PRI’s The World presents the Global Hit, a daily spotlight on international musical artists or trends. Created by The World’s Marco Werman, the Global Hit features interviews with musicians, critics and deejays around the globe. He is also one of the curators of the South By Southwest Musical Festival (SXSW) – “All Music Is World Music.” Subscribe and follow:
Global Hit
Jazz Guitarist Yuto Kanazawa Writes ‘The Ocean’ in Aftermath of Fukushima Disaster
Japanese jazz guitarist Yuto Kanazawa was far from his home in Fukushima, Japan when the earthquake and tsunami struck in March 2011 and was inspired to write a song about the disaster. In an exclusive for The World, Kanazawa performs “The Ocean” in our studio.
Retro-Style Jazz Music from Dutch Singer Caro Emerald
Retro-style jazz sounds from Dutch singer Caro Emerald. Her music recalls the days of big band and jazz divas of the 1940s and 50s.
Mariachi Music Gaining Credibility in Texas Schools
Mariachi music is a quintessential sound of Mexico. But in Mexico, it’s a style of folk music that’s never been taken all that seriously and certainly not among music educators. It’s considered bar music, unworthy of academic study. But it’s becoming different story just north of the border in Texas.
The Future of Reggae According to Former Jamaican Prime Minister Edward Seaga
Jamaica’s former PM Edward Seaga used to be a record producer, and he’s just curated and produced a four-CD set commemorating the 50th anniversary of the birth of reggae. He tells Marco Werman about his concerns for the future of the genre.
Analog Africa Re-Issues ‘Diablos del Ritmo’
Tom Schnabel of KCRW in Santa Monica, California spins a few of his favorite tracks from the new compilation CD “Diablos Del Ritmo.” The album highlights the wide range of musical styles from Colombia.
Cécile McLorin Salvant’s American Songbook
Born and raised in Miami, 23-year-old Cécile McLorin Salvant grew into a jazz singer only by leaving the US and heading to France. The singer, whose heritage takes in Haiti, France, and Guadeloupe, has since won acclaim from her peers in the jazz world. In 2010 she won the Thelonious Monk competition in Washington DC.
Hard Rock Sounds from the Swedish Band Graveyard
The Swedish band Graveyard has a muscular, hard rock sound that drives their new album “Lights Out.” Marco Werman speaks to Alex Sjoberg, the group’s drummer.
Hungary’s Surf Rock Band, the Summer Schatzies
Landlocked Hungary gets surf music of its own. Summer Schatzies put a dark Central European spin on Southern California genre.
Jazz Samba Singer and Pianist Tania Maria
We spin tracks off Tania Maria’s new album ‘Canto.’ The Brazilian singer, composer and pianist swings to the sound of choro, samba and jazz.
Quebec’s Separatists on Charm Offensive with Bilingual Song
Quebec’s new separatist government is promising to require French exams in English language schools and to ban bilingual newsletters in some municipalities. That’s enraging many English speakers. So the government is bankrolling a province-wide tour by a pro-English musician.
Lara Bello’s Flamenco-Inspired ‘First Yellow, Then Purple’
Betto Arcos tells us about singer Lara Bello, who grew up surrounded by flamenco music and dance in Granada, Spain.
Barbara’s Göttingen: A Song That Made History
France and Germany on Tuesday mark the 50th anniversary of a key treaty that officially cemented the peaceful reconciliation of the two nations two decades after World War II. Another factor that cemented the nascent France-Germany friendship in the 1960′s was a song by French singer Barbara.
Ethiopia’s Samuel Yirga: From Dub Colossus to Solo Artist
Samuel Yirga is a member of the UK/Ethiopian group Dub Colossus. Now, the pianist and composer branches out with a solo CD called ‘Guzo.’
The Tradition of Murder Ballads in Finland
Songs about murder, both real and fiction, have a long history in Finland. The album “Murhababalladeja” features six tracks in the genre.
Stephane Wrembel: ‘Midnight in Paris’, Django, and the Call of the Desert
Stephane Wrembel studied guitar in, among other places, Roma camps outside Paris. He wrote the distinctly Django Reinhardt-like theme for Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris.” But he disdains the term ‘Gypsy Jazz’, and woe betide anyone who says he’s just following in Reinhardt’s footsteps.
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