

That's the same day that Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto, Colombia's original sound of cumbia, will be playing at Richmond's Get Tight Lounge (more information here: facebook.com/events/831676748322907), so you'll hear some of Los Gaiteros' music plus that of Colombian artists who have been inspired by Los Gaiteros in various ways, and some new sounds from around the world with a cumbia twist to them.

Head Empty Radio's regular co-host DJ Orangina will be at the controls and keeping the party going for hour number two.  Check both of us out this Friday afternoon!

Charts July 8-14, 2024

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten

1 LOS GAITEROS DE SAN JACINTO | Orgullo Colombiano | OM Producciones

2 ORQUESTA AKOKAN | Caracoles | Daptone

3 CHICHA LIBRE | Tequila Y Aguardiente [EP] | Barbes

4 ANGELICA GARCIA | Gemelo | Partisan

5 MIGHTY JOSHUA | Dreaducation | self-released

6 ETANA | Nectar Of The Gods | Freemind

7 UNDERCOVER COCKNEY | "Am I Good Enough (feat. Coco Malone & Horseman)" [Single] | Double Double

8 JOY, THE | The Joy | Transgressive

9 DOBET GNAHORE | Zouzou | Cumbancha

10 CHEO | Refresco Vol. 1: Cheo Goes Latin | Nacional