Afropop Worldwide

Afropop Soundsystem

Afropop Soundsystem has one eye on Africa and one on the world. We dig deep into the African digital domain to uncover songs and artists little known across the Atlantic. We plunge into sexy kuduro music from Angola; bubu music from Sierra Leone, jagwa from Tanzania as well as sensations in the kwaito scene in South Africa and the hyperactive ndombolo sounds from Kinshasa. Get ready to enjoy some of the continent's choice hot spots--from Lagos to Dar Es Salaam. Guided by deejay Michael Ndaribamare and producer Wills Glasspiegel, Afropop Soundsystem will challenge Hawaiian-shirt-wearing world music. Expect politics, yodels, break-beats, and club crushers. Originally broadcast in 2009.

Jewish Communities of Sub-Saharan Africa

Once-substantial Jewish enclaves of Morocco, Algeria and other North Africa states have dwindled steadily since World War II, mostly through migration to Israel. In sub-Saharan Africa, lesser known Jewish communities provide strikingly different narratives. Guided by ethnomusicologist and Rabbi Jeffrey A. Summit of Tufts University, this program focuses on the history and music of a small but robust community of Jewish converts in Uganda, the Abayudaya. Summit’s own recordings include the Abayudaya singing choral music, modified folkloric songs accompanied by local drums and harps, such as the enchanting adungu, and also ventures into pop music bring this remarkable story vividly to life. This program will also introduce history and music from a younger community of practicing Jews in Ghana. APWW #544 Produced by Banning Eyre.

Ghana - Celebration Sounds

In hard times and boom times, people in Ghana know how to party. In this program, we hear regional pop and neo-traditional music at festivals, funerals and community celebrations across the county. We travel to the lush south-east Volta region to hear Ewe borborbor, agbadza and brass band music. In the northern city of Tamale, we hear Dagbani traditional music, hip-hop and pop, and visit the vibrant Damba chieftaincy festival in nearby Yendi. And back in the bustling metropolis, Accra, there’s new trend moving hips: classic highlife, with a new pop flavor. Produced by Morgan Greenstreet APWW #745

Tarab - The Art of Ecstasy in Arab Music

Tarab, the ecstatic feeling associated with listening to and playing great music, is a fundamental characteristic in many varieties of Arab music. In this program, we explore tarab with special guest UCLA ethnomusicology professor A.J. Racy. Racy draws on his lifelong study of music and musicians, and also his insights as a virtuoso performer on the nay flute and the buzuq. Racy guides us through the experiences of listeners and players, providing deep insight into many varieties of tarab. We hear works by A.J. Racy, Sabah Fakhri and Ensemble Al-Kindi of Syria.

Luiz Gonzaga - The King of Baiao

Sweet accordion riffs, the steady twang of the triangle, and the off-beat pounding of the zabumba drum make forro a favorite for all Brazilians. The infectious tunes and syncopated beats have been described as "a mixture of ska with polka in overdrive." This edition of Afropop Worldwide's Hip Deep will profile forro creator Luiz Gonzaga--from the wanderlust that led him from his rural birthplace in northeastern Brazil to a pumping career in the capital, Rio de Janeiro, in the 1940s. Conversations with Brazilian artists, recorded on location in the forro capital of Recife, following in Gonzaga's footsteps. Produced by Megwen Loveless APWW #457