Monday, September 10
In conjunction with the September Music of Mali feature, Global Village devotes this program to some of the key Tuareg or ‘desert blues’ bands that have come to international prominence in recent years. The Tuareg call the Sahara home and are found in several different countries, including Niger and Algeria, as well as Mali. We’ll hear from the Mali-based bands Tinariwen (who first helped bring the Tuareg to a wider world music audience), Terakaft and Tartit, as well as Toumast, Etran Finatawa, Bombino, Group Inerane, Imarhan and Ezza.
Tuesday, September 11
Global Village celebrates Ethiopian New Year with a program devoted to music from that country. We’ll hear the ‘Father of Ethio Jazz’ Mulatu Astatke, several artists and bands based in the U.S. with Ethiopian members or inspired by Ethiopian music (including Aster Aweke, Debo Band, Budos Band and Either/Orchestra), and some popular artists during the ‘Golden Age of Ethiopian Music,’ including Mahmoud Ahmed, who was also among the first Ethiopian artists featured on international releases.
Wednesday, September 12
Global Village features the kora, the 21-string harp-like instrument from West Africa. We’ll hear several musicians from Mali (for the September feature), including acclaimed player Toumani Diabate (with Ali Farka Toure, on the Songhai project, as part of Afrocubism, and with jazz trombonist Roswell Rudd) and Ballake Sissoko (with cellist Vincent Segal and as part of the 3MA lineup) – plus contemporary players Ba Cissoko from Guinea and Dawda Jobarteh from Gambia, and the Portland based world jazz ensemble, the Kora Band.
Thursday, September 13
Global Village highlights brass and other bands from the Balkans, and some artists and bands from other parts of the world inspired by those sounds. Among the artists featured are Romania’s Fanfare Ciocarlia, Serbia’s Boban & Marko Markovic Orkestar, Slovakia’s Balkansam6el, and American groups the Raya Brass Band, Slavic Soul Party & Cocek! Brass Band.
Friday, September 14
Global Village celebrates the centennial birthday of Cachao. The great Cuban-born bassist (who made America his home in the ‘60s) helped to create mambo music and the descarga (or Latin jazz jam session). His career enjoyed a revival starting in the ‘90s and he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, named a National Heritage Fellow, and won several Grammys. We’ll hear music he did in the ‘50s in Havana with Chico O’Farrill, later albums he did under his own name, guest appearances he made with Albita, Gloria Estefan and Hubert Laws, and covers of his compositions by his nephew (and Buena Vista Social Club member) Cachaito, Chucho Valdes and Cal Tjader. Global Village will also celebrate centennials of both Cachao and Cuban pianist and composer Bebo Valdes in October for the second half of Hispanic Heritage Month.
