In today’s pop music, everybody is a composer. But what about the classics? The songs that last? In this program we survey African musicians reinterpreting each other’s songs, as well as songs from far outside their traditions. And we hear foreign takes on African diaspora music. From Louis Armstrong’s “Skokiaan” to Alpha Blondy’s “Whole Lotta Love,” it’s a journey of discovery and rediscovery. Produced by Banning Eyre. 

APWW #854

Afropop Cover Songs

This Hip Deep episode presents the stunning radio premiere of "Oh, David," the traditional song of the annual Easter Rock in Winnsboro, Louisiana. The Easter Rock is in fact a surviving ringshout—the oldest known form of African American music—but it's about 600 miles west of the ringshout's heartland in Georgia. It's located across the Mississippi River from Vicksburg in the Louisiana Delta, where they don't call it a "ringshout," but a “rock.” And it totally rocks. Producer Ned Sublette attends the Easter Rock ceremony and talks with Dr. Joyce Marie Jackson, a scholar and Louisiana native, who has been working with the Rockers for almost 20 years and confirms their tradition as a direct musical link to slavery days. In Athens, Georgia, Sublette visits Art Rosenbaum, producer of recordings by Georgia's McIntosh County Shouters, and more. 

Produced by Ned Sublette.
APWW #734

Black History Month: The Ring and The Shout

Moh Kouyate is a Guinean guitarist/singer/songwriter descending from a line of griots (jalis) in West Africa. As listeners heard in the Afropop Worldwide program Global Griots in France, he has lived in Paris since 2006, collaborating with a wide range of artists from genres far outside his traditional art. In this episode, Banning Eyre speaks with Moh about his adventurous life, and particularly, his ground-breaking, new acoustic album, Mokhôya. Also, fellow Guinean artist Natu Camara gives a shoutout about her upcoming visit to Camp Afropop, May 28-31, 2024 near Woodstock, New York.

Planet Afropop - Moh! Kouyate: A Conversation with a Global Griot

Science Friday

Revealing The Largest Deep-Sea Coral Reef In The World

If Termites Wore Stripes, Would Spiders Still Eat Them?

In the stillness of a Swedish forest, a solitary Mistle Thrush sings its melancholic tune. This recording captures the essence of the forest, a place where time seems to stand still and the beauty of nature can be fully appreciated.

Recorded 14.04.2023
Zoom F3 + Sennheiser MKH8020

Image courtesy of Birds of Gilgit-Baltistan (Creative Commons)

Mistle Thrush - Öjesjöbrännan Ekopark, Västerfärnebo, Sweden

Original live recording for CBC Radio's "Touch the Earth"
prod. Paul Mills,  location recordist Tim Wilson
poster image from Cape Breton Fiddlers Association

Glendale Cape Breton Fiddle Festival 1977

Against the odds, a tiny Icelandic town speaks of a local Black ancestor. Geneticists and historians combine forces to uncover the man’s eventful life.

A Trail Gone Cold

Skype Interview with OTIS SAN ONOFRE St. Patrick's Day 2024 for Radio San Onofre located outside Madrid. They were in the midst of celebrating Beefheart Month on the radio station. Apologies for the audio which makes it sound like I was suffering from a bad cold that day, and thanks to all the artists I've collaborated with over the years and intend to collaborate with in future,

Interview with Gary Lucas on Spanish Radio "SAN ONOFRE" 3/17/24

In this episode, Planet Afropop’s Lagos correspondent Fay Fay profiles a unique multi-generational band on the Nigerian scene: Alternative Reflective Beats (ARB). True to their name, ARB's music embodies the vibrant rhythms of Afrobeat intertwined with a fusion of other genres. Their mission is to maintain their distinct musical identity while creating songs that appeal to both live audiences and streaming enthusiasts. By staying true to this vision, the band aspires to establish longevity in the industry.

Planet Afropop - ARB: Nigeria’s Alternative Reflective Beats

Sounds of Cabrini Blvd, Washington Heights, New York City, as word of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris's election became known.  Cheers from the street and from neighbors at their windows as recorded from the fifth floor. Begins within ten seconds of the CNN announcement, with the second cheer about 40 seconds in when the other networks made their calls.

Election Called For Biden/Harris - Soundscape Of Cabrini Blvd - NYC- 11 - 7 - 2020

SummerClub NODE801

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