Monday, May 27

The final Monday of every month, we present Global Village at the Savannah Music Festival, a monthly concert series showcasing top world music artists and groups who have appeared at the prestigious annual event that takes place each spring in Savannah, Georgia.

This time, in conjunction with the May Drum feature, it’s one of the world’s most accomplished percussionists and an artist who helped define modern tabla playing, Zakir Hussain. We’ll hear him with two equally accomplished and eclectic musicians, popular banjoist Bela Fleck and award-winning bassist Edgar Meyer, in a program that combines jazz, classical, Americana, and Indian music into one seamless and entrancing whole.

Tuesday, May 28

It’s a Soukous Special this time in the Global Village as we highlight the popular Latin-flavored, guitar-laced Congolese dance music. We’ll hear the legendary band leaders Franco and Tabu Ley Rochereau, Paris-based artists Kanda Bongo Man and the Four Stars, the ‘Queen of Soukous’ M’Bilia Bel, and a marvelous new Afro-Colombian project from Dizzy Mandjeku and Ale Kuma that revives the Latin/African style in a fresh new way.

Wednesday, May 29

It’s ‘Tea for Two’ this time in the Global Village with a show devoted to duos – twosomes from the same musical traditions, and also from different cultures who create an intriguing new blend of sounds. We’ll hear guitarists Ali Farka Toure and Ry Cooder, Talking Head David Byrne with Brazilian legend Caetano Veloso, kora player Ballake Sissoko with cellist Vincent Segal, cellist Matthieu Saglio with flamenco guitarist Jose ‘El Piru,’ singers June Tabor and Maddie Prior, the father and son duo of Toumani and Sidiki Diabate, and more.

Thursday, May 30

In conjunction with the May Drum Month feature, Global Village presents a special show to mark the birthday of legendary Latin jazz and Latin rock percussionist Armando Peraza. We’ll hear one of his earliest recordings with hep cat Slim Gaillard, along with work he did with Mongo Santamaria, Cal Tjader, Alice Coltrane, Santana (where he was a key part of the band for over two decades), and from the only album he did under his own name.

Friday, May 31

Global Village wraps up the May Drum Month feature with a birthday salute to widely-recorded Brazilian percussionist Paulinho da Costa with music he did with Bobby McFerrin (just named a 2020 NEA Jazz Master), Eliane Elias, the Crusaders, and Joe Pass.  We’ll also wrap up with music from drummers Steven Kroon, Tony Allen, Bobby Matos and John Santos.  Plus new music from Brazil’s Sociedade Recreativa, Brazilian-Portuguese duo Coladera, Brazilian guitarist Carlos Barbosa-Lima, and new generation French Afrobeat band Monkuti.

Sunday, May 26

 Hear new music from Lasperanza. The R&B band’s new album Seeds features updated versions of familiar soul tunes. Guest vocalist Kayleigh O’Neill brings a fresh, funky twist to Michael Jackson’s 1979 song “Working Day And Night.”

Wednesday, May 22

Keep On is the sophomore release from Memphis-based soul/blues/R&B group Southern Avenue. Featuring sisters Tikyra (drums, vocals) and Tierinii Jackson (vocals) as well as Israeli-born guitarist Ori Naftaly, the group (rounded out by keyboardist Jeremy Powell) moves beyond its city of origin on this new release, creating a series of songs that suggest the future of Southern music is alive and well but open to contemporary influences. Listen for selections from this latest release as well as music from Nils Lofgren’s Blue With Lou, featuring tunes he co-wrote with the late Lou Reed.

Thursday, May 23

Max Weinberg joined Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band in the 1970s and became an integral member of that group. In the 1990s he served as bandleader for Late Night with Conan O’Brien and, later, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien we’ll hear some of the key performances from his career on this episode as well as selections from Some Girls, the 1978 LP from the Rolling Stones.

Friday, May 24 

We celebrate Bob Dylan’s 78th birthday with selections from throughout his career as well as covers from The Replacements, John Martyn, Shelby Lynn & Allison Moorer plus music from Robyn Hitchcock’s 2002 Dylan tribute, Robyn Sings.

Saturday, May 25

John Bonham is considered one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll drummers of all time. When he died in 1980, at the age of 32, he left behind a relatively small body of work, the then-latest release, Led Zeppelin’s In Through The Out Door which demonstrated his finesse and power behind the kit. We’ll hear selections from that release on this episode as well as music featuring Bonham’s son, Jason.

Monday, May 27

Established as a holiday to remember persons who have died while in service to the United States military, Memorial Day is observed on the final Monday of May. On this episode of Strange Currency we’ll hear from musicians notable for their service in the military, including Jimi Hendrix and Mothers of Invention member Jimmy Carl Black.

Tuesday, May 28

Though known primarily as a guitarist, Kentucky-born musician Adrian Belew got his start on percussion. We’ll hear selections that feature him in both capacities as well as music from his former King Crimson bandmate Bill Bruford.

Thursday, May 30

Billy Ficca had played drums in a number of capacities, although perhaps nowhere as brilliantly as on the 1977 debut from the band Television, Marquee Moon. We’ll hear selections from that release as well as from the Lawrence, Kansas-based outfit The Ants.

Friday, May 31 

First known as The Bangs, The Bangles became one of the most notable pop groups of the 1980s, featuring drumming from Debbie Peterson. We’ll hear selections from that group as well as music from Bikini Kill, featuring Tobi Vail, who spray-painted the phrase “Kurt smells like Teen Spirit” (Teen Spirit was a deodorant) on her then-boyfriend Kurt Cobain’s bedroom wall in the 1990s, giving Nirvana the title of a song that became an anthem of a generation.