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For our Geo Quiz we were looking for a northern African country that’s home to a number nomadic tribes. The answer is Niger. The band Etran Finatawa is from Niger. Its members come from two of the nomadic groups in the region, the Wodaabe and Touareg tribes. The band’s new album is called “Tarkat Tajje” or “Let’s Go!” Download MP3Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
We give you a bit of Spanish indie-pop in our Global Hit this time. It’s by La Bien Querida. That’s the stage name for artist Ana Fernandez-Villaverde. Download MP3Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
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Reporter Betto Arcos tells us about the newest album from Argentine folk-rock singer, Leon Gieco. It’s called “Mundo Alas.”Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The subject of today’s Global Hit is music with a message. Simple messages really. They’re sung by Malian musician Khaira Arby. One message is about her love for the city Timbuktu. That’s reflected in the album title ‘Timbuktu Tarab.’ The other message Khaira Arby wants to convery is women’s rights. Download MP3Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Pakistan sent famous Sufi musicians to the United States. The idea is to portray the “true face of Sufi Islam” to an audience that often sees Pakistan as a haven for terrorists. Mekaal Hasan (pictured) was one of the artist at the festival. Madiha Tahir has today’s Global Hit. Download MP3Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Today’s Global Hit is a music pick from Tom Schnabel of KCRW in Santa Monica, California. He tells us about a new CD from Tunisian musician Dhafer Youssef.Download MP3Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The Geo Quiz takes us to a city that straddles two continents. It’s as if Europe and Asia were reaching out to each other. The city’s also home to a couple of the most beautiful religious buildings in the world. (flickr image: Scott Henderson) Download MP3
Aldo Villegas, also known as Bocafloja, is one of the most popular independent rappers in Spanish. Bocafloja (which means “loose mouth”) has been active in Mexico City’s hip hop scene since its inception in the mid-1990s and, as Mary Stucky reports, over the years he’s acquired a huge following in both Mexico and the United States.(Chris Wilson contributed to this report. (Photo: Bocafloja/Myspace)
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At the height of the July heat we’re thinking music here at The World. Anchor Marco Werman chats with Tom Schnabel, music programmer at KCRW, to discuss their top World music picks of the summer. Download MP3
Join the discussion in our comments section:
What World music are you taking to the beach?
What’s your personal soundtrack this summer?
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Thousands of people from around the globe turned out to attend the 40th annual Ukulele Festival in Hawaii. The instrument has seen a resurgence thanks in part to musician Jake Shimabukuro (pictured). Reporter Heidi Chang attended the festival. She spoke to Shimabukuro and other musicians from France and Japan. Download MP3Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
During the early 60s, many West African governments ran music contests resulting in some groups being dubbed ‘national orchestras’. Guinea’s Mamady Kouyate, one of the big players of that era, can now be found playing in a small bar in Brooklyn. The World’s Alex Gallafent saw the show. (photo: Alex Gallafent) Download MP3Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Algerian-born musician Lamine Fellah is the son of a diplomat. His father was assassinated by Algerian fundamentalists in 1993, which forced him and the rest of his family into exile. Lemine Fellah now lives in Ecuador where he fronts the band Sarazino. Marco Werman talks with him. (Photo: Marco Werman) Download MP3Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The gypsy flamenco band “The Gipsy Kings” is touring North American cities for the next two weeks, and as The World’s Adeline Sire explains, the band’s added a unique song to its repertoire. Download MP3
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15 musician are featured on the new CD ‘Songs About Leaving Africa.’ Host David Baron speaks to two musicians on the album and the journalist Rose Skelton who compiled the music. Download MP3Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The Haitian roots rock band Boukman Eksperyans has been around for 30 years. That means they’ve lived through dictatorships, uprisings, and coups. They’ve spoken out against the government, and been forced into hiding. And now they’re dealing with the aftermath of the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that hit Haiti on January 12. Reporter Amy Bracken caught up with the band’s leaders at home on the edge of Port-au-Prince. Download MP3
