Monday, May 21
Global Village marks the birthday of critically acclaimed guitarist and much-in-demand session player Marc Ribot. We’ll hear music he did with one of several groups he leads, Los Cubanos Postizos, and guest appearances with a wide array of artists, from Tom Waits (with whom he made some of his earliest appearances on record) to Robert Plant & Allison Kraus, Brazil’s Vinicius Cantuaria and Caetano Veloso, Afro-Peruvian star Susana Baca, Colombian rock band Aterciopelados, his brother Greg Ribot and more.
Tuesday, May 22
Global Village marks the birthday of (other) world musician Sun Ra with some pieces he did influenced by styles from other parts of the planet. Plus more for the May Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month feature including music from Zakir Hussain (with Tabla Beat Science) and Bela Fleck (with Indian slide guitarist V.M. Bhatt and ehru player Jie-Bing Chen) – the two, along with Edgar Meyer will be featured on the next edition of our monthly concert series, Global Village at the Savannah Music Festival, at the end of May.
(Strange Currency and Night Train also feature music of Sun Ra tonight.)
Wednesday, May 23
In conjunction with the May Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month feature, Global Village highlights music from China. We’ll hear musicians from there, and those who call America and other parts of the world home, and we’ll hear a wide array of sounds, from traditional music, to contemporary styles, along with some cross-cultural collaborations. Among the artists featured are U.S. based musicians and educators Gao Hong (with a new album with Syrian oud player Issam Rafea) and Mei Han (doing a piece inspired by Balkan and klezmer music), Chinese erhu player Guo Gan with Ivorian balafon player Aly Keita, the Shanghai Restoration Project’s reworking of Chinese Jazz Age favorites, Taiwanese group A Moving Sound, and the Chinese Music Ensemble of New York, one of the oldest traditional Chinese music groups in the country.
Thursday, May 24
Global Village celebrates the birthday of Bob Dylan in a show devoted to world music artists doing Dylan songs and world music-influenced versions of his work. There’s Dylan tunes by Cuba’s Vocal Sampling, the art-folk Quercus trio (June Tabor, Huw Warren & Iain Bellamy), the Hudson album from Jack DeJohnette, Larry Grenadier, John Medeski and John Scofield, South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Robert Plant, reggae great Toots Hibbert, and more.
(Strange Currency and Night Train also celebrate Dylan’s birthday tonight.)
Friday, May 25
On this date in 1963, independent nations of Africa formed the Organization of African Unity. This has since been celebrated across Africa and around the world as Africa Day. It is a public holiday in several African countries and Global Village highlights music from them in this special edition of the show. Among the artists featured: Zimbabwe’s Thomas Mapfumo, Zambia’s Brian Chilala, Guinea’s Balla et ses Balladins, Ghana’s Ebo Taylor and C.K. Mann, and from Mali, Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba.
