This week on Around the World
You can listen to Around the World on Mixcloud
The first hour - The second hour
Music this week from: Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Colombia, Czech Republic, France, Guinea, Italy, Kenya, Latvia, Lebanon, Mali, Mexico, Mozambique, Portugal, Senegal, Serbia, Sudan, Sweden, Syria, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Music this week by: Adriana Moreira, Airdan, Amira Kheir, Boc, Céu, Cheikh Lô, Dubioza Kolectiv, Eljuri, Guitari Baro, Kasiva Mutua, Kasse Mady Diabate & Hawa Kasse Mady Diabaté, Lina & Marco Mezquida, Lindisfarne, Lívia Mattos, Mandinga Beat, Marcos Jobim, Matěj Metoděj Štrunc, Molde, N’Faly Kouyaté, SANAM, Shipsea, Stefano Saletti, The Good Ones, and Woodlands & Bäckafall
This week’s Featured Album: Divanhana’s Radio Sevdah
Divanhana - Rijekama (Official Video)
From the heart of Sarajevo, Divanhana has spent the past 15 years reimagining Sevdah—Bosnia and Herzegovina’s deeply emotive musical tradition. Often likened to Portuguese fado or Cape Verdean morna, Sevdah (or Sevdahlinka) is a genre rooted in Ottoman-era urban folk, marked by themes of longing, lost love, and nostalgia. Its melodies are slow and ornamented, its lyrics poetic and introspective, evoking a timeless ache that transcends borders.
With their sixth studio album, Radio Sevdah, Divanhana pays homage to Radio Sarajevo, the cultural institution that shaped the soundscape of Sevdah from the 1940s to the 1980s. Conceived as a radio broadcast, the album weaves archival echoes with contemporary arrangements—complete with jingles, commentary, and musical interludes. It’s both a tribute and a reinvention.
New vocalist Selma Droce brings a fresh emotional palette, gliding between tenderness and fervor. Tracks like “Biglišu slavuji” and “Domovina” showcase her range, while “Sa Igmana pogledat je lijepo” merges archival recordings with rap and jazz-inflected harmonies. The album also ventures into new territory with “Palo kamlipe,” Divanhana’s first self-composed Romani song, dedicated to marginalized communities.
Guest artists such as Antonis Antoniou and Adam Ben Ezra add global textures, reinforcing Divanhana’s role as cultural bridge-builders. Radio Sevdah doesn’t just preserve tradition—it amplifies it, broadcasting stories of love, homeland, and resilience to a new generation.
Source: Code 7 Music - Divanhana
Brazil Calling: Some of the music this week is included in the blog Brazil Calling. You can find out more about Brazil Calling here:
Mãe Me Diz - Mandinga Beat feat Hélio Ramalho
Mandinga Beat is a Lisbon-based collective that fuses Afro-Brazilian rhythms with global grooves, drawing from candomblé, reggae, funk, and jazz. Mandinga Beat is rooted in spiritual and folk traditions, often collaborating with artists from Brazil, Cabo Verde, and West Africa.
“Mãe Me Diz” by Mandinga Beat featuring Hélio Ramalho blends Ijexá rhythms with afropop, reggae, and afro-rock textures to create a vibrant homage to maternal wisdom. Ramalho’s vocals, rooted in Cabo Verdean soul, carry a gentle urgency, while the groove pulses with warmth and reverence. It’s a cross-cultural dialogue—earthy, melodic, and emotionally resonant.
Adriana Moreira - MEU SAMBA / DEIXA EU DIZER Ao Vivo no CCSP
Adriana Moreira is a São Paulo-born samba singer and actress whose work bridges tradition and innovation. Rooted in the Camisa Verde e Branco samba school, she emerged from São Paulo’s vibrant roda de samba scene and later joined the Mutirão do Samba collective. Her voice carries the lineage of Batatinha and Adoniran Barbosa, blending lyrical subtlety with rhythmic depth. Albums like Cordão and Direito de Sambar showcase her work.
Amalemba (Live) at Ankole Grill, Kilimani, Nairobi , 4th Sep, 2024 - Kasiva Mutua
Kasiva Mutua’s debut album Desturi is a vibrant celebration of African heritage, rhythm, and resilience. Blending traditional Kenyan percussion with global influences, the 11-track release explores themes of womanhood, spirituality, and cultural continuity. Tracks like “Twende Mbele” and “Ndikweteela” pulse with energy, drawing from Chakacha, Isukuti, and Maloya rhythms to create a rich sonic tapestry. Mutua describes Desturi as a personal rite of passage—an invitation to reflect on tradition, embrace change, and move forward with purpose.
Sources: Music In Africa - earground.com
Where and when to hear Around the World
Friday:
Akaroa World Radio 2:00 pm local New Zealand Time (3:00 am GMT 4:00 am CET)
NAR-GROUP Germany – 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m (CET)
Mosel Radio – 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m (CET)
NAR-Alf – 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m (CET)
Waterwaves Radio: 9:00 pm GMT (22:00 CET)
Saturday:
Best City Radio (Belfast) 6:00 am
Power 101FM Malawi: 11:00 local time
Flirt FM (Galway’s Community of Interest & Student Station) 101.3 10:45 am - 12 45 pm
RCFM (Radio City FM) Duisburg, Germany 3:00 – 5:00 pm CET
U Radio - Sri Lanka 8:00pm - 10:00 pm local time
World FM 10:00 pm local New Zealand Time (11:00 am GMT, 12:00 noon CET)
Essential Radio Midnight to 2:00 am GMT (1:00 am CET)
Sunday:
West Coast FM Namibia 10:00 pm to 12:00 noon Central Africa Time (2:00 to 4:00 GMT)
Power 101FM Malawi: 12:00 local time
NFRS Osaka Japan: 12:00 noon local time (3:00 am UK time 4:00 am CET)
973FM in Singapore and 11:00 pm local time (3:00 pm/15:00 hours UTC – Universal Time).
Circl8 Chester: 12:00 noon
Best City Radio (Belfast) 3:00 pm
The Illuminate Network 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Websound Radio (Larne) 8:00 pm
DCRFM (Dover Community Radio 7:00pm
Slice Audio 10:00 pm local time (11:00 pm CET)
Monday:
Armagh City Radio 00:00 pm local time (01:00 pm CET)
SparkFlame Radio: 00:00 am GMT (01:00 CET)
Circl8 Chester: 12:00 noon
Stirling Community Radio 8:00 pm GMT (9:00 pm CET)
Waterwaves Radio: 9:00 pm GMT (22:00 CET)
BR2 Pure Gold Radio – Costa Blanca, Spain 10:00 pm local time (CET)
Akaroa World Radio 10:00 pm local New Zealand Time (11:00 am GMT, 12:00 noon CET)
World FM 10:00 pm local New Zealand Time (11:00 am GMT, 12:00 noon CET)
Tuesday:
Shire Extra: 8:00 pm GMT (21:00 CET)
Waterwaves Radio: 9:00 pm GMT (22:00 CET)
Wednesday:
World FM 4:00 am local New Zealand Time (5:00 pm Tuesday GMT, 6:00 pm CET)
Slice Audio 4:00 am local time GMT (5:00 am CET)
Life Right Radio (London) 7:00 pm
Best City Radio (Belfast) 10:00 pm
Radio Skye (Radio Garden) 10:00 pm GMT (11:00 pm CET)
Thursday:
Waterwaves Radio: 9:00 pm GMT (22:00 CET)