Around the World Preview – 23 & 25 January 2022

Pass the tissues - I think I'm going to sneeze again

Jan 20, 2022

A much shorter than usual newsletter because even in these days of mask wearing and abundant handwashing, I appear to have picked up a heavy head cold. Please excuse the brevity.

See last week’s running order is here (16 & 18 January 2022). You can listen to Part 1 and Part 2 of last week’s show and all previous shows on Mixcloud here

Around the World is on Slice Audio, Ferry FM, and Radio Larne on Sundays at 10:00 pm to midnight. On Tuesdays at 7:00 pm the show is broadcast on Bangor FM, Lisburn’s 98FM and FM105 Down Community Radio.

This week’s featured album: Some wonderful African pop music - not as heavy as afro-beat and a lot of R & B and soul – in the new album from Nomfusi’s The Red Stoep. Once a month a package of around 20 CDs arrives in the post – albums to be considered for the World Music Chart Europe

And they always cover a very wide range of music from traditional Swedish fiddle music to South American electronica. And there is always at least one to make me stop in my tracks. And that is one of those albums. Released in November I think but only just arriving with me last week.

South Africa’s Nomfusi is from the Eastern Cape. Of course, if you live there or have visited you’ll know, South Africa is a massive place – it’s the only place I’ve ever been where I saw a road sign pointing in the direction of a city more than 1000 miles away.

And being so large, it encompasses a very wide range of music. And thins album The read Stoep captures many different styles of South African music. Four tracks from the album this week.

https://www.musicinafrica.net/magazine/sa-nomfusi-drops-red-stoep-album

Some other highlights: There is a lot of great music that comes from Bamako in Mali – and I’ll be playing music from several artists from there – for example Baba Sissoko who is working with the kora player Mamadou Sidiki Diabaté from Bamako and Lansine Kouyate also from Mali (but I don’t know whether he’s from Bamako) and French Producer Jean-Philippe Rykiel (who’s not!)

They’re together on Griot Jazz, a very accessible album straight in at Number 3 this month in the world music chart Europe. All the songs in the 3:00 to 3:30 mark – so if you are new to that music a very easy way in.

Rokia Koné is from Bamako in Mali, she’s a member of the African feminist supergroup Les Amazones d’Afrique and is also a solo artist. Bamanan is her new album. [Pan African Music website]

You can find a fair amount of older archive material from Rokia Koné on streaming services – but I get the impression this is her first – maybe second “official” album. It’s produced by LA based Dubliner Jackknife Lee [Irish Times] who has worked with REM, Snow Patrol, U2 Two Door Cinema Club and Taylor Swift.

Some other music you will hear on the show:

Liraz is from Israel, she sings in Persian and for her album Zan teamed up with musicians from Iran – many of whom remained anonymous. Bia Bia from Zan, Liraz’s second release in 2020. And at the end of Last Year she won Best Artist award in the Songlines Awards.

Alessia Tondo’s Sita still my favourite current album.

“Dudu Tassa has been championed by rock band Radiohead, who chose Dudu Tassa and the Kuwaitis as support for its 2017 USA tour. Prior to that, Radiohead recommended track “Dalina” from the album “Dudu Tassa and the Kuwaitis” on its website and its guitarist Jonny Greenwood guested on Tassa’s widely-aired single "What A Day" from album "At The End You Get Used To Everything".”

From the Kuwaitis website

This month’s nominations for the World Music Chart Europe: Mid-month every month I make my nominations for the WMCE. Here’s my nominations for January. Also an indication of what you’ll hear on the show in coming weeks.

Album Artist Label Country

Sita - Alessia Tondo - Ipe Ipe Music - Italy

Grifone - Maria Mazzotta & Pulcinella - Compaagnie Pulcinella - Italy/France

Nomfusi - The Red Stoep - Delicious Tunes - South Africa

Immortal Tradition - Ritva Nero - Bafe's Factory - Finland

Folk utca - Romengo & Lakatos - music hungary zeneműkiadó - Hungary

Franck Biyong - The Afrovision Secret - Akhetaton Records - Cameroon

Molo Sayat - Hadaeq - Zephyrus - Belgium

Changys Baglaash - Khöömei Beat - ARC Music - Russia Tuva

Curtain of the Moon - Moonshye - Rustical Records - Czechia

Hoven Droven - Trad - Heilo - Sweden

Let me know your suggestions for the show. [Send a message via my website]