Around the World - Preview
21 February 2025
This Week
You can listen to the show on Mixcloud.
Musicians from: Australia, Bosnia, Brazil, Congo, Denmark, Finland, Ghana, Greece, Italy, Japan, Madagascar, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Senegal, Spain and Ukraine.
Music by: Aïta Mon Amour, Almasäla, Amira Medunjanin, Bab L' Bluz, Bob Dylan, Daughters of Donbas, Dora Morelenbaum, Frigg, Ichiko Aoba, Loko Gasy, Ludovico Einaudi, Mandinga Beat & Victoria dos Santos, Moana & The Tribe, Natalia Lafourcade, Päivi Hirvonen, Piers Faccini & Ballaké Sissoko, SAHAD, Santrofi, Songhoy Blues, Sylfide, The Mary Wallopers, and The Yabu Band.
This week’s Featured Album: Ekoya by Jupiter & Okwess
JUPITER & OKWESS - The world is my land (Live @festival Africolor)
The featured album this week has been Ekoya by that Jupiter & Okwess – Jupiter Bokondji Is the singer Okwess the band. They’ve been playing since 1990, but it wasn't until 2006 that they gained attention beyond Democratic Republic of the Congo. Jupiter was birn in Kinshasa – before moving to Berlin and then back home to found the band.
In more recent times they have played WOMAD and Glastonbury and collaborated with Damon Albarn (Gorillaz, Blur), Warren Ellis (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds), and Robert Del Naja (Massive Attack) and New Orleans' internationally known Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
Ekoya was released at the end of January.
This biography by by Timothy Monger is from All Music
Backed by his longtime band Okwess, Jupiter Bokondji creates a vibrant Afro-pop amalgam that encompasses styles like Congolese rhumba, kwassa kwassa, and cavacha, as well as Western guitar-driven rock and funk music. Although the group has been active since 1990, it wasn't until 2006 that Jupiter & Okwess gained international recognition thanks to the French-made documentary Jupiter's Dance. In the decade that followed, they released two acclaimed albums, 2013's Hotel Univers and 2017's Kin Sonic, the latter of which included contributions from members of Gorillaz, the Bad Seeds, and Massive Attack. A third album, No Kozonga, appeared in 2021 and continued to expand the group's globally inclusive sound.
Born in the Congolese capital of Kinshasa, Bokondji spent much of his childhood living in Berlin, where he was exposed to American soul and funk acts like James Brown and Kool & the Gang. After returning to Congo in his late teens, he immersed himself in the rhythms and traditions of his native country, writing his first songs and (against his family's wishes) pursuing a career in music. By the late '80s, a revolving band had coalesced around him that combined his Western influences with regional rhumba, madiaba, and soukous rhythms. Coinciding with Okwess International's rise to popularity was the First Congo War in the late '90s. Bokondji and his collaborators endured the hardships and trauma of civil war and performed when and where they could. Inspired by his story, French filmmakers Renaud Barrett and Florent de la Tullaye based their 2006 documentary, Jupiter's Dance, on Bokondji's music, introducing Okwess to a global audience for the first time. In 2012 he was invited to take part in the African Express train tour, which featured collaborations between African and U.K. artists. Additional projects and appearances at major festivals like WOMAD and Glastonbury further bolstered the band's international recognition and in 2013, they released their first album, Hotel Univers. A showcase of their experimental Afro-pop stew, the album's release helped focus Jupiter & Okwess' touring schedule, which by then included trips to North America, Europe, and Asia. A second album, 2017's Kin Sonic, doubled down on their crossover fusion and featured inspired collaborations with Damon Albarn (Gorillaz, Blur), Warren Ellis (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds), and Robert Del Naja (Massive Attack). Heading into the next decade, Jupiter & Okwess continued their musical journey with the intimate 2021 EP Rendez-vous a Paris, a collaboration with fellow Congolese musician Ray Lema, and the full-length No Kozonga, which saw them working with, among others, New Orleans' acclaimed Preservation Hall Jazz Band and French rock musician Yarol Poupaud.
At the beginning of their career, with, as yet, no record deal or publishing, no management or agents, Loko Gasy from Madagascar sent me a handful of recording and biog (below) in the hope of gathering some interest.
Frankly, I was blown away by their energy and talent - and in particular this song.
LOKO GASY - MAMPAMANGY 2
You can hear more of their music here on Soundcloud. And there’s more on:
BIOGRAPHIE LOKO GASY
The group LOKO GASY, founded in 2023 in the city of Antananarivo in Madagascar. It is one of the bands that play the traditional Malagasy rhythm called “ANTSABEKO”, a musical style of a whole new genre that was researched and created by the group LOKO GASY, it is a musical rhythm based both on the ANTSA, a traditional musical rhythm from the North of Madagascar and on the BEKO, a rhythm which comes from the South of Madagascar. The ANTSABEKO is therefore the combination of the traditional rhythm ANTSA and BEKO.
The four young Malagasy musicians decided to create the group LOKO GASY:
- The only woman in the group, Safidinirina Saholiarisoa is the lead vocalist was born in the commune of Vatomitsangana Miarinavaratra and is 29 years old, . Today she lives in Antananarivo, She has worked with many Malagasy artists before deciding to form LOKO GASY.
- Tafia Malasan Rakotoarisoa is the youngest member of LOKO GASY. He was born in 2003 in Befelatanana and lives in the capital of Madagascar. Formerly working with many artists in Madagascar making traditional music and variety music, he agreed to form the group LOKO GASY playing the role of guitarist, violinist and flutist. He also plays the marovany, a suitcase shaped, wooden, type of box zither from Madagascar.
- Sitrakiniaina Tantely Lalaina Ramiarisoa was born in 1997 in Namakia Majunga, but had to live in Tananarive because of his work. He is the bassist and head of communication for the LOKO GASY group. He has worked in the world of music and has worked with many artists also making traditional music and variety music. He represented Madagascar abroad at the MASA Côte d'Ivoire Festival 2024.
- RANARIJAONA Nomenjanahary Jeany Michael Ranarijaona is from Antohamadinika, Antananarivo. He is now 27 years old and also lives in Tananarive. He is the drummer of the group LOKO GASY and represented Madagascar at the MASA Festival of Côte d'Ivoire 2024.
The goal of the group LOKO GASY is that the culture of the island of Madagascar is unique and explorable.
That is why we decided to search, find and create a new rhythm for the future generation and to bring foreign countries to be interested in the culture of the red island.
LOKO GASY talks about love, solidarity, mutual aid, and the lives of people in need in the countryside, because, according to them, this brings together all people from all countries of the world.
Moana & The Tribe - Huakirangi (feat. Shellie Morris)
ONO - a former featured album on the show - remains one of my favourites of the year.
‘Huakirangi’ is inspired by karakia composed by legendary Polynesian hero Maui to capture and slow down the sun. Both Moana Maniapoto and Shellie Morris explore the relationship between the Sun and Moon through Māori and Yanyuwa languages and stories. [YouTube.]
New Zealand singer-songwriter and documentary maker Moana Maree Maniapoto has long been an advocate for the promotion and preservation of Māori culture, performing for the world as Moana & The Tribe, blending traditional haka with contemporary music. [Songlines]
Poignant, knowledgeable and full of humour, Shellie Morris’ illustrious career has balanced being one of Australia’s most celebrated singer-songwriters with her unwavering commitment to to healing through music within communities. [Shellie Morris]
Where and when to hear Around the World
Thursday:
LIVE DRN1 Perth Western Australia - 9:00 p.m. local time (2:00 pm CET)
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)
Saturday:
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
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)
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
Websound Radio (Larne) 8:00 pm
Slice Audio 10:00 pm local time (11:00 pm CET)
Armagh City Radio 10:00 pm local time (11:00 pm CET)
Monday:
SparkFlame Radio: 00:00 am GMT (01:00 CET)
Circl8 Chester: 12:00 noon
Waterwaves Radio: 8:00 pm GMT (21:00 CET)
KNC Radio St Lucia 6:00 am local time (10:00 am GMT 11:00 am 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)
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
Stirling Community Radio 8:00 pm GMT (9:00 pm CET)
Best City Radio (Belfast) 10:00 pm
Radio Skye (Radio Garden) 10:00 pm GMT (11:00 pm CET)