Around the World - Show Notes
16 July 2026
This week on Around the World
You can listen to Around the World on Mixcloud
The first hour —— The second hour
Music by: Ado 阿洛, Airto Moreira & Ricardo Bacelar, Alison Cotton, Anoushka Shankar, Chanela Clicka, Razz, Chaboli & Joaquin Coronel, Consuelo Alfieri, Hajda Banda, Ichiko Aoba, King Stingray, L’Alba, Minyo Crusaders, Nana Osei Twum Barima, Nina Simone, Okra Playground, Orchestra Baobab, Os Pecados Tropicais, Sekvoya, Seu Jorge & Wilson das Neves, Shogetsu Watanabe, Slavyk, Tamikrest, Vilma Jää, Winyo & Fancy Fingers, and Yarol Poupaud & Dhoad Gypsies of Rajasthan.
This Week’s Featured Album: La Vida Era Más Corta by Milo J
Milo J: Tiny Desk Concert
The featured album on this week’s Around the World was released last September but I have only caught up with it now because of a phenomenal performance on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert (above) and a passing mention in a music magazine last week.
The performance – and the album – is from a young Argentinean who takes Argentine folklore and the rap music of Buenos Aires to produce The performance – and the album – is from a young Argentinean who takes Argentine folklore and the rap music of Buenos Aires to produce an extraordinary songs.
And when I say “young” I mean “teenage”. Milo J was born in October 2006 in Morón, Buenos Aires, Argentina. That makes him 19. He recorded La Vida Era Más Corta last year when he was 18 … A rising star indeed.
Milo J has become one of Argentina’s most intriguing young artists, a musician who treats the country’s folk heritage not as a museum piece but as a living vocabulary. His new album, La Vida Era Más Corta, released in 2025, is a work that blends folklore, urban music, and regional memory into a single, narrative.
Milo J y Agarrate Catalina en Cosquín 2026 | “Luciérnagas”
Milo J first emerged from the Buenos Aires suburbs with releases that sat loosely within the city’s trap and urban scene. Even then, he showed a tendency to bend genre lines, weaving acoustic textures and regional rhythms into digital production. Projects like 166 and 18 (En Vivo Estadio de Morón) established him as a restless experimenter, someone willing to treat tradition as raw material.
La Vida Era Más Corta pushes that instinct further. Conceived during collaborative sessions in Buenos Aires studios, the album was shaped by a tight-knit creative team. Tatool (Santiago Ruiz) served as artistic director, while multi‑instrumentalist Santiago Alvarado contributed piano, charango, electric guitar, and synthesizers, helping define the album’s hybrid sound.
The list of collaborators underscores the project’s ambition. Cuti and Roberto Carabajal anchor its folkloric lineage; archival audio from Mercedes Sosa lends a sense of blessing; Silvio Rodríguez adds quiet gravitas; Soledad Pastorutti brings contemporary folk‑pop warmth. Trueno, Paula Prieto, AKRIILA, Radamel, and the Uruguayan murga ensemble Agarrate Catalina expand the album’s pan‑Latin American scope.
With La Vida Era Más Corta, Milo J delivers a work of striking maturity: a reminder that tradition, when approached with imagination, can become a powerful engine for reinvention.
Sources: Wikipedia - Billboard - Highxtar
More information about music on this weeks show after this plug …
Where and when to hear Around the World
Friday:
Akaroa World Radio New Zealand - 2:00 pm local time
NAR-GROUP Germany – 2:00 pm local time
Mosel Radio Germany – 2:00 pm local time
NAR-Alf Germany – 2:00 pm local time
Waterwaves Radio England - 9:00 pm local time
Essential Radio Scotland - 10:00 - midnight
Saturday:
Best City Radio Belfast, Northern Ireland - 6:00 am local time
Power 101FM Malawi - 11:00 local time
Flirt FM (Galway’s Community of Interest & Student Station) 101.3 - 10:45 am local time Ireland
Stirling Community Radio - 2:00 pm local time Scotland
RCFM (Radio City FM) Duisburg, Germany - 3:00 local time
World FM New Zealand - 10:00 pm local New Zealand Time
Sunday:
Power 101FM Malawi - 12:00 local time
NFRS Osaka Japan - 12:00 noon local time
973FM in Singapore - 11:00 pm local time
Circl8 Chester England - 12:00 noon local time
DCRFM (Dover Community Radio England - 7:00pm local time
Prodigal Sun Radio - 8:00 pm local time
Slice Audio Northern Ireland - 10:00 pm local time
Holywood Radio - Northern Ireland - Various times
Monday:
Armagh City Radio - 12:00 midnight local time (01:00 pm CET)
SparkFlame Radio - 00:00 am GMT (01:00 CET)
Circl8 Chester England - 12:00 noon local time
Stirling Community Radio Scotland - 10:00 pm local time
Waterwaves Radio England - 9:00 pm local time
BR2 Pure Gold Radio – Costa Blanca, Spain - 10:00 pm local time
World FM New Zealand - 10:00 am local time
Akaroa World Radio New Zealand - 10:00 pm local time
Tuesday:
Waterwaves Radio England - 9:00 pm local time
Wednesday:
World FM New Zealand - 4:00 am local time
Slice Audio Northern Ireland - 4:00 am local time
Pender Radio Pender Island BC, Canada - 3:00 Pacific Time
Best City Radio Northern Ireland - 10:00 pm local time
Radio Skye Scotland - 10:00 pm local time
Thursday:
Waterwaves Radio England - 9:00 pm local time
Vilma Jää – “Lemmennostajaämmä” (from Loitsui ja taikoi)
Vilma Jää is a Finnish folk vocalist and jouhikko player known for reworking ancient runo‑song traditions into modern forms.
She is also a member of the acclaimed electro‑folk group Okra Playground, winners of Finland’s Etno‑Emma award.
Hajda Banda – “Wołkowycki” (from Niepraudzivaya)
Hajda Banda is a Belarusian‑Polish collective rooted in village dance traditions from the Polesia region.
The album title Niepraudzivaya (“Untrue”) plays on themes of folklore, rumour and oral storytelling.
Seu Jorge & Wilson das Neves – “Que Beleza de Nêga” (from Senzala e Favela)
Seu Jorge is one of Brazil’s most recognisable voices, blending samba, MPB and soul; Wilson das Neves was a legendary samba drummer and composer.
Wilson das Neves, who died in 2017, was a cornerstone of Brazil’s samba scene, having played with Chico Buarque, Elza Soares and João Donato.
Winyo & Fancy Fingers – “Maria” (from Jawaya Jathum)
Winyo is a Kenyan singer-songwriter celebrated for his acoustic Luo folk style; Fancy Fingers is the guitarist/producer from Sauti Sol.
Fancy Fingers’ solo and collaborative work often foregrounds guitar-led arrangements, giving “Maria” its bright, melodic backbone.
Anoushka Shankar – “Dancing on Scorched Earth” (from Chapter III: We Return to Light, feat. Alam Khan & Sarathy Korwar)
Anoushka Shankar’s Chapter III project continues her long-running exploration of contemporary classical, Indian classical and global experimental music.
The track features Alam Khan, son of Ali Akbar Khan, on sarod, and Sarathy Korwar, a key figure in South Asian jazz/electronic fusion.
Slavyk – “Biją się powstańcy” (from 11 Songs of Love & Suffering)
Slavyk is a Polish folk project drawing on archival songs, wartime laments and rural vocal traditions.
“Biją się powstańcy” (“The insurgents are fighting”) references 19th‑ and early 20th‑century uprisings, echoing Poland’s insurgent song repertoire.
Nina Simone – “Sinnerman” (from Feeling Good: The Very Best of Nina Simone)
“Sinnerman” is one of Simone’s most iconic recordings, originally rooted in an African‑American spiritual she learned in childhood.
The 10‑minute version recorded in 1965 showcases her trademark blend of jazz, gospel, classical technique and political urgency.
Chanela Clicka, Razz, Chaboli & Joaquín Coronel – “Lo Bailao” (from Puro Chanela)
There is a new wave of Flemenco and one of the pioneers is Chanela Clicka . They are an ambitious, transatlantic musical collective that bridges the gap between Spain and Mexico, fusing traditional flamenco with regional Mexican music .
There are two central members X1 and X2 and they hide their identity. In an interview for Rolling Stone en Espanol said “We didn’t want to personalize the collective. In the end, we’re many people, even though the two of us are leading it as producers. The individual isn’t that important.” Indeed there are about 15 musicians from Mexico and another 15 from Spain involved.
Shogetsu Watanabe – “Sadokesa” (from Japanese Folk Music)
Shogetsu Watanabe was a key performer and collector of regional min’yō, Japan’s traditional work and festival songs.
“Sadokesa” originates from Sado Island, known for distinctive folk styles shaped by maritime culture and gold‑mine labour history.
Minyo Crusaders – “Iyo Manzai” (from From Japan With Love)
Minyo Crusaders are a Tokyo collective reimagining traditional min’yō through Afro‑Latin, Caribbean and Ethiopian musical frameworks.
“Iyo Manzai” is based on a celebratory folk song from Ehime Prefecture, historically performed during New Year festivities.
Ichiko Aoba – “Sayonara Penguin” (from Sayonara Penguin – Single)
Ichiko Aoba is a Japanese singer‑songwriter known for her minimalist, nylon‑string guitar work and dream‑folk aesthetic.
Aoba has become a cult figure internationally, with her album Windswept Adan earning widespread critical acclaim.
Orchestra Baobab – “Togne Bakhoul” (from Togne Bakhoul – Single)
Orchestra Baobab are one of Senegal’s most influential bands, formed in 1970 and known for blending Afro‑Cuban rhythms with Wolof and Mandinka traditions.
Their sound is rooted in Dakar’s nightclub era, where Cuban son and Senegalese griot music intertwined.
Okra Playground – “Valheiden vanki” (from Valheiden vanki – Single)
Okra Playground are a Finnish electro‑folk group combining traditional instruments (kantele, jouhikko) with modern pop and electronic elements.
The band won Finland’s Etno‑Emma award for their album Ääneni yli vesien, marking them as leaders in contemporary Nordic folk fusion.
Yarol Poupaud & Dhoad Gypsies of Rajasthan – “Lagi Re Lagi” (from Lagi Re Lagi – Single)
Yarol Poupaud is a French guitarist known for rock, funk and blues projects; Dhoad Gypsies are a celebrated Rajasthani touring ensemble.
Dhoad Gypsies have performed globally as cultural ambassadors of Rajasthan’s folk heritage.
King Stingray - Milkumana - single
King Stingray created a new, nationally recognised genre: Yolŋu surf‑rock which is a blend of ancient Yolŋu manikay (songlines) with indie, surf and pop‑rock, sung in both English and Yolŋu Matha.
The founding members grew up together in Yirrkala, Northeast Arnhem Land, with direct family connections to iconic Indigenous bands (Yothu Yindi, Warumpi Band).
Their songs often carry themes of knowledge‑sharing, home, Country, nature, and optimism, reflecting lived experience and cultural responsibility.
Os Pecados Tropicais – “Cachaça” (from Cachaça – Single)
Os Pecados Tropicais are a Brazilian project blending vintage samba, forró and tropicalist aesthetics with modern production.
Their work often celebrates everyday Brazilian culture; “Cachaça” centres on the iconic sugarcane spirit and its social symbolism. They draw inspiration from 1970s MPB and regional dance styles, giving their singles a warm, retro‑tropical feel.
Consuelo Alfieri – “La festa delle feste” (from La festa delle feste – Single)
Consuelo Alfieri is an Italian singer-songwriter whose work mixes folk-pop with theatrical, narrative songwriting.
Ado 阿洛 – “Water Come Back” (from Women’s Island)
Ado (阿洛) is an Indigenous Taiwanese singer from the Amis community, known for blending tribal vocal styles with modern folk-pop. Ado’s vocal style incorporates traditional ornamentation and call‑and‑response patterns rooted in Amis ceremonial music.
“Water Come Back” reflects environmental concerns central to many Amis songs, often tied to rivers, tides and ancestral lands.
L’Alba - Un chjarasgiu (Live) – (from Vivu)
L’Alba emerged in the early 2010s as a collective of singers and multi‑instrumentalists committed to renewing Corsican polyphony.
Rather than focusing solely on paghjella (the island’s canonical vocal form), they broadened the palette with strings, winds and percussion drawn from across the Mediterranean.
Nana Osei Twum Barima – “Message to My Ancestors” (feat. Nicolas Mortelmans) (from Journey to the Unknown)
Nana Osei Twum Barima is a Ghanaian musician drawing on Akan spiritual traditions and contemporary global fusion.
Belgian multi‑instrumentalist Nicolas Mortelmans contributes kora, ngoni and percussion, adding West African and Sahelian colours.
Alison Cotton – “Sprigs of Heather” (from The Gods Laugh)
Alison Cotton is a British viola player and composer known for drone‑folk, psych‑folk and medieval‑inspired soundscapes.
Cotton has become a key figure in the UK’s experimental folk scene, with releases on labels like Rocket Recordings.
Tamikrest – “Adagh Oyantid” (from Assikel)
Tamikrest are a Tuareg desert-blues band from northern Mali, blending traditional Tamasheq music with rock and blues influences.
“Adagh Oyantid” reflects their trademark guitar-driven desert sound, shaped by nomadic rhythms and political storytelling.
Sekvoya - Devils Town (from The Magic of Slavic Rituals)
Sekvoya are a contemporary Slavic‑folk fusion project working at the intersection of ritual music, dark‑folk atmospheres and modern production.
Their work draws heavily on pre‑Christian symbolism, village ceremony and regional myth, but presents it with cinematic weight.
Airto Moreira & Ricardo Bacelar – “Voo da Tarde” (feat. Flora Purim) (from Maracanós)
Airto Moreira is one of Brazil’s most influential percussionists, known for his work with Miles Davis, Weather Report and Return to Forever.
Ricardo Bacelar is a Brazilian pianist and producer whose work spans jazz, MPB and Latin fusion.