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Foreign language covers

So here’s the challenge: listen to the program streaming live at radioactivatx.org on Thursday or Saturday at 3:00 Central time, same hour as Mexico, or find it in the archive on the station’s website after it has been published several days later (I’m led to believe this presents a challenge in and of itself). The challenge consists of your identifying the songs based on the musical intro. Most of the songs are oldies so I suppose that leaves out a major portion of the potential listening audience, but for those Boomers amongst you or your educated progeny, see how well you score. Some, like the Italian version of “Paint It Black” call for instant recognition. Others like “Norwegian Wood” from an Indian artist, drift off into local traditions and is not recognizable until the singer reaches the chorus. It’s all in good fun, though, with some quality tunes and some abominations. I particularly enjoy hearing “White Rabbit” sung in Arabic; Masaaki Hirao’s (Japanese teen hearthrob) take o...
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Bon Ton Potpourri

 Al compás del mundo  #173, 3-27-25 – greatest hits of programs #36-38   01 D.R. Parvatikar – Svarǎmandalǎ (India) 02 Conjunto Alma Jarocha - El Cascabél (México) 03 Stringquake - Sacramento Kai Lodi (USA) 04 Luciel Izumi - Flor de Huancayo (Bolivia) 05 Kathy Mattea - Gone, Gonna Rise Again (USA) 06 Clarence Ashley with Doc Watson - Little Sadie (USA) 07 Clifton Chenier - Bon Ton Roulet (USA) 08 Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys - La Danse de Mardi Gras (USA) 09 The Reel Time Travelers - Like a Songbird That Has Fallen (USA) 10 Jerry Garcia and David Grisman - Shady Grove (USA) 11 Ralph Stanley - Little Maggie (USA) 12 Sarah Jarosz - Fischer Store Road (USA) 13 Kate and Anna McGarrigle - Perrine etait servante (Canada) 14 Vivi - Toe Meme Maloya (Reunión Island) 15 Yves Simon - Zelda (France) 16 Brigitte Fontaine and Areski - Je suis venu te voir (France and Algeria) 17 Tatiana Eva-Marie and the Avalon Jazz Band - Besame mucho (Switzerl...
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Electric Chicago blues

  Al compás del mundo Run List   #172, 3-20-25 - electric Chicago blues   01 James Cotton - Love Me or Leave Me 02 Sonny Boy Williamson - Wake Up Baby 03 Hound Dog Taylor and the Houserockers - Wild About You, Baby 04 Howlin Wolf - You'll Be Mine 05 John Lee Hooker – Louise 06 Junior Wells - Snatch It Back and Hold It 07 Koko Taylor - Wang Dang Doodle 08 Little Walter - I Don't Play 09 Jimmy Rogers - Walking by Myself 10 J.B. Lenoir - Don't Dog Your Woman 11 Otis Rush - Keep on Loving Me Baby 12 Muddy Waters - I Can't Be Satisfied 13 Sunnyland Slim - Shake It 14 Walter Horton - It's Alright 15 Buddy Guy - When My Left Eye Jumps 16 Magic Sam - She Belongs to Me 17 Johnny Young - Cross-Cut Saw 18 Eddie Boyd - Third Degree 19 Willie Dixon and Friends - I Cry for You   Got to feature the blues from time to time on Al compás del mundo as there seems to be a shortage of such on Mexican radio. Although RadioactivaTX.org, the ...
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Start with Bombino!

  Al compás del mundo #171, 3-13-25 – potpourri -  What can I say about yet another potpourri? The first five tracks are lively,  guapachosa (danceable)  Latin music. The odd group out being the Crazy Ken Band, a Japanese aggregation that does a spot-on take of the New York Puerto Rican sound…until they start singing in Japanese about the barrio Chino. #6 sort of fits with its  percussion and slow Caribbean  rhythm, though it’s sung mostly in French and comes out of Mali. They even throw in a chorus in Spanish, imitating a 1965 Cuban ode to  Che Guevara. India then ramps up a little bhangra energy; Kyrgyzstan offers lilting strings; Niger responds with more strings in a style that’s been loosely referred to as “desert blues” ; Tanzania chips in one of those “modern” songs where half of the instruments are electronic keyboard creations – though in this case it’s to back an example of  Islamic tarab music,  more pop than religious; two cad...
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Autochthonous Vibrations of Asturias, Galicia, Cantabria, Basque

 #170, Al compás del mundo - 3-6-25, Northern Spain: Asturias, Galicia, Cantabria, Basque Country The summary of today’s Al compás del mundo music program is going to serve, in part, as a mini-lecture on the history of Northern Spain. Why would you want to read that? First, because there’s a lot of fine music coming from the region. Second, to see if we can’t prove Mark Twain wrong, after he once said: “God created war so that Americans would learn geography.” Come on, you yankees! The world’s getting smaller everyday. It’s time we learn about those we share the planet with. And did I mention the fine music?  01 Atlántica - El emboscado (Cantabria) 02 N'Arba - De Grau a Concarneau (Asturias) 03 Llan de Cubel - Rigu Esva (Asturias) 04 Tejedor - Gaites del infiernu (Asturias) 05 Luar Na Lubre e Diana Navarro - Romeiro Ao Lonxe (Asturias) So, it’s Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, and the Basque Country from west to east across the northern border of the country. While most of the po...
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Funk and Soul

  Al compás del mundo - programa #169, 2-27-25, Funk and Soul   01 The Commodores - Brick House 02 Tower of Power - Drop It In The Slot 03 Parliament - Ride On 04 Sly & The Family Stone – Frisky 05 The Webb People – I’m Sending Vibrations 06 Ruby Delicious - Rock Steady 07 Mandrill - Git It All 08 The San Francisco TKOS – Herm 09 Ohio Players - Fire 10 Parliament - Mothership Connection (Star Child) 11 Kool & The Gang - Jungle Boogie 12 Chico and Buddy - A Thing Call the Jones 13 Little Ann – Possession 14 Lafayette Afro-Rock Band - Time Will Tell 15 Parliament - Ain't Nuthin' But a Jam Y'all   What did James Brown mean when he said “we’re gonna have a funky good time”? This “funky” of which he spoke, was it strictly musical (and danceable), or maybe sexual, sociable, or even political? Or maybe a little bit of each? Funk, funky, funkify, funkadelic, funkalicious…all pointing at the pleasure principle…a new dialect for the “blue...
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Music of Benin and Nigeria: Afro National Band, The Nigerian Police Force Band, Black Santiago, More

Two neighboring countries in West Africa, Benin and Nigeria, have much in common. At the same time there are distinct traditions that set them apart. Of course, I’m talking about their music. Listen to the two “halves” of this program and you will see what I mean. Otherwise, Benin is best known for its history – referring to the local kingdom with its roots in the 10th century leading up to the British Punitive Expedition in 1897 wherein the entire royal treasury of bronze “art” works (“the Benin bronzes”) were looted. Nigeria, the most populous nation on the continent, has long been a country of contrasts: a thriving economy for the upper classes versus struggles for vast numbers of the poor and under-represented; major divisions have arisen between the Christian and Muslim populations; a land of plentiful resources where hunger is not uncommon (i.e. Biafra). But enough of all that. We’re here to sample the popular music of both countries with just a whiff of what’s available. After a...
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