Around the World - Preview
7 February 2025
This Week
You can listen to the show on Mixcloud.
Musicians from: Bosnia, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Congo, Corsica, Cote d'Ivoire, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, India, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Mali, Mexico, Northumbria, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tanzania, and Valencia.
Music by: ADG7, Al Andaluz Project & Iman Kandoussi, Chris Eckman, Damir Imamovic, Elsa Mouratidou, Fely Tchaco, Gerald Toto, Richard Bona & Lokua Kanza, Helsinki-Cotonou Ensemble, Ildikó Kali, Kasiva Mutua, Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening, L'Alba, Le Grande Utalii Band, Lenka Lichtenberg, Lina & Raül Refree, Mahala Raï Banda, Mandinga Beat & Victoria dos Santos, Meybahar, Minyo Crusaders, Natalia Lafourcade, Rosa Morena, Russa Samba, Tarannum Malik Jain, and Vs Tempet & Diger.
This week’s featured album Baarakelaw by Samba Touré .
Samba Touré - Wotoro Pousselaw (official video)
Another great artist is responsible for this week’s featured album. The Malian guitarist Samba Touré released Baarakelaw on January 24 on Glitterbeat records. Samba Toure has been playing and releasing music for close to 30 years. Baarakelaw is his 8th album.
Samba Touré is a very fine guitarist. He grew up in Diré, in the Tomboctou region of Mali. As a solo artist, he has released a new album every 2 or 3 years since 2009
Ali Farka Touré discovered the young singer while he played with Farafina Lolo, Samba’s initial group, which gained immense popularity in Mali. Impressed by Samba's talent, Ali Farka Touré gifted him a guitar, encouraging a shift towards more traditional music. This mentorship culminated in the production of Samba's debut album, "Fondo" (The Way), a 100% traditional Songhoy album. The single "Anbafo," a tribute to Malian women, achieved resounding success in West Africa. [*]
If you like American Blues, and wonder about its roots, listen here.
NDIKWETEELA - Kasiva Mutua
Kasiva Mutua is one of East Africa’s most celebrated female percussionists. Her debut single is Ndikweteela. Kasiva Mutua reveals herself as a vocalist, guitarist, and storyteller marking the beginning of a journey culminating in her debut album, Desturi, available worldwide on February 14, 2025.
Ndikweteela is a poignant exploration of love and loss, capturing the bittersweet pain of a long-distance relationship’s unravelling. The song reflects the heartbreak, insecurities, and irony of infidelity in separation. Written as a final farewell, Ndikweteela is both a tender apology and a resolute embrace of healing and renewed joy.
The accompanying music video, shot in the breathtaking landscape of Ol Donyo Nyokie, home to the Maasai people of Kenya, delivers a powerful visual narrative. In a moment rich with cultural symbolism, a Maasai man dances alongside Kasiva as she plays the drum—an instrument traditionally reserved for men in many African traditions. This striking scene celebrates Kasiva’s role in breaking gender barriers and honoring her position as a transformative force in East African music.
Grounded in Kamba lyrics, Ndikweteela blends a tapestry of African sounds. Drawing from the rhythmic influences of Maloya music from La Réunion, coastal Kenya’s Chakacha traditions, and Isukuti beats from Western Kenya, it showcases a captivating fusion of cultural heritage and modern innovation. The single’s artwork, featuring Kasiva in a black dress, symbolizes the mourning of lost love while embodying resilience and hope. [Press Release]
Natalia Lafourcade - Carnegie Hall
I’m not a big fan of live albums - there are some exceptions; Live and Dangerous by Thin Lizzy or anything by Rory Gallagher for example. Here is another exception to add to the list. Especially the track I’ll be playing - Muerte which features David Byrne.
The new Live At Carnegie Hall album was recorded at the Stern Auditorium on the Perelman Stage in the iconic New York City venue on Oct. 27, 2022. The album includes her hits like “Lo Que Construimos,” “Nunca Es Suficiente,” and “De Todas las Flores” with new arrangements. Though the live concert commemorates the release of Lafourcade’s Grammy-winning album De Todas Las Flores, it also includes hits from her past albums like Musas (2017) and Hasta La Raíz (2015).
She also includes new renditions of her popular covers like Pepe Infante’s “Cien Años” and Juan Gabriel’s “Ya No Vivo Por Vivir.” Lafourcade released Infante’s classic with Pepe Aguilar for her album Un Canto por México, Vol. 2 in 2021, and a solo version in Un Canto por México – El Musical (2021). As for the latter song, Lafourcade originally sang it with El Divo de Juárez as part of his Los Dúo album (2015). She also covered it with Sin Bandera’s Leonel García in 2020 for her Un Canto por México, Vol. 1 album. Now, she’s back with a new version featuring Drexler. [Remezcla]
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)