Monday, December 31
The final Monday of every month, we present Global Village at the Savannah Music Festival, a monthly concert series showcasing world music artists and groups who have appeared at the prestigious annual festival that takes place each spring in Savannah, Georgia. This time, in conjunction with the December Music of New Orleans feature, it’s one of that city’s finest pianists, Henry Butler. An artist equally at home in jazz, R&B, blues, and classical music, but deeply rooting in the city’s second line sensibility, Butler was one of the artists who took classic New Orleans piano into the future. We’ll hear him in three different settings – with a trio, solo, and in a Crescent City grand finale with several guests from the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
Tuesday, January 1
Global Village kicks off the new year with a look back at the old one – featuring the best of 2018, tributes, award winners and more from 2018 throughout January. This time, a show favorite (Hip Spanic Allstars), a tribute (Jerry Gonzalez) and some reissues (from World Circuit and Nighthawk) to kick things off. We also mark birthdays of innovative Latin band leader Manny Oquendo, bassist and musical director in Oquendo’s group – Andy Gonzalez, and Ivory Coast reggae star Alpha Blondy.
Wednesday, January 2
It’s National Science Fiction Day, in honor of the birthday of science and science fiction writer Isaac Asimov, and Global Village calls on some global artists for some out of this world sounds for the occasion. We’ll hear music from Foundation (in honor of one of Asimov’s most famous scifi series), the Imagined Village, Sheb Wooley, the Planet Smashers, Sonido Gallo Negro (one of our picks for Best of 2018), the Easy Star All-Stars, and (of course) Sun Ra & His Myth Science Arkestra, among others.
The National Science Fiction Day celebration continues until midnight on Strange Currency and Night Train.
Thursday, January 3
Global Village pays a visit this time to Central Asia – the crossroads for the many paths of the Silk Road. We’ll hear music from the Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble inspired by Turkmenistan, Uzbek star Yulduz Usmanova, traditional music from Kyrgyzstan’s Damira Njazbekova, some heavy metal folk from Kazakhstan’s Ulytau, and a selection from Smithsonian Folkways Music of Central Asia series. Plus a few detours along to way to Finland, Germany, the Virgin Islands and New York.
Friday, January 4
Global Village traditionally begins each January with a look back at the past year and our first ‘New Month/New Music’ show is always devoted to a countdown of favorite releases of the past year. Along with our top ten picks, the show features one of the significant reissues that were also among our picks as well. The full list of favorites is posted on our website at kmuw.org and we’ll feature more music from all of them throughout the month, along with other important 2018 releases, award winners and nominees, and tributes to artists who passed away in the past year.
