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This Week:
Musicians From: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Canada, Cape Verde, Finland, Ghana, Georgia, Greece, India, Kosovo, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Türkiye, USA, and Wales.
Music By: Aïta Mon Amour, Amira Medunjanin, Anoushka Shankar, Charles Maimarosia, Cynefin, Elana Sasson & Matthieu Saglio, Ensemble Marani, EZRA, Fanfare Ciocărlia & Adrian Raso, Hajda Banda, I'm With Her, KANKOU, La Fazani, LINA_ & Jules Maxwell, Mario Lucio, Mehmet Polat, Mostar Sevdah Reunion, Natalia Lafourcade, Nefeli Fasouli & Antonis Apergis, Omiri, Red Baraat, Salin, and Vimma
This week’s Featured Album: Man Shall Be Free - Amamere
Amamere - Man Shall be Free
Ghanian band Amamere is an emerging, energetic music project that fuses the traditional guitar highlife sounds of Ghana with a modern Afro-funk. Formed in 2022 in Cape Coast, Ghana, the band is led by drummer and composer Rim Akandoh Jnr., who has built his musical identity on a rich heritage rooted in Ghana’s celebrated highlife tradition – particularly reminiscent of the guitar band style that was popular in the 1960s and 70s.
Their debut album, Man Shall Be Free is not just a collection of new songs; it reimagines and remixes tracks from Rim Akandoh Jnr.’s father’s band (the Prince Sparrows Band) alongside pieces drawn from the Osoode medley tradition of Western Ghana, as well as his own original compositions
In addition to Rim’s leadership on the drums and vocals, the album features a lineup of accomplished musicians: John Hakeem on lead vocals, Eric Aseidu Agyekum on lead guitar, Michael Awuni on keyboards, and others contributing with bass, percussion, trumpet, and saxophone. The album, released on April 1, 2025, is available in multiple formats. You can get it on Bandcamp (digital, CD, and vinyl).
Beyond the music itself, Man Shall Be Free is a celebration of a storied musical heritage. It not only revives the spirit of Ghana’s highlife legacy—honouring influences from legendary artists such as Ebo Taylor and Pat Thomas—but also infuses a contemporary energy that aims to unite audiences across the globe. The album represents an innovative dialogue between past and present, where traditional wisdom meets modern creative expression. If you’re intrigued by engaging musical narratives that carry both a rich history and a bold, fresh vibe, Amamere’s work is a captivating exploration into Ghana’s dynamic musical landscape.
Sources: Amamere Band Website, Bandcamp, YouTube
Charles Maimarosia - Hote' Hote'
Charles Maimarosia is a unique and extraordinary singer and musician from the remote Pipisu village of Malaita in the Solomon Islands. He is celebrated for being a custodian of traditional custom knowledge, seamlessly blending ancient musical heritage with contemporary styles. From an early age, Charles was immersed in the rich culture of his people—he inherited his first handmade coconut shell ukulele from his father and later incorporated traditional pan pipes into his performances, channels through which he passes on ancestral songs and oral traditions.
Charles’s journey from his roots as the former lead singer, choreographer, and songwriter of the globally successful Narasirato bamboo band to his current solo career based in Melbourne highlights his evolution as an artist. Now, with his forthcoming full-length album Hote’ Hote’ set for release in 2025, he continues to explore and innovate by fusing traditional elements with modern sounds, capturing both the spirit of his ancestral past and the dynamic pulse of contemporary music.
The song features Natty Dolaiasi from the Adegege tribe in Lau, Malaita in the Solomon Island. He is one of the most powerful voices of traditional Solomons culture. Natty has for a long time been “a voice on the wilderness” expressing the tribal songs and culture. He brings to life the ancient chants of the tribal ancestors, advocating for stories, songs, poems, rhymes and drum beats to be remembered and celebrated.
Natty has represented the Solomon Islands internationally for decades starting in 1995 with the Siva Pacifica project. Highlights of his career have included Pacific Arts Festival 2016 Guam, Melanesian Arts Festival 2018, Qandamooka Festival 2018, Island Vibe Festival 2019, Wantok Sing Sing at Womad 2024, Cresfest 2025 as well as the huge achievement of being Cultural Director of the Pacific Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies 2023 and release of his first album, Sifoa in May 2025, via Wantok Musik. He has been regularly touring Australia and internationally since 2018.
Sources: Charles Maimarosia Website, Small Island Big Song, Wantok Music.
Salin - Rammana
Salin is an innovative drummer whose journey has taken her from the rhythms of Thai metal in Bangkok to a more expansive soundscape blending Afrobeat, funk, and indigenous Thai instruments. Now based in Montreal, she has evolved her style into something uniquely personal—a sonic exploration that transcends borders and genres.
Her new album, Rammana (released on March 28, 2025), encapsulates this transformation. The album draws on her beginnings as a rock and metal drummer, reworking that intensity into grooves that fuse the warmth of Afrobeat with a rhythmic complexity rooted in her Thai heritage. Salin’s music is characterized by a warm, expressive drumming style, and she is noted for her ability to make her kit “an extension of her body” through creative arrangements and dynamic touch.
Rammana is a traditional folk song of the Urak Lawoi, a Thai indigenous sea nomads that live on the coast of South Thailand. The Urak Lawoi would sing "Rammana" at the beginning of Plajak Ceremony, a floating boat ceremony which takes place twice a year at the beginning and at the end of rain season. The song invites the different spirits of the island to come celebrate together with the locals. Similarly, this song is a celebration of east and west, inviting you, regardless of who you are, the listeners, to join the party and say ‘ma-chai-yo!’ (มาไชโย), which translates to ‘cheers!’ in the local language.
Sources: YouTube, CBC.ca, Salin Music.
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Where and when to hear Around the World
Thursday:
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Friday:
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Saturday:
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Sunday:
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Monday:
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Tuesday:
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Wednesday:
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Thursday:
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