Dr. Boondigga

I was stunned to hear that Chris (Mu) Faiumu, the founder and bandleader of Fat Freddy's Drop, passed away in his sleep on Wednesday at home in Wellington, New Zealand.  Fat Freddy's is one of the most popular bands New Zealand has ever produced: their first four albums all went to #1 in their home country, and they did that as a fully independent act, managing themselves and running their own record label.

 

The albums and their amazing live shows have earned them a strong following in Europe, but they've never toured the USA so they remain relatively unknown here.  If you can imagine a cross between the Wailers, Parliament, Phish and J Dilla, that's kind of what they sound like.  If you want to know exactly what they sound like, tune in to the second hour of Global A Go-Go this week for my tribute to Mu: a full hour of Fat Freddy's music.

 

Also this week (Sunday July 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): New singles from Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp and Oruã, the Malawian banjo music of Gasper Nali and Madalitso Band, and Afrobeat by Tidiani Kone and Orchestre Poly Rythmo de Cotonou.

Charts Jun 30 - Jul 13, 2025

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten

1 BRIVELE | Khaveyrim Zayt Greyt | Borscht Beat

2 BRIGHDE CHAIMBEUL | Sunwise | Tak:til

3 KOKOROKO | Tuff Times Never Last | Brownswood

4 HABIBI FUNK 031: A SELECTION OF MUSIC FROM LIBYAN TAPES | various artists | Habibi Funk

5 MUSIC FOR A REVOLUTION, VOL. 1: GUINEA'S SYLIPHONE RECORDING LABEL (1967-1973) | various artists | Radio Martiko

6 HAWA AND KASSE MADY DIABATE | Toumaro | One World

7 GIO CHAMBA | "La Danza de los Mirlos" [Single] | Mixto

8 EDNA MARTINEZ PRESENTS PICO: SOUND SYSTEM CULTURE FROM THE COLOMBIAN CARIBBEAN | various artists | Strut

9 TRIO KAZANCHIS PLUS 1 | Sheger | 121234

10 TRIO MOKILI | Trio Mokili | self-released

Cause & Effect: Chicha Libre

Bill from Global A Go-Go here, bringing you a special edition of WRIR's Cause & Effect program this week (Saturday July 12, 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).  What's so special about it, you ask?

 

Well, first of all, Chicha Libre is performing on Saturday night at the Get Tight Lounge, with the Balkan psychedelic twang of Richmond's Zarove opening for them.  So this radio show should be an ideal pre-game situation for a Get Tight tailgate party.  And for those of you who are considering whether to spend your evening at Get Tight, tune in and get the whole Chicha Libre story while you decide.

 

Secondly, Chicha Libre founder and bandleader Olivier Conan will join me live in the studio for this show.  As you might already know, Cause & Effect is WRIR's weekly program that focuses on a single band (or sometimes a genre or a time and place) and digs into their origin, development, influences, peers and the artists they've influenced, with a healthy dose of the band's own music of course.

 

Rarely do we have the actual subject with us in person for a Cause & Effect episode.  So tune in and hear the Chicha Libre story straight from the horse's mouth.  It's a unique opportunity and should be a lot of fun.

Once tejones

Hot Secret Planet Richmond Summer continues in mid-July in two quite different flavors.  On Saturday July 12, Chicha Libre, the Brooklyn band that brought Peruvian-style psychedelic cumbia to worldwide recognition, returns to Richmond for the first time in 12 years to play at the Get Tight Lounge.

 

And on Tuesday July 15, Larry & Joe bring their unique mix of Venezuelan joropo and Appalachian bluegrass to Révéler Experiences.  To help you decide if you'd like to spend an evening with either or both of them, you'll hear several selections from both Chicha Libre and Larry & Joe this week on Global A Go-Go.

 

Also this week (Sunday July 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): New music from Mali by Habib Koite's Mandé Sila and Hawa & Kasse Mady Diabaté; vintage African sounds from two excellent new compilations: Music For a Revolution Vol. 1 and Edna Martinez Presents Picó; Trio Kazanchis + 1 and Trio Mokili expand the boundaries of Ethiopian music; and a rediscovered recording of the classic Ethio 70's Ibex Band.

Charts June 23-29, 2025

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten

1 TSAPIKY! MODERN MUSIC FROM SOUTHWEST MADAGASCAR | various artists | Sublime Frequencies

2 NOURA MINT SEYMALI | "Guereh" [Single] | Glitterbeat

3 TRIO MOKILI | Trio Mokili | self-released

4 BIO RITMO | "Largos Caminos" [Single] | Locutor

5 CHEIKH IBRA FAM | "Sali" [Single] | Cumbancha

6 AFRODREAM | "Afrotrip" [Single] | Rubik

7 GYEDU-BLAY AMBOLLEY | Wake Up Afrika | Agogo

8 ZULU GUITAR BLUES: COWBOYS, TROUBADOURS AND JILTED LOVERS 1950-1965 | various artists | Matsuli

9 FEMI KUTI | Journey Through Life | Partisan

10 SALIF KEITA | So Kono | No Format

Cumbia sin fronteras

Yeison Landero, grandson of the legendary Andrés Landero and keeper of the flame for Colombian cumbia campesina, played here in Richmond in January.  If you saw him and his conjunto then, you know they are a peak musical experience, maybe the best cumbia band in the world right now.

 

And if you didn't see them then, you're getting a second chance.   Yeison Landero y su Conjunto bring their Cumbia Sin Fronteras tour to the Get Tight Lounge on Thursday July 3, the first night of the Independence Day holiday weekend.  This week on Global A Go-Go, I'll get you acquainted (or re-acquainted, as the case may be) with Yeison's music, including spinning his brand new single.

 

Also this week (Sunday June 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): Some Afropop, including the latest from from Cheikh Ibra Fam and Amadou & Mariam; new highlife and Afrobeat by Gyedu-Blay Ambolley, Femi Kuti and Afrodream; the Malian sounds of Salif Keita and Trio Mokili; the first new music in nine years from Mauritania's Noura Mint Seymali; and tsapiky, the blistering dance music of southwest Madagascar.

Charts June 16-22, 2025

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten

1 MINYO CRUSADERS | Tour of Japan | 180g

2 HAWA AND KASSE MADY DIABATE | Toumaro | One World

3 WITCH | SOGOLO | Partisan

4 SUPER DJATA BAND | Authentique Vol 2 Feu Vert 81-82 | Numero Group

5 QUITAPENAS | ¡Retumba! [EP] | Nepantla

6 ELJURI | "La Vida" [Single] | Manovill

7 SOUL SUGAR MEETS DUB SHEPHERDS | "Give Me Your Love" [Single] | Gee

8 QUANTIC | DJ-Kicks: Quantic | !K7

9 SYSTEMA SOLAR | Futurx Primitivx 2025 | Sambumbia

10 MOSKITO | Idolar | Awesome Tapes From Africa

Best Richmond radio show 2025, per Style Weekly readers

I'm pleased to announce that Global A Go-Go has been selected by readers of Style Weekly, Richmond's alternative voice since 1982, as Richmond's best radio show of 2025.  Thank you for the honor, and I'm looking forward to decolonizing your ears with music from around the world in the universal language of groove for many years to come.

 

And how about WRIR almost winning a Pick 4 in this category?  Global A Go-Go and Open Source RVA and What The Fontaine, broken up only by former WRIR DJ Todd Ranson's Loblolly Pine Show on WDCE.  Your community radio station, indeed! 

So many things to feel guilty about

Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp (OTPMD for short) is a hard band to describe, an easy one to love.  Based in Geneva, Switzerland, it is truly an orchestra: 12 players on viola, cello, bass violin, trombone and bugle plus guitars, marimbas (two of them, somehow) and drums.  In their music you'll hear post-punk, krautrock, African rhythms, brass bands, 20th century minimalism, free jazz and more, sometimes all in the same song.

 

OTPMD is touring the USA right now, and they will squeeze all dozen band members onto (or at least near to) the stage at the Get Tight Lounge on Wednesday June 25.  You'll hear their music this week on Global A Go-Go, and I will give away a pair of tickets to the concert as well.  Opening for OTPMD will be the new Richmond folk-jazz-world supergroup Amminal, a band nearly as eclectic as the headliner.  You'll hear Amminal on this week's program as well, from a session they recorded on Global A Go-Go in the spring.

 

Also this week (Sunday June 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): New Latin sounds from Alfa & Manu Chao, Eljuri, Quitapenas and Systema Solar; the fabulous second studio album by Japan's Minyo Crusaders; Soul Sugar and Dub Shepherds give Curtis Mayfield the reggae version treatment; two very welcome Malian reissues: Super Djata Band's Authentique 81 and Wagadu Grooves Vol. 2; and classic South Africa kwaito by Moskito.

Charts June 9-15, 2025

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten

1 LAIZ AND THE NEW LOVE EXPERIENCE | "Se Segura" [Single] | Agogo

2 HAWA AND KASSE MADY DIABATE | Toumaro | One World

3 BIO RITMO | "Largos Caminos" [Single] | Locutor

4 MADALITSO BAND | Ma Gitala | Bongo Joe

5 LA BANDA CHUSKA | Basic Bichos | self-released

6 FRANCIS BEBEY | Trésor Magnétique | Africa Seven

7 GYEDU-BLAY AMBOLLEY | Wake Up Afrika | Agogo

8 SYSTEMA SOLAR | Futurx Primitivx 2025 | Sambumbia

9 SEMBLANZAS DEL RIO GUAPI | Lindo E | Llorona

10 ZULU GUITAR BLUES: COWBOYS, TROUBADOURS AND JILTED LOVERS 1950-1965 | various artists | Matsuli

He fell for chicken feet

Malawi's Madalitso Band have gone in eight years from busking for survival on the dusty streets of Lilongwe to playing international music festivals like Sauti Za Busara in Zanzibar, Roskilde in Denmark and WOMAD and Glastonbury in England.

 

Their music, made with nothing but their voices, guitar, kick drum and the homemade one-stringed long-necked slide bass called babatone, is one of the most life-affirming sounds you'll ever hear.  Madalitso's new album Ma Gitala was just released on Friday, and you'll hear a track from it this week on Global A Go-Go, alongside more acoustic guitar music from southern Africa.

 

Also this week (Sunday June 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): Rockin' cumbia from XIXA and La Banda Chuska, Bio Ritmo's brand new single as they prepare for their first visit to Colombia, Brazilian samba-funk by Laiz & the New Love Experience and Seu Jorge, beautiful late-career statements from Mali's Salif Keita and Kasse Mady Diabaté, and Trinidadian soca remixed by Luke Una.

Charts June 2-8, 2025

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten

1 BEJUCO | Machete | Discos Pacifico

2 GRUPO PILON | Nu Sta Li | El Palmas

3 GRUPO SON SAN | "La Hamaca" [Single] | Polen

4 SOOTHSAYERS | "Fly Higher" [Single] | Wah Wah 45s

5 BRIVELE | Khaveyrim Zayt Greyt | Borscht Beat

6 FEMI KUTI | Journey Through Life | Partisan

7 IBEX BAND | Stereo Instrumental Music | Muzikawi

8 ESTRELLAS DEL CARIBE | La Terapia de Palenque | Polen

9 MIZIK MALADI: DISQUES DEBS INTERNATIONAL VOL. 3 | various artists | Disques Debs International/Strut

10 SAMI GALBI | Ylh Bye Bye | Bongo Joe

Me mueve el tambó

 

The sound of the band Bejuco is based on currulao, the traditional marimba music of Colombia's Pacific coast.  But they've added a new beat to it: the polyrhythmic funk of Nigerian Afrobeat.  Turns out it's a great pairing, as you'll hear this week when I play a track from Bejuco's superb new album Machete, alongside new Afrobeat from Soothsayers and Femi Kuti.

 

Also this week (Sunday June 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): Comrades, get ready for Brivele's Yiddish folk against fascism; the rediscovery of Ibex Band of Ethiopia's Stereo Instrumental Music; champeta from Colombia's Caribbean coast, including new tracks from veteran bands Grupo Son San and Estrellas del Caribe; another veteran band makes a comeback: Grupo Pilon from Cabo Verde via Luxembourg; and some zouk and mini jazz from the French Antilles.

Charts May 26 - Jun 1, 2025

WRIR World's NACC Top Ten

1 THE STORY OF NACIONAL RECORDS, VOL. UNO Y DOS | various artists | Nacional

2 GYEDU-BLAY AMBOLLEY | Wake Up Afrika | Agogo

3 SYSTEMA SOLAR | Futurx Primitivx 2025 | Sambumbia

4 PACHYMAN | Another Place | ATO

5 GRUPO SON SAN | "La Hamaca" [Single] | Polen

6 FREH KHODJA | Ken Andi Habib | Wewantsounds

7 AMMAR 808 | Club Tounsi | Glitterbeat

8 GRUPO PILON | "Tempo Passa" [Single] | El Palmas

9 SOOTHSAYERS | "Fly Higher" [Single] | Wah Wah 45s

10 LIDO PIMIENTA | La Belleza | Anti-

Viva la juventud

As you probably know already, WRIR is celebrating its 20th birthday this year.  There must have been something in the water in 2005 (myself, I think that something was "Year 1 of Bush 2's second presidential term"), because Richmond linchpins RVA Magazine and Gallery 5 were also founded that year.

 

And all the way across the country in Los Angeles, a fellow named Tomas Cookman was starting up Nacional Records, a new independent label, to focus on what he called "Latin alternative" music.  Today, Latin alternative is squarely in the mainstream: Nacional releases have been nominated for over 100 Grammys and Latin Grammys, and Cookman's business Green Lane Entertainment includes artist management and booking, the LAMC music conference (Latin alternative's Sundance) and a major sync (music licensing for movies, TV, commercials, video games and the like) operation along with the label.

 

Nacional was one of the first record companies to figure out that WRIR played a lot of international music.  They've been sending us promos of their releases for 20 years, and for all of that time I've been working with Jennifer Sarkissian, who's now Nacional and Green Lane's General Manager, in what might be the longest running business relationship I have in radio.

 

This week (Sunday June 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) I'm going to play two hours of my personal Nacional favorites from the last 20 years including long time Global A Go-Go go-to artists like Systema Solar, Mexican Institute of Sound, Bomba Estéreo, Nortec Collective, Hip Hop Hoodios and Manu Chao, and including selections from the label's new two-volume, 4-album 20th anniversary set called The Story of Nacional Records.

 

Viva Nacional, viva WRIR!