Around the World - Show Notes
15 May 2026
What’s on this week
LISTEN TO AROUND THE WORLD ON MIXCLOUD
MUSIC BY: Akkajee, AySay, BALU, BashElán, Bei Bei, Clara Serra Lopez, Hersi Matmuja & Jacopo Conoci, Imarhan, Kareyce Fotso, Kuljit Bhamra & Sonia Panesar, Las Áñez & Sofia Rei, Le Diable à Cinq, Lëk Sèn, Los Teen Tops, Mireya Ramos & Sofia Rei, Neba Solo & Benogo Diakite, Neha!, Saigon Soul Revival, Shubiao Quartet, Sofia Rei, Stelios Petrakis, Suistamon Sähkö, Sulaf, The Klezmatics, The Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band, Tinariwen, and Veera Kuisma
THIS WEEK’S FEATURED ALBUM: Antónima by Sofia Rei
Sofía Rei, an Argentine vocalist and composer born and raised in Buenos Aires, has long worked at the intersection of South American folk traditions and New York’s experimental music circles. After moving to the United States in the early 2000s, she became part of the city’s cross‑genre community, collaborating with figures linked to the downtown avant‑garde and appearing in projects that draw on jazz, contemporary composition and Latin American roots. NPR has highlighted the clarity and control of her voice in her Tiny Desk performances, which helped broaden her audience beyond specialist circles.
Sofía Rei & Las Áñez “Antónima”
Her new album, Antónima, released in April 2026 on GroundUp Music, continues her interest in reworking traditional forms rather than presenting them as fixed or archival. The label describes the project as an exploration of “Folk and Futurism,” a phrase Rei has used to frame her approach to inherited musical material. The record brings together a group of collaborators from across the Americas, including Gaby Moreno, Daymé Arocena, Mireya Ramos, Xenia Rubinos and the Colombian duo Las Áñez. Their contributions are woven into arrangements that favour close vocal interplay and a restrained use of electronics.
The album’s tone is measured rather than dramatic. Acoustic textures sit alongside subtle rhythmic and harmonic shifts, and the emphasis remains on voices in conversation. Antónima feels less like a departure and more like a continuation of Rei’s long‑running project: examining the musical languages she grew up with and placing them in dialogue with the contemporary scenes she now inhabits.
OTHER MUSIC AND MUSICINS ON THIS WEEK’S SHOW
Kuljit Bhamra & Sonia Panesar — Desi: The Soul of Punjab
The album marks Kuljit Bhamra’s first Punjabi album in around 25 years, returning deliberately to his acoustic Punjabi roots. Sonia Panesar performs “Mainu Nach Lehn De”, a key track on the album, continuing her long-standing collaboration with Bhamra, who is also her uncle. DESIblitz
AySay — Mal
The album blends Anatolian folk, Kurdish musical heritage, and Nordic pop, reflecting the multicultural background of lead singer Luna Ersahin. Sung in Turkish, Kurdish, and Danish, the record explores themes of home, identity, womanhood, and the tension between hope and hopelessness. v2benelux.com - frontview-magazine.be
BALU — Borumba
Released in late March 2026, Borumba is a Congolese rumba album honouring the classic rumba tradition of the 1940s–70s. Balu pays tribute to pioneers such as Wendo Kolosoy, Franco Luambo Makiadi, and Papa Bikunda, acknowledging their influence on his artistry. The album incorporates traditional Congolese rhythms and languages, including the lesser‑used Kikongo, which Balu highlights across several tracks. RFI
Imarhan — Essam
Essam was released on 16 January 2026 and is the band’s fourth album on City Slang. The title means “lightning” in Tamasheq. It marks a shift toward a more modern, exploratory sound, moving slightly away from the heavier desert‑rock textures of their early work. Much of the album was developed at their Aboogi studio in Tamanrasset, continuing their commitment to recording in their home region.
Suistamon Sähkö — Lunta tupaan
Suistamon Sähkö are known for using archaic Karelian lyrics and vocal traditions, reimagined through modern dance‑floor production.
Lunta tupaan expands their focus on rural‑urban identity, humour, and social commentary, delivered with their trademark theatricality.
Le Diable à Cinq — Indomptable
Le Diable à Cinq are a Québécois folk quintet from the Mauricie region, known for high‑energy trad rooted in step‑dance rhythms. The album reinforces their reputation for revitalising traditional Québec repertoire with youthful drive and contemporary arrangements. Members come from two musical families — the Veillette and Duguay siblings — giving the band its distinctive multi‑vocal sound.
Sulaf — ABA ابّا
Sulaf is a Syrian‑born, Netherlands‑based singer and composer, drawing on Levantine vocal traditions. ABA ابّا blends Arabic classical modes, contemporary production, and personal storytelling, reflecting themes of migration and identity. The album title, ABA, evokes ancestry and lineage, a recurring thread in Sulaf’s writing.
Saigon Soul Revival — Chốn Ta Về
Chốn Ta Về is the band’s 2026 album, described as a musical and emotional homecoming. Recorded again in Ho Chi Minh City, it blends Vietnamese musical heritage with contemporary global influences. Saigon Soul Revival specialise in reviving pre‑1975 Saigon Nhạc Vàng, reinterpreting classic songs with modern arrangements. F-Cat Productions GmbH VisitLiverpool
Neha! — Svetu
Svetu is Neha!’s debut album, released in 2025. neha2.hearnow.com
The album features traditional songs from Slavic, Balkan, and Romani traditions, reinterpreted through contemporary vocal arrangements. nehavoices.bandcamp.com
Tinariwen — Hoggar
Hoggar is Tinariwen’s tenth studio album. It marks a return to the foundations of their Tuareg desert‑blues sound, rooted in acoustic guitars and communal songwriting. It features collaborations with younger Tuareg musicians, continuing the band’s intergenerational tradition. tinariwen.bandcamp.com
BashElán — Titkon
BashElán are a high‑energy Hungarian folk group, known for driving dance‑band arrangements rooted in Transylvanian and Carpathian‑Basin traditions. Titkon is understood to be their debut album, marking their first full‑length statement as a band.
Lëk Sèn – Jèem
Jèem is Lëk Sèn’s seventh album, released in early 2026, its title meaning “to try” in Wolof. The record blends roots reggae with African musical textures, continuing his long-standing fusion of Senegalese identity and message‑driven reggae. World A Reggae Entertainment
Akkajee – Pölynkerääjä
Pölynkerääjä is the 2026 album by Finnish experimental folk duo Akkajee, released 20 February 2026. The album features an expanded palette of nyckelharpa, viola, kantele, pump organ, recorders, saxophone, and live electronics, performed by Meriheini Luoto and Iida Savolainen with guests. akkajee.bandcamp.com
The Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band – Araya Lam
Araya Lam is the band’s third album, released 19 September 2024 on Zudrangma Records. It deepens their exploration of Isan molam traditions, featuring collaborations with musicians on pong‑lang, pi, sor, and traditional vocals. theparadisebangkokmolaminternationalband.bandcamp.com
Neba Solo & Benego Diakité – A Djinn and a Hunter Went Walking
This collaboration between balafon master Neba Solo and donso n’goni player Benego Diakité was released 13 February 2026 on Etoile Audio / Nonesuch. The album pairs acoustic Malian traditions with subtle additions of mellotron, guitar, strings, vocals, and percussion. nebasolobenegodiakite.bandcamp.com
Stelios Petrakis – Lyric
Petrakis performs on lyra, laouto, and saz, joined by long‑time collaborators Efren López and Bijan Chemirani, blending Greek, Persian, and Mediterranean timbres.The album centres on new compositions inspired by medieval Cretan poetry, especially the Erotokritos tradition.
Clara Serra López – Lengua Materna (Part II) – EP
This EP is the second instalment of Clara Serra López’s Lengua Materna project, released in 2026. The work explores voice, breath, and extended vocal technique, drawing on Iberian folk memory and contemporary classical practice.
Shubiao Quartet – Ayalal
Mongolian throat singing quartet: Shubiao Quartet are a group dedicated to Mongolian overtone (khöömii) singing and traditional instruments, based in France but rooted in Mongolian heritage. The album combines khöömii throat singing, long song style, and traditional Mongolian instruments (e.g. morin khuur/igil) into what they describe as a powerful, trance like journey into a “mythic elsewhere”.
The Klezmatics – We Were Made For These Times
The album marks the Klezmatics’ 40th anniversary, reaffirming their role as New York’s leading contemporary klezmer innovators. The record blends traditional klezmer, Yiddish song, and politically engaged folk, continuing the band’s long‑standing activist edge.
Veera Kuisma – Rautavuo
Rautavuo is the 2026 debut solo album from Finnish singer and multi‑instrumentalist Veera Kuisma, known for her work in contemporary Nordic folk. The album draws on Karelian vocal traditions, combining runo‑song phrasing with modern chamber‑folk arrangements. Kuisma performs kantele, harmonium, and layered vocals, creating a sparse, atmospheric sound world rooted in northern Finnish timbres.
Hersi Matmuja & Jacopo Conoci – Lum
Lum is the duo’s first full collaborative album, re‑imagining traditional songs from northern Albania and the Arbëreshë diaspora. The repertoire includes material from Kukës, the northern highlands, and Salento, linking their Albanian and Italian musical roots.
Kareyce Fotso – Gwà (feat. Blick Bassy & Romain Jovion)
Gwà is a 2026 single by Cameroonian singer Kareyce Fotso, featuring Blick Bassy and French producer Romain Jovion. The songs blend Cameroonian folk rhythms, minimalist guitar, and electronic textures, characteristic of Bassy’s production aesthetic. Lyrically, it reflects on resilience and cultural continuity, aligning with Fotso’s long‑standing focus on women’s stories and Central African identity.
Bei Bei – Two Moons
Two Moons by Chinese‑American guzheng player Bei Bei who is known for bridging traditional Chinese instrumentation with contemporary soul and jazz. Bei Bei’s guzheng lines sit alongside electric bass, analogue synths, and hip‑hop‑influenced beats, creating a cross‑Pacific sound. The album’s concept reflects dual identity and lunar symbolism, drawing on Chinese folklore and modern diasporic experience.
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 - 10:00 pm local time
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
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