Monday, August 20
Today is Robert Plant’s 70th birthday and Global Village celebrates with the world music side of his music with Led Zeppelin, as a solo artist, as a guest (with Afro Celt Sound System) and in covers from Dread Zeppelin, the Tuvan group Yat-Kha, the Pedrito Martinez Group, and Nguyen Le.
Tuesday, August 21
This time in the Global Village we journey to the Indian Ocean islands of Madagascar, Zanzibar, Seychelles, Comoros and more. We’ll hear from the Culture Musical Club of Zanzibar (with special guest Taj Mahal), Réunion’s Claude Vihn-San, Madagascar’s Zeze, the Seychelles All Stars and, from Comoros, multi-instrumentalist and singer Nawal.
Wednesday, August 22
It’s global horns and reeds this time in the Global Village, as we highlight artists and bands from around the world that feature those instruments. We’ll dip into one of the recent Trojan Records 50th anniversary compilations (for our August feature) for music from saxophonist and Skatalites co-founder Tommy McCook; explore some Italian banda (including the impressive new album from Cesare dell’Anna & GiroiBanda); get to new music from Haitian band RAM; hear Nubian master Ali Hassan Kuban; dip into the recent Hugh Masekela compilation ’66-’76; and check out an exciting new collaboration between the Amsterdam Klezmer Band and Hungary’s Sondorgo.
Thursday, August 23
Global Village marks the birthday of contemporary English folk favorite Eliza Carthy with music from collaborations she did with fiddler Nancy Kerr, and with her parents, Martin Carthy and Norma Waterson. Plus more music for the August Trojan Records 50th Anniversary feature, this time from Dennis Brown and the Melodians, and new music from Malian star Fatoumata Diawara, the Malagasy Guitar Masters, Finnish harmonica group Svang, and Senegalese kora player Seckou Keita with classical harpist Catrin Finch.
Friday, August 24
It’s an eruption of music for Vesuvius Day this time in the Global Village – marking the date in the year 79 CE when Mount Vesuvius exploded and destroyed Pompeii. There’s (imagined) music from ancient Rome, neo-folk bands from Italy, and some thematic songs from other places to mark the occasion, from Riccardo Tesi, Stefan Grossman with John Renbourn, Susana Baca, the B-52s, and more.