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Charts March 16-22, 2021
WRIR's NACC World Top Ten1 STAR LOVERS | Boafo Ne Nyame | Hot Casa2 KASAI ALLSTARS | "Olooh, A War Dance For Peace" [Single] | Crammed 3 EDO FUNK EXPLOSION VOL. 1 | various artists | Analog Africa4 AMJ...
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La cumbia del cuervo
I've recently received a bunch of cool cumbia reissues from the 60s and 70s and I just bought another great cumbia compilation too, so that gave me the impetus to dig into my collection and pull out a...
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Charts March 23-29, 2021
WRIR's NACC World Top Ten1 CARAVELA | Orla | None More2 BAIUCA | "Luar" (feat Lilaina) [Single] | Raso Estudio3 COLOR DE TROPICO, VOL. 2 | various artists [Advance Tracks] | El Palmas4 KASAI ALLSTARS |...
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We'll do it live
In the immortal words of Bill O'Reilly (youtube.com/watch?v=Qy-Y3HJNU_s): "we'll do it live!" Yes, Global A Go-Go is back in WRIR's Studio A for the first time in 56 weeks, thanks to the good work of...
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Charts Mar 30 - Apr 5, 2021
WRIR's NACC World Top Ten1 DELGRES | 4:00 AM | PIAS2 EDO FUNK EXPLOSION VOL 1 | various artists | Analog Africa3 LOS MUTABLES | "Pasos En La Luna/Suspenso En El Espacio" [Single] | Munster4 STRAIGHT...
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You are flawless
The swinging 60s happened all over the planet, even in Ethiopia, one of the world's most tradition-loving and inward-focused countries. We'll visit the Swinging Addis of the 60s and 70s on this week's...
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Charts April 6-12, 2021
WRIR's NACC World Top Ten1 LES FILLES DE ILLIGHADAD | "Surbajo" [Single] | Sahel Sounds2 STRAIGHT FROM THE DECKS 2 | various artists | Pura Vida Sounds/Heavenly Sweetness3 KANE MATHIS | Geminus |...
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Ban mwen on chanson
4:00 AM by Delgres, released earlier this month, is one of my favorite new albums so far this year. They're a power trio from France with leader Pascal Danae on dobro, the bass line is provided by...
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Charts April 13-19, 2021
WRIR's NACC World Top Ten1 JOSE CARLOS SCHWARZ AND LE COBIANA DJAZZ | Lua Ki Di Nos | Hot Mule2 AYUUNA SULE | "Don't Be Lazy" [Single] | Rebel Up3 DELGRES | 4:00 AM | PIAS4 LOS MUTABLES | "Pasos En La...
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WRIR's Spring 2021 fund drive
One of the things I've missed the most during the COVID-19 pandemic has been live music. There's a good chance you're feeling the same way as me. So my program for what will hopefully be the last WRIR...
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Time is what happens when nothing else happens
Thank you to the almost 500 donors who contributed $49,000 during WRIR's Spring 2021 fund drive, which ended last week. That's an all-time record for both donors and dollars, and it tops our dollar...
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Charts Apr 20 - May 3, 2021
WRIR's NACC World Top Ten1 CANZONIERE GRECANICO SALENTINO | Meridiana | Ponderosa2 ALTIN GUN | Yol | ATO3 GRESHKA | Inebriation | 40004 JUPITER AND OKWESS | Na Kozonga | Everloving5 JAAKKO LAITINEN AND...
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Global A Go-Go Classico: El Gran Pacheco
The musician, bandleader and entrepreneur Johnny Pacheco died on February 15 at age 85. In my opinion, Pacheco is one of the seminal figures in American popular music, in the same category with people...
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The lost-wax process
In the world of recorded music, spring is a peak time for new releases, so I have a bunch of excellent new music to share with you this week. One of the highlights is Cera Perdida, the second album...
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Charts May 4-17, 2021
WRIR's NACC World Top Ten1 NATIK AWAYEZ | Manbarani | Sublime Frequencies2 INNOV GNAWA | Lila | Daptone3 KASAI ALLSTARS | Black Ants Always Fly Together, One Bangle Makes No Sound | Crammed4 ELIDA...
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A man of experience and wisdom
Everyone in the music business thinks they're a rebel. And then there's Amha Eshete: in 1969 he defied Haile Selassie's Imperial edict by recording, pressing and selling Ethiopia's first pop music 45...
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Charts May 18-24, 2021
WRIR's NACC World Top Ten1 MDOU MOCTAR | Afrique Victime | Matador2 COLOR DE TROPICO, VOL. 2 | various artists | El Palmas3 U-ROY | "Man Next Door (feat Santigold)" [Single] | Trojan Jamaica/BMG4...
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Let's start
It's not often here at WRIR that we have two different covers of the same song on our world music recommended list at the same time; in fact, I don't think it's ever happened until now. So this week...
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Charts May 25-31, 2021
WRIR's NACC World Top Ten1 MDOU MOCTAR | Afrique Victime | Matador2 MOH ALILECHE | Humanity Is Falling Apart | Flag Of Freedom Productions3 DOBET GNAHORE | Couleur | Cumbancha4 MACKA B | "My Father's...
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The minister of creaminess
Astronomical summer doesn't start for another week, but it's definitely meteorological summer here in the RVA, and that's got me thinking about summer jams -- you know, those catchy, danceable songs...
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