Monday, August 29
The final Monday of every month, we present our award-winning monthly concert series showcasing top world music artists and groups. This month we head to the GroundUP Music Festival in Miami Beach, an innovative event featuring concerts, master classes, and unique artist interactions, all in a tropical setting.
In conjunction with the August Global Drums feature, we'll hear music from one of the most exciting percussionists on the Latin music scene today, Pedrito Martínez. Originally from Cuba and now based in the US, Martínez helped found the Afro-Cuban/Afro Beat band Yerba Buena, has appeared on some 100 albums, worked with a who's who of musicians, and heads up his own group, featured here in a non-stop, high-energy performance of contemporary Afro-Cuban music.
Tuesday, August 30
Global Village visits Lusophone, Africa's five nations - Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, and São Tomé – where Portuguese is an official language. Among the artists featured are Cape Verde's Cesária Évora, Angolan singers Bonga and Waldemar Bastos, Orchestra Marrabenta Star of Moçambique, Guinea-Bissau's Super Mamba Djombo, and from São Tomé, Africa Negra.
Wednesday, August 31
Global Village celebrates Independence Day in Trinidad and Tobago. The twin island nation has a rich musical culture, famed for its calypso, soca (a modernized form of calypso), and steel drum music. Some great performers and recordings, along with different approaches to the sounds of the country, are featured in this Independence Day special – including music from the Mighty Sparrow, Lord Kitchener, David Rudder, Calypso Rose, Andy Narell… and Maya Angelou!
Thursday, September 1
Global Village celebrates the birthday of singer Gloria Estefan with music from her Spanish language albums and guest appearances she made with Celia Cruz and B.B. King. We also kick of our September Global Violin feature with eclectic master player Federico Britos. And we'll hear new music from the Colombian band Rebolú, contemporary chicha group Bareto, and Malian guitar star Vieux Farka Touré.
Friday, September 2
It's New Month/New Music time in the Global Village. Each month, Global Village devotes the entire show to the best of recently released and forthcoming world music albums. Among the highlights this time:
- The long-awaited reunion of two giants of Cuban music – Chucho Valdés and Paquito D'Rivera
- Colombian singer Xiomara Torres
- Another cross-cultural collaboration from Senegalese kora player Ablaye Cissoko with French accordionist Cyrille Brotto
- Innovative Ethiopian singer Minyeshu
- And in conjunction with the September Global Violins feature, we'll hear fiddle-led projects from Gerd Putscheff, Päivi Hirvonen, and Optur
