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
Elikeh: Afropop Band Raises Awareness for Togo
Togo native Massama Dogo wants his band Elikeh to make you dance and think. He’s from a country with few natural resources, but plenty of poverty and repression.
From TV Theme Song to All-Spanish Album, Guatemala’s Gaby Moreno
Gaby Moreno is a singer-songwriter from Guatemala now living in Los Angeles. Her previous albums have all been in English, but she’s now released her first album in Spanish. It’s called Postales. Reporter Betto Arcos tells anchor Marco Werman which songs he likes best on the new album.
Portuguese Band Buraka Som Sistema Revives Kuduro
Buraka Som Sistema has been creating a unique take on Angolan kuduro music. The group’s sound initially struck a chord with Lisbon’s young clubgoers, and ever since they’ve been heating up dance floors around the globe. Reporter Mirissa Neff has more.
Brazilian Musicians in New York, Yesterday & Today
Marco Werman tells us how two Brazilians view New York City through their music. There’s Luiz Bonfá offering his view in a song from 1959 and now, in 2012, we have Mauricio Pessoa with his new album Habitat.
Songs of Leonard Cohen and Nick Drake, Baroque Style
A musical collaboration between a Swiss harpist and Norwegian pop star, results in a baroque-sounding album of songs by Leonard Cohen, Nick Drake and others. KCRW’s Tom Schnabel tells more.
Summer In The Global Village: Afro-Punk Fest – Part One
The Afro-Punk Festival recently returned to Brooklyn, after being washed out by Hurricane Irene last year [...]
Musicians Tour the UK on the African Express Train
Over 80 African and Western musicians are on board the Africa Express. They’re on a unique train journey travelling around the UK and making music as they go.
Nairobi Singer Makadem’s Get Out the Vote Effort in Kenya
Kenyan singer Makadem gained international fame with his song “Obama Be Thy Name,” in support of Barack Obama’s presidential run in 2008. Four years later, the singer is focused on getting out the youth vote for Kenya’s own presidential elections next year.
Summer in the Global Village: Bi-Coastal Banda
A few weeks ago I caught El Gavachillo y Banda Viento de Oro at Lincoln Center’s Out of Doors Festival [...]
Mexican Rapper Tells His Side of Mexico’s Drug War
MC Enfermo is a rapper from Sinaloa, the home state of one of Mexico’s fiercest drug cartels. He raps about the drug culture, and why it’s bad for young people in his community.
Wapapura: A Solar-Powered Recording Session in Spain
The open air recording project called Wapapura, is the brain child of musician Rafa Kotcherha.
London Band LV and South African Okmalumkoolkat Release ‘Sebenza’
LV, a London-based band, takes East London grime and shakes up the local rhythm of kwaito in the process.
Jovanotti Brings Italian-Style Hip-Hop to US
Italian rapper Jovanotti has been churning out the hits in his native Italy since the late 1980′s. But he has never had a CD officially released here in the US until now.
Fan Releases Nosferatu D2′s Album Again, Ignites Cult Following
Nosfeartu D2 was virtually a nameless band when it broke up in 2007, but developed a cult following on the release of its debut album two years later by one diehard fan.
Zimbabwean Artist Hope Masike Revives the Traditional Mbira
For the Global Hit Tuesday, we are featuring music from a young lady named Hope Masike. Masike is a Zimbabwean artist whose gliding Afro-jazz makes use of her skills on the traditional African thumb piano, the mbira.
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