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Toussaint Overture

  Rarely do I focus on a single artist or group in putting together my weekly radio program Al compás del mundo. There have been many dedications to the distinctive and varied sounds of specific countries or regions but rarely does the spotlight shine on one individual. Today’s exception stems from the fact that Allen Toussaint was more often in the background than a performer, yet came to represent the music of his native New Orleans like few others. [Continues below.] Al compás del mundo Listo 207, 11-13-25 – the music of Allen Toussaint, New Orleans 01 Aaron Neville - Hercules 02 Ernie K-Doe - So Good 03 The Rubaiyats - Omar Khayyam 04 Lee Dorsey - Sneakin' Sally Thru the Alley 05 Willie West - Greatest Love 06 Allen Toussaint and The Stokes - Two Cents 07 Curly Moore - Don't Pity Me 08 Jessie Hill - Oogsey Moo 09 Benny Spellman - If You Love Her 10 Betty Harris - Bad Luck 11 Allen Toussaint - Poor Boy, Got to Move 12 Maurice Williams - How to Pick a Winner 13 Etta James - W...
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Global potpourri

  Al compás del mundo  206, 11-6-25 - global potpourri list   01 Alogte Oho - Mam Yinne Wa (Ghana) 02 Jagwa Music - Mchawi Ndugu (Tanzania) 03 Polibio Mayorga - Altas Horas (Ecuador) 04 Nimco Jamaac - Buuraha U Dheer (Somalia) 05 Cheb Mohamed Sghir - Zoujouha Laaroubia (Algeria) 06 Pasteur LappÉ - Sanaga Calypso (Cameroon) 07 New Tutenkhamen - Joburg Bound (Zimbabwe) 08 Phuzekhemisi No Nothembi - Solo Ngiyathokoza (Ndebele, South Africa) 09 Saodaj - Pokor Lèr (Reunion) 10 Kaxgar Kizi - Chirayliq (Uyghur, China) 11 Nair Band - Mongolian Brown (Mongolia) 12 bAnda con Εύη Σεϊτανίδου - Ομάλ   (Greece) 13 Les Négresses Vertes - Enfer et paradis (France) 14 Matmatah - Les moutons (France) I suppose most of my potpourri programs take off for a global trek much like this one. I mean, if it were a potpourri of blues stylings, it would be a blues program.  Likewise, a jazz potpourri would be a jazz program. But when the reach extends from Gha...
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The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Music

Bienvenidos to another week of Al compás del mundo. Welcome to my world. Being that RadioactivaTX, out of Tequisquiapan, Queretaro, in the heart of old Mexico, is a streaming station, I’m not sure if I’m the only inhabitant of that world, or not. If there’s a way of measuring audience size and feedback for such programming, I’m not aware of it. Doesn’t matter. If the station allows me, I’ll continue throwing together yet another hour’s worth of eclectic global sounds until they wrest the musical inspiration from my cold, dead brain.  This week’s program arrives on the island of sunny, green Puerto Rico. A bountiful land of abundance (except when there’s not) and fair governance (except when there’s not)... Al compás del mundo 205, 10-30-25 – Puerto Rico Listo 01 Isabel Dávila y German Rosario - Mujer dominante 02 Andres Jiménez - El Pobre Sigue Sufriendo 03 Grupo Mapeye - La Cultura y La Tradición 04 Ecos de Borinquen  - El alma de Puerto Rico 05 Taoné - Verde luz 06 El Trio J...
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Traditional Mississippi

  So, back from vacation with the task at hand. What can I say about a RadioactivaTX streaming radio program of old-timey blues and gospel? I’ve been here before. Turns out many of the songs chosen for this playlist showed up on Al compás del mundo previously and memory failed me (I try to not duplicate titles, but after almost four years of programming there’s room for that.) It was back in January, 2022 when I culled a whole raft of music from a single album: “Voices of Mississippi.” And it all still sounds good. This time I added and peppered a blues list with gospel music of the time – all of which was recorded and edited by ‘blues hunter’ Bill Ferris during tours of the deep South in the 1960s. It’s too bad that cut #8 remains anonymous, as I’d like to hear more from someone who dreams so big – “I had a dream, dream I had last night.  I went to the U.N. and set the whole nation right.” Brings to mind lyrics by Uruguayan singer Daniel Viglietti from “Cantaliso en un bar”. ...
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Original songs and their covers

  Al compás del mundo   195, 8-28-25, original songs and their covers   01 Richard Berry - Louie Louie (USA) 02 The Kingsmen - Louie Louie (USA) 03 Bo Diddley - Who Do You Love (USA) 04 Elise LeGrow - Who Do You Love (Canada) 05 Dolly Parton - Jolene (USA) 06 The White Stripes - Jolene (USA) 07 Bob Dylan - All Along the Watchtower (USA) 08 The Jimi Hendrix Experience - All Along the Watchtower (USA) 09 Alemayehu Eschete - Ayalqem tedengo (Ethiopia) 10 Mungo Jerry - In the Summertime (England) 11 Little Willie John - Fever (USA) 12 Elvis Presley - Fever (USA) 13 Solomon Linda - Mbube (South Africa) 14 The Tokens - The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh) (USA) 15 Billy Roberts - Hey Joe (USA) 16 Wilson Pickett - Hey Joe (USA) 17 Ray Charles - Hit the Road Jack (USA) 18 Becca Krueger - Hit the Road Jack (USA) 19 Beethoven Symphony 9 (Choral) - Ode an die Freude (Germany) 20 Rube Waddell - Ode An die Freude (USA)   Throughout t...
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Ras Haas Reggae - Tuff Vibes

  Al compás del mundo   #193, 8-14-25 - Tuff Vibes, vol. 1 - reggae   01 Sons of Light - Land of Love 02 Devon Russell - Jah Hold the Key 03 Judah Eskander - Jah Light 04 Barrington Levy - Look Youthman 05 Al Campbell - Fight I Down 06 Barry Brown - Warmonger 07 Don Carlos - Plantation 08 Anthony Johnson - Hey Mr. Rich Man 09 Eddie Constantine - Tenement Yard 10 Burning Spear - Jah Jah No Dead 11 Desi Roots - Weed Fields 12 Johnny Clarke - Blood Dunza 13 Earl Cunningham - Jail House 14 Lacksley Castell - Guiding Light 15 Cornell Campbell - Hard Time 16 Noel Ellis - Memories 17 Prince Jammy - Throne of Blood   Here’s another contribution to the Al compás del mundo radio program from flesh and blood prodigy, Ras Haas. A long-time collector of Jamaican vinyl, Ras has claimed that honorific title due to an abiding interest and participation (as a consumer) in the island’s musical scene. For me it’s an entire playlist where almo...
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Worldly Potpourri

  192, 8-07-25 – worldly potpourri   01 Juluka - Ibhola Lethu (Sovany) (South Africa) 02 Hany Mehanna - Dala (Egypt) 03 Aung Win Group - Mother River (Myanmar) 04 Insan Olmaya Geldim - Kirpiğine Kaşına (Turkey) 05 Luis Enrique Casal - El Arbolito (Panama) 06 Lola Flores - La Faraona (Spain) 07 Dengue Fever - Seeing Hands (Thailand and USA) 08 K.R. Nagati - De l'Orient à l'Orion (Tunisia) 09 Kalyi Jag - La Romnjasa (Roma, Hungarye) 10 Jaime Pineda - Cuando el viejo se enamora (Colombia) 11 Liam O' Maonlai - Amhrán na hEascainne (Ireland) 12 Yayah Ratnasari & Bhinneka Group - Bau Tapi Ngeunah (Indonesia) 13 Mulangeni Sounds - Kwathu ku Mulangeni (Malawi) 14 Red Baraat - Sialkot-Zindabad (India and USA)   This week’s program, it’s a worldly potpourri. Or maybe, a weirdly potpourri in its logic or lack thereof. It’s a big ol’ grab bag of stuff. Culled from a file of worthy Al compás del mundo fodder that resides on the fringes where poten...
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