Musical Conjurers

Musicians create worlds of their own. They are sonic alchemists. This program, originally produced in 2007, surveys a wide range of artists from throughout the African diaspora, artists with this special ability to spin out their own realities. We hear classic work from Basssekou Kouyate, Habib Koite, Youssou N'Dour, Konono No 1, The Assad Brothers, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and we hear many of them speak about their work. The Malian artists are particularly poignant, as they speak from a time before the turmoil that has enveloped the country since 2012. APWW #539 Produced by Banning Eyre.

It turns out that the first American city to host a roster of local African bands was not New York, Miami or Chicago, but the San Francisco Bay Area of northern California. Hugh Masekela brought Hedzoleh Soundz from Ghana, and they settled in Santa Cruz. Nigerian maestros O.J. Ekemode and Joni Haastrup lived in Oakland in the 1970s. South African musicians from the touring stage show Ipi Tombi also settled in the Bay Area and started the band Zulu Spear. By the early ‘80s, the Bay Area “worldbeat” scene was in full swing, and along with it came Kotoja, Mapenzi, Big City, the Nigerian Allstars and more. Join us for a tour through the sounds and stories of the Bay Area’s catalytic African music scene. Produced by Banning Eyre APWW #713

Bachata is a music of the people. Recalling the American blues, bachata was infamous as the anthem of the hard-drinking, womanizing, down-on-his-luck man, vilified as the entertainment of the brothels and the cabarets, and worshipped by the down-trodden poor as the deepest expression of their feelings. Today it is an international sensation. Alex Wolfe, director of the film "Santo Domingo Blues: The Story of Bachata" brings us live ambience and stories of bachata stars Luis Vargas, Antony Santos, Luis Segura, Adridia Ventura. Produced by Alex Wolfe.

On January 8, 1959, Fidel Castro and his ragtag army marched into Havana and proclaimed victory in the Cuban revolution. Much of the world knew Cuba primarily from its 1930 megahit "El Manicero" ("The Peanut Vendor") and from the mambo craze of the 1950's. After Castro came to power, the economic, political and cultural doors between Cuba and the U.S. would soon be shut. The doors opened briefly for tours by Cuban artists in the U.S. during the Carter and Clinton administrations. In this broadcast, we savor sounds from the pre-Revolutionary golden age of Cuban music that sets the scene for the international success of Cuban music. We illustrate how popular music in Africa and the Americas is not imaginable without the influence of Cuban music--copied and adapted on three continents. We'll hear the stories and rare recordings of such core styles as son - as well as luminaries like Beny Moré, Arsenio Rodriguez, Celia Cruz and the Sexteto Habanero; along with less well known artists. Produced by Ned Sublette APWW #65

This classic episode features Afropop Worldwide’s original live recordings of stellar artists Joe Arroyo (Colombia) in London, Paulina Tomayo (Ecuador) in Quito, Los Muñequitos de Matanzas (Cuba) in New York, Los Van Van (Cuba) in Havana, and Willie Colon in New York. Produced by Sean Barlow APWW #292

The first time Puerto Rican bandleader Willie Rosario heard the word salsa applied to the Cuban-style music he played was in Venezuela, where DJ Phidias Danilo first popularized it. Subsequently applied as a marketing tool by Fania Records in New York, the word quickly became a marker of Puerto Rican identity. We talk to the founding bandleaders of the genre -- Rafael Ithier (El Gran Combo), Quique Lucca (Sonora Ponceña), and Willie Rosario -- and presents immortal hits of early Puerto Rican salsa. Produced by Ned Sublette with José Mandry APWW #207

In this Hip Deep edition, Afropop producer Wills Glasspeigel heads to South Africa to reveal the story of the inimitable Hugh Tracey, a field recordist born at the turn of the 20th century in England. A wayward youth, Tracey found himself in Africa in the 1920s where he became fascinated with music from Zimbabwe. Tracey became a pioneer field recordist, making over 250 LPs of traditional African music for the Gallo label in South Africa. Like John and Alan Lomax in the US, Tracey was instrumental in preserving hundreds of songs that have since gone extinct. Glasspiegel speaks with Dianne Thram, director of Tracey library in Grahamstown, South Africa; Tracey's son Andrew, a musician and field recordist in his own right; Michael Baird, an expert on the Tracey catalog; and esteemed South African anthropologist David Coplan. We'll also head to Malawi to make a field recording of our own with the help of Malawian singer, Esau Mwamwaya. APWW #590

Islam's complex relationship with arts and culture across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia presents special paradoxes and intrigue in the realm of music. Islam has been used both to nurture and curtail musical expression. This program delves into the historic roots of this debate, all the way back to Baghdad in the early centuries of Islam. Case studies highlight sublime and ecstatic music from Iraq, Iran, Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Pakistan and more. Author and Middle East specialist Joseph Braude discusses the history and issues with two Islamic scholars. (originally aired 2008) Produced by Banning Eyre APWW #561

The "Black Pacific" is a term coined by our guide, ethnomusicologist Heidi Carolyn Feldman. She describes the circumstance of African descendants displaced not only from their ancestral homes in Africa, but also from the Atlantic coast nations where their enslaved ancestors were originally brought. This Hip Deep edition explores the sonically vibrant realm of Afro-Peruvian music, a young genre identification that has flourished since the 1950s and has now produced artists of international renown, such as singer Susana Baca, and the black folkloric company Peru Negro. The music is sensuous and deeply beautiful, and represents a fascinating and little-understood history. We will hear from Juan Morillo, who represents Peru Negro, from Susana Baca, and from other artists and community scholars Feldman has worked with during her extensive research of this topic. Produced by Simon Rentner and Wills Glasspiegel APWW #558

On a return trip to Madagascar, we catch up with and hear new music from tsapiky maestro Damily, the “King of Salegy” Jaojoby, an exciting new duo starring Sammy of Tarika Sammy, Toko Telo and more. This music-rich edition is filled with entrancing and hard-to-find roots pop. In the wake of 2018’s hard-fought presidential election, Madagascar faces a new era with former DJ Andry Rajoelina at the helm. Word is his theme song was a major boost. We’ll hear it. We’ll also sample rare field recordings from this spectacularly musical and often overlooked Indian Ocean island. Produced by Banning Eyre. APWW #800