Afropop Worldwide
11:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m., Saturday
The New York Times calls Afropop Worldwide ”... an aural travelogue.” The weekly Public Radio International program is hosted by one of Africa’s best-known and best-loved broadcasters, Georges Collinet from Cameroon. Listeners travel with Collinet to dynamic musical destinations in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas. There, they meet emerging stars and experience the ambience of the nightclubs, concert halls, and homes where some of the planet’s most exciting music is happening. Afropop Worldwide’s exclusive live concert recordings and interviews have introduced American listeners to numerous world-class musicians, including Khaled from Algeria, Thomas Mapfumo from Zimbabwe, Los Munequitos de Matanzas from Cuba, and many more.
Coming Soon…
Afropop Worldwide is pleased to celebrate the World Cup in South Africa, the first African country to host the World Cup. As former President Nelson Mandela said, “This is a big coming out party.” Afropop listeners will hear a three part series celebrating the moment. The first takes listeners to beautiful Cape Town where Faldela Williams invites Georges into her home for some Cape cooking and music. The next is our Hip Deep program, “South Africans Remember: The Music That Helped Defeat Apartheid and Celebrate Freedom,” rich in artist voices and stories that reminds listeners of the miraculous transition to a non-racial, democratic country that is the common heritage that makes the new South Africa today possible. And the finale, timed for the finale of the World Cup in early July, is our “Afropop Soundsystem, Part 4” that takes us to Johannesburg to visit with cutting edge contemporary artists.
Also featured in June is our celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Congo, one of the epicenters of contemporary African dance music. In “Four Generations of Congo Music” we get the broad historical sweep from the 1950s to this decade complete with artist interviews and recording sessions from Kinshasa. And then the spotlights shifts to our profile of singer, guitarist, composer, bandleader extraordinaire, Franco, whose work reflected and animated the life of Congolese people like no other artist before or since.
Enjoy!
June 5
WORLD CUP SOUTH AFRICA, PT.1: COOKING WITH GEORGES IN CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities on earth. At the southern most tip of the continent, South Africa is a vast melting pot of peoples and cultures including Bantus, San, Indonesians, Indians, Dutch and English. And the cuisine reflects that. Georges Collinet goes to the home of Faldela Williams who invites us into her kitchen as she cooks sugar bean curry and roti. Faldela warns that you can’t cook curry too quickly. It needs time to sweat and blend so we have plenty of time to hang out and listen to great music by Cape Town’s favorite son, Abdullah Ibrahim, Outernational Meltdown, and others. Also featured are side trips to nearby Madagascar and Mozambique..
June 12, 2010
WORLD CUP SOUTH AFRICA, PT.2: SOUTH AFRICANS REMEMBER—THE MUSIC THAT HELPED BEAT APARTHEID AND CELEBRATE FREEDOM
In part 2 of our marking of South Africa hosting the World Cup, we get some perspective as we celebrate one of most exhilarating events of the 20th Century, the peaceful transition from the evil system of apartheid to a democratic, non-racial country. The extraordinary wisdom and forgiveness of Nelson Mandela as he led South Africa to freedom is a miracle that we should not forget. The music of this era is a vivid reflection of the emotions and hopes of the moment. We will hear conversations with some of the veterans of contemporary SA music including Lucky Dube, Ray Phiri, Dorothy Masuka, and others. They share their recollections of the key events of the apartheid era and the long journey to freedom: the June 16th 1976 Soweto Student Uprising, the Feb. 11, 1990 release from jail of Nelson Mandela; first democratic elections the April 27th 1994 for the New South Africa. Plus younger stars of kwaito music including Kabelo and Thandiswa Mazwai speak for the youth generation.
June 19
CELEBRATING CONGO’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE—MARKING THE LIFE AND TIMES OF GRAND MASTER FRANCO.
Congo, one of the epicenters of contemporary African music, became independent in June of 1960. We celebrate with a portrait of Franco—a towering figure in the cultural life of Africa. Guitar wizard. Prolific composer. Bandleader who groomed the who’s who of Congolese singing royalty. Called the Balzac of Africa for his ear and way with a story. Franco passed in 1989. We’ll talk to veteran singer and former Franco collaborator, Sam Mangwana, about Franco. And we’ll relish recording highlights from the 50s to the 80s. This is some of the most gorgeous music ever created in Africa.
June 26
CELEBRATING CONGO’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE—FOUR GENERATIONS OF CONGOLESE MUSIC
Congo has always played an oversize role in entertaining dance lovers on the continent and beyond—Franco, Tabu Ley, Doctor Nico, Zaiko Langa Langa, Papa Wemba, Pepe Kalle, and others. We start in pre-independence Congo with the beloved “Papa” Wendo Kolossoy (RIP), the grandfather of rumba, as he talks with us at his home in Kinshasa. We talk to the man and listen in on the recording session. After sitting out most of the 3-decade Mobutu era, Wendo put together a band of veterans with stories to tell, and sweet melodies and rhythms to share. We also talk with the legendary singer and composer Simaro Lutumba who sat at the right hand of Franco. We catch Simaro rehearsing his band, Bana OK. We also check in with dueling superstars Werrason and JB Mpiana.
JULY
July 3, 2010
Afropop Soundsystem, goes to South Africa
We head to Jozi (Johannesburg) to meet cutting edge South African artists that don’t usually get recognized internationally. We check out the story of Shangaan music in an exclusive interview with producer Nozinja in his Soweto studio. We’ll hear his latest hits and check in with Foster, the king of Shangaan electro gospel. It’s on to meet upstart rappers Dirty Parafin at the Nike shop in the northern suburb Mellville. He has been sampling lately from late 80s / 90s SA bubblegum stars—Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Brenda Fassie and the Big Dudes and the Dalom Kids. We’ll also feature a short conversation with South African ethnomusicologist, Gavin Steingo to talk about the relevance of kwaito today. Produced by Wills Glasspiegel.
July 10, 2010
Afropop All Stars—Live!!
Sit back—or get up—and enjoy this fabulous hit parade of Afropop stars recorded live by Afropop Worldwide. South Africa’s joyful Mahotella Queen (inductees into the Afropop Hall of Fame) performing at SOB’s in New York open the show, followed by their one and only partner, the “groaner” Mahlathini (RIP). Next is an exquisite, mbira heavy set by the Lion of Zimbabwe, Thomas Mapfumo, Grammy Award winner Youssou N’Dour in a powerful set including his hit“Set”, a smoldering set by Khaled at Central Park SummerStage, soukous king Kanda Bongo Man, and Simba Wanyika out of Kenya.
July 17, 2010
The Other Afro-Latino – Hidden Sounds from Ecuador, Bolivia, and Uruguay
Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian musical giants have long enjoyed the spotlight, yet throughout Latin America there are other black enclaves producing some of the New World’s most vibrant music. Their stories have gone untold for far too long. In this episode, Afropop explores these lost sounds, starting in an Ecuadorian desert valley where African and Andean traditions have mixed seamlessly into fiery dance music. Then we’re off to mangrove-studded Esmeraldas to search out the last marimba legends living on the jungle waterways. We continue to Bolivia, where a tiny black minority uses their music to fight for recognition by the indigenous government and last, we’ll listen to the driving carnival music of Uruguay, candombe. Tune in for exclusive interviews and recordings by everyone from marimba master Papa Roncón to Candombe-jazz legend Hugo Fattoruso.
July 24, 2010
The Mande Diaspora in New York City
New York’s Mande community has blossomed over the past 20 years. The story that begins with the rise of the king Sunjata Keita in 13th century Mali now extends to music-filled social gatherings among West African diplomats and businessmen in the Bronx and Harlem, not to mention electro-griots, and of course, fusion! Musicians like Mamadou Diabate, Papa Suso and Yacouba Sissoko (all kora players), Famoro Diabate and Bala Kouyate (balafon players), and the golden-throated griot vocalist Abdoulaye Diabate are so excellent that they have inevitably been invited to participate in a wide variety of jazz and pop music projects in New York City and around the country. We’ll meet them, hear their stories and music, and get historical and cultural context from ethnomusicologist Ryan Thomas Skinner.
July 31, 2010
NEW YORK’S MANDE DIASPORA, PART 2: In the second part of Afropop’s exploration of New York’s Mande community, we look at the lives Mande artists have made for themselves in America. This program deals with the urge to escape community, to experience American life and music. Also with the strains of being undocumented and unable to travel. We’ll hear more from ethnomusicologist Ryan Skinner, and focus on music by Balla Kouyate, Balla Tounkara, The Mandingo Ambassadors, Fula Flute, Brewed by Noon, Kakande, Source and more.
