Around the World - Preview
23 May 2025
You can listen to the show on Mixcloud
Music From: Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, Estonia, Finland, France, Ghana, Greece, India, Italy, Lebanon, Mali, Mexico, Portugal, Reunion, Romania, and Syria.
Music by: Ablaye Cissoko & Cyrille Brotto, Amamere, Ana Carla Maza, Anoushka Shankar, Bossa Nova Noites, Brigan, Cassie and Maggie, Duo Ruut, Estrellas de Buena Vista, Fanfare Ciocărlia & Adrian Raso, Hartwin, Kankou, Kazdoura, Nefeli Fasouli & Antonis Apergis, Omiri, Päivi Hirvonen, Pédro Kouyaté, René Lacaille, Rita Donte, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Salif Keïta, Songhoy Blues, and Trio Da Kali.
This week’s featured album - Barbora Xu - The Garden of Otava
Barbora Xu - White Stork Tower Rehearsal 2024
Barbora Xu is a musician known for her unique blend of folk influences, often incorporating traditional instruments and poetic storytelling into her work. Her latest album, The Garden of Otava, was released in May. The album features ten tracks, four of which I’ll be playing on this week’s show.
Barbora Xu's musical style is an unusual fusion of Finnish and Chinese traditions. She specializes in playing zithers, particularly the Chinese guzheng and Finnish kantele creating a music that is deeply rooted in ancient poetry and folk traditions, often reviving old songs and texts from both cultures.
Xu's compositions blend ethereal vocals with the shimmering resonance of stringed instruments, intertwining Finnish-Karelian Runic songs with traditional Chinese poetry. Her approach is both scholarly and intuitive, drawing on her research into Taiwanese indigenous music and Finnish folk traditions.
Critics have praised her ability to seamlessly bridge East and West, describing her music as "quietly daring and provocative" and "a work of luminous artistry". Her sound is often described as cosmopolitan yet deeply connected to nature, reflecting the ancient relationship between music and the environment.
More information at Barbora Xu’s website, Making Tracks, and FMQ
PÉDRO KOUYATÉ - Teaser "TISSU" - Album “Following”
Pédro Kouyaté is a Malian musician, singer, and composer known for blending traditional Mandingue music with jazz, blues, and electronic sounds. Born in Bamako, Mali, he started his musical journey with the Symmetric Orchestra led by Toumani Diabaté before his own way. His music is deeply rooted in storytelling, reflecting his heritage as a modern griot.
In 2006, Pédro moved to Paris and founded his own group, "Pédro Kouyaté & Band," featuring Vincent Bucher on harmonica, Renaud Ollivier on drums, and Florent Dupuit on saxophone.
Kouyaté has released several albums, including Following, Two You, and One, showcasing his unique fusion of African rhythms and Western influences. His song Aïna, dedicated to his daughter, gained recognition when it was released under Active Records in 2016. He has performed internationally, captivating audiences with his powerful voice and mastery of the ngoni, a traditional West African string instrument.
In 2016, a compilation, "AÏNA" was released, and in the same year, he opened for Youssou N'Dour at the Olympia, followed by a string of tours in Africa.
There’s more information on his website.
Ana Carla Maza Bahía
Ana Carla Maza is a Cuban cellist, singer, and composer known for her fusion of Latin jazz, classical, and world music influences. Born in Havana, Cuba, she grew up in a musical family—her father is Chilean pianist Carlos Maza, and her mother is Cuban guitarist Mirza Sierra.
Maza began playing the cello at the age of eight and made her stage debut in Havana when she was just ten years old. She later moved to Paris to study at the Conservatory, where she refined her classical technique while embracing jazz and Latin rhythms. Her music blends Cuban son, samba, bossa nova, tango, jazz, and chanson, which can be heard on her first two albums La Flor (2020) and Bahía (2022). Bahía was recorded acoustically in Barcelona. Caribe was the follow up with a Latin version of the song Bahía. A remix of Caribe (Caribe Delux) has just been released.
More information at World Music Central, and Ana Carla Maza’s website.
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is a new section in the newsletter pointing you to other programmes by colleagues on the World Music Chart Europe.
Globalsounds.info is an initiative of music journalist Jodok W. Kobelt . For years, he has filled his own ears, radio broadcasts, articles, and shelves with music from all over the world—as far as distribution networks extend, the internet works, or his travels take him.
All musical content belongs to the musicians and performers. The links to the sound vendors are affiliate links, meaning I receive a few cents as compensation for my intensive engagement with music that receives far too little attention on the radio (and other media).
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:
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
Websound Radio (Larne) 8:00 pm
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:
LIVE DRN1 Perth Western Australia - 9:00 p.m. local time (2:00 pm CET)
Waterwaves Radio: 9:00 pm GMT (22:00 CET)