These succinct podcasts, substantially funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, feature the voices of curious and talented producers focusing on single topics: Haitian radio stations in New York; a young “born free” rapper’s quest to uplift the social content of South African hip-hop; how musicians are becoming activists in post-conflict Mali and Democratic Republic of Congo, and much more.

Afropop Closeup podcasts are an extension of Afropop Worldwide’s Hip Deep series, both offerings substantially funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. These podcasts build on the central philosophy of the Hip Deep series: music is encoded history, a reflection of historical, political, spiritual and cultural evolution, and ultimately, the very core of human experience in our fast-changing, globalized world.

You can also listen here: http://www.afropop.org/29950/new-podcast-series-afropop-closeups/

And download here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/afropop-worldwide/id121621170?mt=2

Website

Afropop Closeup

Hip Deep is a special set of Afropop Worldwide radio programs and web features created with a focus on history, religion, literature, and other humanities subjects—all seen through the lens of music. Funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities since 2003 and hosted by Georges Collinet, Hip Deep episodes cover much of Africa and the diaspora. 

For a comprehensive archive of all Afropop Hip Deep programs, visit http://www.afropop.org/category/hip-deep/


Afropop Hip Deep

Afropop Exclusive Mix

A collection of Afropop's weekly hour-long podcasts. Visit http://www.afropop.org/category/program/ for a comprehensive archive of all programs.

Afropop Programs

Much has been made of Mexico's rich Spanish and indigenous heritage, but until recently there's been little talk of Mexico's so-called "Third Root": Africa. Africans came to Mexico with the Spanish as soldiers and slaves -- so many that by 1810, the black population of Mexico was equal to that of the United States. Today, African heritage persists throughout Mexico, yet for a variety of reasons, black history has long been silenced. In this Hip Deep episode, we use music to explore that history as we take a road trip across the country in search of sonic traces of Afro-Mexico.

We visit the state of Veracruz to learn the history of the Afro-Mexican son jarocho sound, made famous by Ritchie Valens' 1958 hit cover of "La Bamba," a traditional jarocho tune. Then, we visit the Costa Chica of Guerrero, where Afro-Mexican communities are fighting for government recognition to help preserve faltering musical traditions. And we'll stop by the golden-age halls of Mexico City, where the Afro-Cuban danzón thrives far from its ancestral home in Havana. Along the way, we hear from top scholars in the field such as Ben Vinson III and Alejandro Madrid, as well as Afro-Mexican music stars past and present, from Los Cojolites to Las Cafeteras. ¡Que padre!

APWW #658

La Bamba – The Afro-Mexican Story

Yes, it’s the age of South African House, Afrobeats, Afro R&B and the likes, but roots music lives on in South Africa. This show updates the Zulu pop music known as maskanda, with a look back at its history and a survey of the current scene--rich musically, but troubled by fan rivalry that can lead to violence and even deaths. We’ll hear nimble ukapika guitar playing, heavy Zulu beats and bracing vocal harmonies. We’ll meet maskanda legend Phuzukhemisi and veteran South African radio broadcaster Bhodloza “Welcome” Nzimande, long a champion of maskanda music and a would-be peacekeeper in the fractious current scene. We’ll also hear from Zulu guitar legend Madala Kunene, and check out some of the recent gqom music that has largely replaced maskanda and other roots styles in the lives of young South Africans. Produced by Banning Eyre.

South African Roots in the 21st Century

The Amazon River basin has long been a mystery to Brazil. Located far from the centers of business and power in the nation's southeast, the jungle provinces of the Brazilian north have long been ignored by the nation at large. But recently, Brazilians have discovered that the cities and waterways of the Amazon are home to some of the nation's hottest music. In this Hip Deep episode—a musical history of Pará state, where Afro-Caribbean influences have created a unique local flavor that connects the dots between Brazilian music and the rest of Latin America, we check out the guitar heroes of old-school Amazonian dance bands, investigate the origins of the early '90s lambada dance craze, and explore the bubblegum bass culture of tecno brega. Featured interviews with singer Gaby Amarantos, lambada revivalist Felipe Cordeiro and ethnomusicologist Darien Lamen, among others.

APWW #691
Lead Producer: Marlon Bishop
Assistant Production: Saxon Baird, Joe Dobkin

The Mighty Amazon

Of all contemporary Cape Verdeans, Cesaria Evora, "the Queen of the Morna" made the biggest impression internationally. However the first Cape Verdean to grace the American imagination was the harpooner Dagoo in Herman Melville's Moby Dick (1851). Cape Verdeans first arrived in United States as whalers in the late 1700's and have been coming ever since, bringing a distinctive Portuguese-African Kriolu flavor to communities across Southern New England and beyond. We'll take a step back in time and look at the rich cultural life of Cape Verdean neighborhoods, where great bands played mornas and coladeiras at local social clubs.  Our principle guide for this program will be historian Marilyn Halter, author of “Between Race and Ethnicity: Cape Verdean American Immigrants, 1860-1965.” She'll take us through the years as the Cape Verdean community navigated the turbulent waters of opportunity and identity in America long before the age of American multiculturalism. Then we'll jump ahead and explore current trends from the far-flung Diaspora's thriving music scene, ranging from hip-busting funaná to sleek cabo-zouk. All along, we'll be hearing from Cape Verdean-American musicians, from old-time guitar master Freddy Silva to rapper Mo Green, as they reflect on immigration, nostalgia, heritage, and what it means to be Cape Verdean in the United States.

Produced by Marlon Bishop
APWW #571

Black History Month: Kriolu in New England, The Cape Verdean-American Story

Andy Palacio (1960-2008) of Belize was a brilliant singer/songwriter/bandleader/activist and one of the greatest champions of Garifuna culture in his time. At the height of his international acclaim, after the release of his 2007 album Watina, Andy died suddenly. This program was produced shortly before that tragic event and captures Andy, his band and fellow musician Paul Nabor, in their prime. As we were preparing the program for rebroadcast, we learned that Andy’s protégé and fellow Garifuna culture icon Aurelio Martinez—who also appears in this program—died in a plane crash at age 58. So this program, capturing a pinnacle moment for Garifina music, is dedicated to these two fallen giants. 

Produced by Banning Eyre
APWW #524

Remembering Andy Palacio and Aurelio Martinez

The development of the popular Jamaican style is audible in this fun-packed, loosely chronological selection of tunes, moving from a US-style shuffle to ska to rock steady, toasting, dub, and Rastafarian reggae. Programmed by and using the record collection of reggae connoisseur and KPFK radio host Chuck Foster. Produced by Ned Sublette. Consulting scholar and guest programmer: Chuck Foster, who is still on the air 33 years later!

Ten Tunes That Shook Kingston

Cultures of Soul has been the source of some of our favorite international disco compilations recently, providing much-needed focus on incredible music of the '70s and '80s from places as far ranging as São Paulo, Guadeloupe and Mumbai. We reached out to the label founder and director Jeff Swallow, who made us a mix, featuring some of the hottest tracks from his recent releases.

Tracklist:
Joanne Wilson - Got to Have You
Camille Hidevert - Caribbean People
Tim Maia  - Verão Carioca
2001 & Beto - Labirinto
Emilio Santiago -  Bananeira
C.S. Crew - Love Is Peace
Shadow - Let's Get Together (Whiskey Barons' Rework)
Stanton Davis' Ghetto Mysticism - High Jazz Reprise

Afropop Exclusive Mix: Cultures Of Soul's Worldwide Disco Fever

We look into the rise and mysterious fall of the funky Bajan spouge beat which ruled the island in the ’70s, and discover a few underground musicians who are trying to keep it alive. Calypsonians Mighty Grynner and Red Plastic Bag detail their contributions to the lyrically potent kaiso scene. Soca stars Alison Hinds and Edwin Yearwood talk about the pros and cons of the island's competition circuit, and we learn about the hot "soca bashment" scene. Produced by Saxon Baird and Noah Schaffer.

APWW #746

Barbados - From Spouge to Soca

Afropop’s Banning Eyre published his prize-winning biography of Thomas Mapfumo, Lion Songs, in 2015. In this episode, he visits the Lion of Zimbabwe at his home in Eugene, Oregon, to discuss new music, the current state of Zimbabwe and more. We hear from Mapfumo’s latest album, Ndikutambire, and sneak previews of works in progress. We also meet 24-year-old Mary Anibal of Harare, a super-talented mbira player, singer/bandleader following in Mapfumo’s footsteps. Subscribers to the Afropop podcast stream, might remember this special episode from last year. In honor of Thomas’ 80th birthday this month, we are pleased to now share it on the radio!

Produced by Banning Eyre
PA 018

Chimurenga Legacy - Thomas Mapfumo and Mary Anibal

Guinea's legendary dance band, Bembeya Jazz, are a pillar of modern West African history.  Begun in 1961 in the flush of Guinea's independence and Sekou Toure's maverick presidency, the band played under the inspired leadership of guitar giant Sekou "Bembeya" Diabate.  This program delves into Bembeya history with a focus on the band's 60s and 70s heyday, right up to more recent solo work by Sekou Diabate. In the current age of Afrobeats and digital production that is helping to supplant dance bands across the continent, Bembeya's music stands the test of time for its rich mesh of tradition and swing band drive.

Produced by Banning Eyre
APWW #427


The Story of Bembeya Jazz

Nigeria is the undisputed powerhouse of African pop music. Call it Naija Pop, Afrobeats, Afropop or what have you. The likes of Burna Boy, Wizkid, Yemi Alade, Tiwa Savage, Olamide and Fireboy DML are giants on the scene. In this program we sample the latest from these and others - as well as action from the Afrobeat scene. We also speak with key artists in Nigeria and the U.S. about social activism among Nigerian artists regarding the 2020 EndSARS movement against police violence - an issue that sill exists today.

Originally produced by Banning Eyre in 2020
APWW #825

New Sounds From Nigeria

The "Black Pacific" is a term coined by our guide, ethnomusicologist Heidi Carolyn Feldman. She describes the circumstance of African descendants displaced not only from their ancestral homes in Africa, but also from the Atlantic coast nations where their enslaved ancestors were originally brought.

This Hip Deep edition explores the sonically vibrant realm of Afro-Peruvian music, a young genre identification that has flourished since the 1950s and has now produced artists of international renown, such as singer Susana Baca, and the black folkloric company Peru Negro.

The music is sensuous and deeply beautiful, and represents a fascinating and little-understood history. We will hear from Juan Morillo, who represents Peru Negro, from Susana Baca, and from other artists and community scholars Feldman has worked with during her extensive research of this topic.

Produced by Simon Rentner and Wills Glasspiegel
APWW #558

The Music of Black Peru: Cultural Identity in the Black Pacific

Islam's complex relationship with arts and culture across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia presents special paradoxes and intrigue in the realm of music. Islam has been used both to nurture and curtail musical expression. This program delves into the historic roots of this debate, all the way back to Baghdad in the early centuries of Islam. Case studies highlight sublime and ecstatic music from Iraq, Iran, Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Pakistan and more. Author and Middle East specialist Joseph Braude discusses the history and issues with two Islamic scholars. (originally aired 2008)

Produced by Banning Eyre
APWW #561

Islam and Music: From Prohibition to the Science of Ecstasy

[APWW PGM #695] [Originally aired in 2014]

The southwest of Madagascar is a land of fishermen, mining prospectors and cattle ranchers—not exactly a homogenous region in terms of lifestyle or ethnicity. But one thing that unites all the people of this region is the giddy, electric guitar-driven boogie music known as tsapiky (pronounced tsa-PEEK). First created in the late 1970s, tsapiky has become the required music at large family ceremonies (circumcisions, weddings, and especially, funerals), where music and partying goes nonstop for three days or more. In this Hip Deep program, we unfold the unique origins of this music, and other traditional styles of southwest Madagascar. And we’ll meet some of tsapiky’s great guitar practitioners: Damily, Teta and Pascal. We’ll hear a song from Damily’s recent public concert in Tulear—his first in 14 years–and sample a variety of beautiful music from this remote and remarkable corner of Madagascar.

Hip Deep In Madagascar The Tsapiky Story

In this Hip Deep edition, Afropop producer Wills Glasspeigel heads to South Africa to reveal the story of the inimitable Hugh Tracey, a field recordist born at the turn of the 20th century in England. A wayward youth, Tracey found himself in Africa in the 1920s where he became fascinated with music from Zimbabwe. Tracey became a pioneer field recordist, making over 250 LPs of traditional African music for the Gallo label in South Africa. Like John and Alan Lomax in the US, Tracey was instrumental in preserving hundreds of songs that have since gone extinct. Glasspiegel speaks with Dianne Thram, director of Tracey library in Grahamstown, South Africa; Tracey's son Andrew, a musician and field recordist in his own right; Michael Baird, an expert on the Tracey catalog; and esteemed South African anthropologist David Coplan. We'll also head to Malawi to make a field recording of our own with the help of Malawian singer, Esau Mwamwaya.

APWW #590

Discover and Record: The Field Recordings of Hugh Tracey

The first time Puerto Rican bandleader Willie Rosario heard the word salsa applied to the Cuban-style music he played was in Venezuela, where DJ Phidias Danilo first popularized it. Subsequently applied as a marketing tool by Fania Records in New York, the word quickly became a marker of Puerto Rican identity. We talk to the founding bandleaders of the genre -- Rafael Ithier (El Gran Combo), Quique Lucca (Sonora Ponceña), and Willie Rosario -- and presents immortal hits of early Puerto Rican salsa. 

Produced by Ned Sublette with José Mandry
APWW #207
 

Hispanic Heritage Month: A History of Puerto Rican Salsa

This classic episode features Afropop Worldwide’s original live recordings of stellar artists Joe Arroyo (Colombia) in London, Paulina Tomayo (Ecuador) in Quito, Los Muñequitos de Matanzas (Cuba) in New York, Los Van Van (Cuba) in Havana, and Willie Colon in New York.

Produced by Sean Barlow
APWW #292

Hispanic Heritage Month: Live Latin Extravaganza

On January 8, 1959, Fidel Castro and his ragtag army marched into Havana and proclaimed victory in the Cuban revolution. Much of the world knew Cuba primarily from its 1930 megahit "El Manicero" ("The Peanut Vendor") and from the mambo craze of the 1950's. After Castro came to power, the economic, political and cultural doors between Cuba and the U.S. would soon be shut. The doors opened briefly for tours by Cuban artists in the U.S. during the Carter and Clinton administrations. In this broadcast, we savor sounds from the pre-Revolutionary golden age of Cuban music that sets the scene for the international success of Cuban music. We illustrate how popular music in Africa and the Americas is not imaginable without the influence of Cuban music--copied and adapted on three continents. We'll hear the stories and rare recordings of such core styles as son - as well as luminaries like Beny Moré, Arsenio Rodriguez, Celia Cruz and the Sexteto Habanero; along with less well known artists. 

Produced by Ned Sublette
APWW #65


Hispanic Heritage Month: The Golden Age of Cuban Music

Bachata is a music of the people. Recalling the American blues, bachata was infamous as the anthem of the hard-drinking, womanizing, down-on-his-luck man, vilified as the entertainment of the brothels and the cabarets, and worshipped by the down-trodden poor as the deepest expression of their feelings. Today it is an international sensation. Alex Wolfe, director of the film "Santo Domingo Blues: The Story of Bachata" brings us live ambience and stories of bachata stars Luis Vargas, Antony Santos, Luis Segura, Adridia Ventura. Produced by Alex Wolfe.

Hispanic Heritage Month: Santo Domingo Blues - The Story of Bachata

It turns out that the first American city to host a roster of local African bands was not New York, Miami or Chicago, but the San Francisco Bay Area of northern California. Hugh Masekela brought Hedzoleh Soundz from Ghana, and they settled in Santa Cruz. Nigerian maestros O.J. Ekemode and Joni Haastrup lived in Oakland in the 1970s. South African musicians from the touring stage show Ipi Tombi also settled in the Bay Area and started the band Zulu Spear. By the early ‘80s, the Bay Area “worldbeat” scene was in full swing, and along with it came Kotoja, Mapenzi, Big City, the Nigerian Allstars and more. Join us for a tour through the sounds and stories of the Bay Area’s catalytic African music scene. 

Produced by Banning Eyre
APWW #713


San Francisco: Afropop by the Bay

Musicians create worlds of their own. They are sonic alchemists. This program, originally produced in 2007, surveys a wide range of artists from throughout the African diaspora, artists with this special ability to spin out their own realities. We hear classic work from Basssekou Kouyate, Habib Koite, Youssou N'Dour, Konono No 1, The Assad Brothers, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and we hear many of them speak about their work. The Malian artists are particularly poignant, as they speak from a time before the turmoil that has enveloped the country since 2012. 

APWW #539
Produced by Banning Eyre.

Musical Conjurers

[APWW PGM #669] [Originally aired in 2014]

Hiplife, a fusion of hip-hop and highlife, has come of age, spawning subgenres tilting to roots culture, international rap, and boldly humorous satire, not to mention azonto, a dance craze that has rocketed to global renown in just over a year. But for all that, the biggest-selling music in the country, by far, is gospel. On this whirlwind Hip Deep tour of Accra, we meet stars like Reggie Rockstone, M.anifiest, Efya, Soul Winners, and the genre-bending FOKN Bois.  Jesse Weaver Shipley, anthropologist and author of the book Living the Hiplife: Celebrity and Entrepreneurship in Ghanaian Popular Music,  helps untangle the complex world of award ceremonies, corporate endorsements, live music in church, and the emergence of women in Ghana’s male-dominated pop world.

Hip Deep Ghana: 21st Century Accra From Gospel To Hiplife

Join us on a musical adventure into the storied past of Africa's Rainbow Nation. In 2016, 20-plus years removed from apartheid, South Africa was a nation deep in transition. And, that was reflected in its music—brimming with enthusiasm and creativity, yet also suffering from the growing pains of a new democracy. On the ground at the 2016 Cape Town International Jazz Festival, we celebrate the country's amazing diversity and discover its hottest local talent: Mafikozolo, the sizzling fashionista Zulu pop duo; Tribute “Birdie” Mboweni, a soulful and socially conscious songbird from the rural north; Gigi Lamayne, a fresh voice from hip-hop’s "born-free" generation; Bokani Dyer, a worldly jazz-cat on 88 keys; and Derek Gripper, a Capetonian guitarist virtuoso making us rethink African classical music as a whole. 

Produced by Sarah Geledi and Simon Rentner
APWW #732

Born-Free South Africa: A Kaleidoscope of Colors

Since the 1960s in Jamaica, iconic figures such as Bob Marley have gathered in backyards to write reggae anthems that conquered world charts. The yard remains a cornerstone in Jamaican culture. Musicians withdraw from the violence of the city to create and play songs in their yards. In Jamaican patois, “mi yard” means “my home,” and many songs, proverbs and colloquialisms hinge on the word “yard.” More even than the music itself, the yard evokes a state of mind and a physical space wherein artists create amid the warmth of acoustic sound, raw emotion of voices and a collective energy. In this program, we move yard to yard in Jamaica, listening to acoustic music being written and recorded, smelling trees and flowers, and meeting legendary artists like Ken Boothe, Winston McAnuff, Cedric Myton of the Congos, Kiddus I, Robbie Lyn, Viceroys, or Nambo Robinson, as well as a number of young and emerging reggae artists like JAH9, Var, and Derajah, who grew up and found their artistic voices in ghetto yards. You've never heard Jamaica sound like this before!

Produced by Elodie Malliot
APWW #753

Jamaica: Big a Yard, Big Abroad

Cabo Verde (aka Cape Verde) has long been known as a music powerhouse. Despite its little size (population: 500,000), the West African archipelago is the third largest country in music sales in the “World” market by some estimations. That’s why the island has become home to the Atlantic Music Expo: a trans-oceanic music fair featuring conferences and concerts that attract musicians and industry professionals from across the globe. In this episode, Afropop takes a visit to the islands and the Expo to check out what’s going on today with Cape Verdean music. We hear from talented new singer-composers Dino D’Santiago and Ceuzany, check out high-energy funana from Ferro Gaita and Ze Espanhol, and sample other tasty musical fruits from the islands that created Cesaria Evoria.

Produced by Marlon Bishop
APWW #687

Kickin' It in Cabo Verde

On a visit to the U.S. Virgin Islands in winter 2018, we took the pulse of the national music of St. Croix – quelbe. Rarely recorded, rarely exported, quelbe is an energetic form, led by sax or flute with percussion and banjo, and it fuels the traditional dance style, quadrille. St Croix is the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and sits alone 42 miles south of St. Thomas and St. John. That’s part of why traditional music and dance forms have remained strong on St. Croix. Meet bandleaders Stanley Jacobs of Stanley and the 10 Sleepless Knights, and Dmitri Copemann of the Renaissance Band, who are cultivating a vibrant next generation. 

Produced by Marika Partridge and Banning Eyre
APWW #782


Quelbe - Hidden Treasure of the Caribbean

Noura Mint Seymali of Mauritania is one of the most riveting singers alive. Period. On her third international album, Yenbett, she and her small ensemble once again transfix listeners with darkly mesmerizing, guitar-driven trad-rock songs of the Mauritanian desert. Banning Eyre has this audio review.

AUDIO REVIEW: Noura Mint Seymali

Salegy may be the most popular dance music of Madagascar. It’s a churning, harmonious groove with spine-stiffening vocal harmonies that emerged from towns and cities of northern Madagascar in the mid-20th century. On a trip to Diego Suarez, we learn that salegy’s older origins are both fascinating and mysterious. We meet young salegy stars Ali Mourad and Jacs, and speak with the genre’s reigning legend, Jaojoby, on the roof of his nightclub in Antananarivo. Along the way we visit a music school in Diego and hear blazing guitar riffs and get a fingerpicking tour of the entire island from guitar maestro Hajazz.

Produced by Banning Eyre
APWW #698

Hip Deep in Madagascar: Songs of the North

The massive Niger River Delta is a fantastically rich cultural region and ecosystem. Unfortunately, it has been laid low by the brutal Biafran War (1967-70) and by decades of destructive and mismanaged oil exploration. This program offers a portrait of the region in two stories. First, we chronicle the Biafran War through the timeless highlife music of Cardinal Rex Jim Lawson, perhaps the most popular musician in Nigeria at the time. Then we spend time with contemporary musical activists in Port Harcourt’s waterfront communities and in oil-ravaged Ogoniland to hear how music is providing hope for these profoundly challenged communities. The program features new and classic music, the words of Nigerian scholars, musicians, activists and veterans of the Biafran War, concluding with an inspiring live highlife concert on the Port Harcourt waterfront in which rappers and highlife graybeards come together to imagine a better road ahead. 

Produced by Banning Eyre
APWW #754

Hip Deep in the Niger Delta

Sweet accordion riffs, the steady twang of the triangle, and the off-beat pounding of the zabumba drum make forro a favorite for all Brazilians. The infectious tunes and syncopated beats have been described as "a mixture of ska with polka in overdrive." This edition of Afropop Worldwide's Hip Deep will profile forro creator Luiz Gonzaga--from the wanderlust that led him from his rural birthplace in northeastern Brazil to a pumping career in the capital, Rio de Janeiro, in the 1940s. Conversations with Brazilian artists, recorded on location in the forro capital of Recife, following in Gonzaga's footsteps. 

Produced by Megwen Loveless
APWW #457

Luiz Gonzaga - The King of Baiao

Tarab, the ecstatic feeling associated with listening to and playing great music, is a fundamental characteristic in many varieties of Arab music. In this program, we explore tarab with special guest UCLA ethnomusicology professor A.J. Racy. Racy draws on his lifelong study of music and musicians, and also his insights as a virtuoso performer on the nay flute and the buzuq. Racy guides us through the experiences of listeners and players, providing deep insight into many varieties of tarab. We hear works by A.J. Racy, Sabah Fakhri and Ensemble Al-Kindi of Syria.

Tarab - The Art of Ecstasy in Arab Music

In hard times and boom times, people in Ghana know how to party. In this program, we hear regional pop and neo-traditional music at festivals, funerals and community celebrations across the county. We travel to the lush south-east Volta region to hear Ewe borborbor, agbadza and brass band music. In the northern city of Tamale, we hear Dagbani traditional music, hip-hop and pop, and visit the vibrant Damba chieftaincy festival in nearby Yendi. And back in the bustling metropolis, Accra, there’s new trend moving hips: classic highlife, with a new pop flavor.

Produced by Morgan Greenstreet
APWW #745

Ghana - Celebration Sounds

Once-substantial Jewish enclaves of Morocco, Algeria and other North Africa states have dwindled steadily since World War II, mostly through migration to Israel. In sub-Saharan Africa, lesser known Jewish communities provide strikingly different narratives. Guided by ethnomusicologist and Rabbi Jeffrey A. Summit of Tufts University, this program focuses on the history and music of a small but robust community of Jewish converts in Uganda, the Abayudaya. Summit’s own recordings include the Abayudaya singing choral music, modified folkloric songs accompanied by local drums and harps, such as the enchanting adungu, and also ventures into pop music bring this remarkable story vividly to life. This program will also introduce history and music from a younger community of practicing Jews in Ghana. 

APWW #544
Produced by Banning Eyre. 

Jewish Communities of Sub-Saharan Africa

We're back with another installment in our Afropop exclusive mixtape series! This one comes courtesy of Ricardo Vergara, who put together a mix of some terrific Venezuelan music in styles ranging from the African influenced tambor to the folk styles gaita and llanera.

Track List:
0:00 Tambor Urbano - El Hacha
5:17 Los Amigos Invisibles - Loco Por Tu Amor
8:59 VHG - La Voy a Tocar a Pie
12:30 María Rivas - El Manduco
15:36 Oscar D'León - Llorarás
19:21 Las Chicas del Can - El Negro No Puede (Waka Waka)
23:24 Reynaldo Armas - La Muerte del Rucio Moro

Afropop Exclusive Mix: Afro-Venezuela

Hip Deep: Congo-Goma: Music, Conflict and NGOs
Original Air-date: 11.26.2015
Show# 720 
Produced by Morgan Greenstreet

Hip Deep: Congo-Goma: Music, Conflict and NGOs

Rejoice! The Afropop exclusive mix series has returned. This time, DJ Dakar has put together a fantastic mix of some of the latest and most electrifying Naija hits for us. Naija, or Afrobeats, as it is sometimes called, is Nigeria's infectious, and enormously, successful strain of pop music, perhaps the most dominating musical force in the African continent, and for good reason. Simply put, the pulsating dancefloor potential of Naija pop cannot be denied.

Afropop Exclusive Mix: DJ Dakar Presents Naija Pop

Hip Deep in Mali: Growing Into Music in 21st Century Bamako
Airdate: 5/19/2016
#731 Produced by Banning Eyre

This program presents a musical portrait of Bamako in the wake of crisis. In 2012-13, Islamists occupied the north and a coup d’etat threatened a recent history of functioning democracy. With borders restored and a new elected government in place, we find musical life returning with festivals, nightclub shows and street weddings. But that picture hides darker realities. Ethnomusicologist Lucy Duràn has been studying the oral transmission of music in various countries, notably among griot families in Mali. With her guidance, we explore the precarious lives of griots in today’s Bamako, focusing on the upbringing and education of children in these hereditary families of historian-entertainers. Elders and traditionalists say the griot tradition has been corrupted beyond hope, and even advise their young to pursue different professions. Others persist, within an environment where growing religious conservatism puts increasing pressure on the lives and careers of all musicians. We meet three extraordinarily talented griot children. We hear music and reflections from kora master Toumani Diabaté and his massively popular songwriting son, Sidiki. And we get a fascinating historical perspective from Gregory Mann, professor of history at Columbia University.

Hip Deep in Mali: Growing Into Music in 21st Century Bamako

The Amazon River basin has long been a mystery to Brazil. Located far from the centers of business and power in the nation’s southeast, the jungle provinces of the Brazilian north have long been ignored by the nation at large. But recently, Brazilians have discovered that the cities and waterways of the Amazon are home to some of the nation’s hottest music. In this Hip Deep episode—a musical history of Pará state, where Afro-Caribbean influences have created a unique local flavor that connects the dots between Brazilian music and the rest of Latin America, we check out the guitar heroes of old-school Amazonian dance bands, investigate the origins of the early ’90s lambada dance craze, and explore the bubblegum bass culture of tecno brega. Featured interviews with singer Gaby Amarantos, lambada revivalist Felipe Cordeiro and ethnomusicologist Darien Lamen, among others.

Lead Producer: Marlon Bishop
Assistant Production: Saxon Baird, Joe Dobkin

Central America, a narrow, mountainous, and largely impoverished stretch of land spanning seven countries, is a surprising and under-exposed Latin American musical hot zone. The region’s bizarre and tumultuous history has led to a fascinating mix of cultural influences – Spanish conquistadors, British pirates, and American banana companies have at one time or another vied for power. Add to this mix presence of large indigenous enclaves, Anglo-Caribbean migrants, the Afro-Arawak Garifuna and Mosquito peoples, and the many musical influences of the Caribbean, and you have the makings of a very interesting musical tapestry. Salsa and merengue, soca and calypso, reggae and reggaeton – it all comes together in Central America. In our program, we visit Panama, a little known musical treasure trove. Here on the ithmus, music from around the Americas mixed together in a unique stew: American, Cuban, Colombian,Jamaican influences combine to form a highly complex and unique musical culture. We’ll hear interviews from Spanish reggae star Kafu Banton, Afro-Spanish linguist John Lipski, traditional Afro-Latino princess Marcia Rodriguez, dancehall youngbloods Los Rakas, and many more.

The Panama Beat

In the wake of the 2012-13 political crisis in Mali, the nation is working to repair its celebrated tradition of multiethnic harmony. The promise and pitfalls of this process play out dramatically in a public discussion during the Festival on the Niger in Segou. Artists, music professionals, and public figures weigh in with passion! Produced and hosted by Banning Eyre.

Talking Peace In Mali

Look around today’s musical mainstream, and you’ll quickly realized that dance styles are everywhere, filling stadiums, topping charts, and gathering tens of thousands in festivals around the country. Yet few know their full history. “Roots and Future” explores how a community of (primarily) black British musicians, fans, D.J.s, and radio pirates recreated dance music in the United Kingdom during the 1990s and 2000s.

Connected to the musical mainstream during 1989’s drug and rave fueled “second summer of love,” these  musicians learned to combine American hip-hop, dancehall toasting, dub bass, and techno euphoria to create style after chart-topping style, from drum-twisting jungle to the slick sounds of garage, the ferocious rhythms of grime, and the all-encompassing low-end of dubstep. We’ll speak to legendary pirate radio D.J.s, underground label owners, and groundbreaking producers. We’ll check young M.C.s spitting their bars on illegal frequencies, and hear veterans playing to their beloved audiences. And most importantly? We’ll rave. See you on the dance floor.

 #733 Roots and Future: A History of U.K. Dance
Producer: Sam Backer
Airdate: June 23rd 2016

Roots and Future: A History of U.K. Dance

In June 2016, Peabody Award-winning media company Afropop Worldwide launches the Afropop Closeups podcast series, bringing poignant and provocative stories from the African planet to listeners. These succinct podcasts, substantially funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, feature the voices of curious and talented producers focusing on single topics: Haitian radio stations in New York; a young “born free”rapper’s quest to uplift the social content of South African hip-hop; how musicians are becoming activists in post-conflict Mali and Democratic Republic of Congo, and much, much more.

Afropop Closeups: An Introduction

#734
airdate 6/30/2016
Producer: Ned Sublette
The Ring and the Shout. At one time thought to have died out, the ring shout is the oldest known form of African American music. Producer Ned Sublette travels to Winnsboro, Louisiana, to record the Easter Rock, an annual ritual with a direct connection to antebellum slavery days, in an endangered plantation church with a wooden floor that serves as a drum when the Rockers are in charge. And we visit Athens, Georgia, to speak with Art Rosenbaum, co-producer of the McIntosh County Shouters' forthcoming album.

The Ring and the Shout

[APWW PGM #720] [Originally broadcast in 2015] In the city of Goma, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, far from the rumba-soaked nightlife of the capital, Kinshasa, an artistic renaissance is going on. After two decades of devastating factional wars, ongoing mineral profiteering, a volcanic eruption, and other extreme circumstances, internationally minded youth are expressing themselves through diverse, socio-politically engaged music, film and dance. Artists must also navigate the influence and patronage of international NGOs and humanitarian organizations that use local music and musicians as mouthpieces for their projects and campaigns. This Hip Deep edition examines how musicians approach topics of politics, peace and war, collaboration with NGOs and cultural centers, and artistic autonomy.

[APWW PGM #452]  [Originally broadcast in 2005]  "Escaping the Delta" is the title of a provocative book by award-winning author Elijah Wald that explores how a mythology of the blues grew around the figure of Robert Johnson. On this Hip Deep episode, Wald talks with producer Ned Sublette, and plays lesser-known recordings by Peetie Wheatstraw, Lonnie Johnson, Leroy Carr and others, who provided source material for some of Johnson’s classic tunes.

Escaping The Delta

Life in the music business has its ups and downs—especially in Haiti—and Serge Turnier (A.K.A. Powersurge) has lived both extremes. As a producer he makes his living from recorded music, not from concerts, and so many of those ups and downs have revolved around the question of copyright: a legal system for controlling who can copy, record and perform a piece of music. The concept can seem abstract, but in Ternier’s story it makes all the difference as he decides whether to give up on the Haitian music industry entirely. 

Produced by Ian Coss.

This program was produced in partnership with Life of the Law.

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Distributed 9/5/2017

Haiti's Fight for Copyright

Junkanoo, an annual communal parade held in the Bahamas, is a labor of love for the Bahamian people that dates back centuries. The parade, which has Akan cultural roots, emerged in the time of slavery, but it has since moved from the margins to the very center of society, becoming the bedrock of national culture. When the government wanted to invest millions into the development of a major cultural festival designed to attract tourists, Junkanoo seemed like the obvious choice. In this podcast, we hear what happened when the government chose to use Trinidad Carnival as the model instead. 

Produced by Gabrielle Misiewicz

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Subscribe to the Afropop Worldwide newsletter at www.afropop.org/newsletter/

Distributed 9/19/2017

Afropop Closeup S2:E2

Rushin’ to Bacchanal: When Caribbean Festivals Collide

The San Francisco Bay Area is a unique cultural space that has given birth to some of the most iconic countercultural American music. It is a place where identities can be fluid and hyphenated, where new voices emerge to speak to their times. Two very different Bay Area artists, Meklit Hadero and Zena Carlota, use their music to explore what it means to live on two sides of a hyphen: African-American, black-artist, Ethiopian-American, female-musician, to name a few. Produced by Lisa Bartfai

About the producer:

Lisa Bartfai is a freelance radio journalist, writer and translator based in Brunswick, ME. As a senior producer at award-winning Blunt Youth Radio, Lisa shares her love of radio with the next generation of noisemakers.

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S2:E3

Distributed 10/3/2017

Afro-Symphonic Folk: From the Coasts of Africa to the San Francisco Bay

In conjunction with our current feature on Chris Kirkley and his website and label, Sahel Sounds, Afropop offers this exclusive mix from Mr. Kirkley himself. If this mix were a bag of skittles, the slogan would be "Taste The Desert". Dig in and enjoy. 

Alkibar Junior - Homage
Le Marchand du Soleil - Laila Je T'aime
Mdou Moctar - Nikali Talit
Amanar - Alghafiat
Lakal Kanaye - Soul Tamashek
Yeli Fuzzo - Abande
Pheno S. - Souroulouklouk
Meleke and MC Waraba - Ado Do
Abubakar Sani and Fati Niger - Tofi

Afropop Exclusive: The Sahel Sounds Mix

Afropop Worldwide is an internationally syndicated weekly radio series, online guide to African and world music, and an international music archive, that has introduced American listeners to the music cultures of Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean since 1988. Our radio program is hosted by Georges Collinet from Cameroon, the radio series is distributed by Public Radio International to 110 stations in the U.S., via XM satellite radio, in Africa via and Europe via Radio Multikulti. 

Afropop Worldwide

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