“He’s got the whole world in his hands...”, or so the song goes, maybe referring to Rio de Janeiro within the reach of the famous Christ the Redeemer overlooking the urban sprawl and magnificent coastline. Along with natural beauty, Brazil has been blessed with a multitude of musicians, a small sample of whom can be found in this week’s playlist. Some older maestros include Cartola, Luiz Gonzaga, and Milton Nascimento – formidable talents in varied genres. Many consider Cartola the most accomplished purveyor of the Brazilian samba. Gonzaga can claim that title for cowboy music of the Northeast. And Nascimento was most instrumental in introducing Brazilian pop music to a US and European audience. Bossa Nova was an earlier fad (internationally) in the 1960s and – as we can see here, continues to inspire. “Tempo De Amar” and “Berimbau” are two such classics given an update by contemporary singers. Other well-known hits from decades ago include “De Noite Na Cama” (“A Night in Bed”) and a

 Lots of fun, crazy, groovy stuff here in yet another potpourri. I don’t know who Bwana is, but his remix of Al Green’s “Love Ritual” takes me to a place that Al alone never did. Less lovey-dovey, more tribal. And one place I would like to visit would be Goran Bregović’s homeland. I hear it’s a beautiful place of mountains, forests and charming old cities and towns, where seldom is heard a discouraging word…though not so distant history suggests “Kalashnikov” might be an exception to that rule. I really got to jump around in this set, from contemporary Colombian “Chucusteady” to “Juana la Cubana”. Glad to see a younger generation of musicians latching on to traditional sounds while making it their own. There’s plenty of old school material this week as well, from Nubia in Southern Egypt, to Sudan and Senegal. We finish off, as I often tend to do, with a nod to the Middle East and thereabouts. Guitarist Rustem Quliyev, I am told, is a psychedelic master of that electric instrument. I do

Almost every single artist’s name in this week’s playlist is an unknown for me. Strange, but rockabilly has never been on my radar. Evidenced by the fact that after 136 weekly programs on RadioactivaTX I’ve only now given it a nod as a theme for the first time. And I tend to like the music. Sometimes I like it a lot! Go figure. Maybe it’s the Southern connection? With misguided distaste, I have long found most everything to do with White cultural mores, from Texas to Florida, anathema. I realize that is absurd and unfounded – especially in the case of danceable, down-to-earth rockabilly music. So, I hereby profess my ignorance and bias. Bring on the hate mail!  [continued...] Al compás del mundo - programa #137, rockabilly First broadcast July 18, 2024 01 Ben Hewitt - I Want a New Girl Now 02 Ray Smith - Shake Around 03 Keith Corvalle - Trapped Love 04 Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks - Mary Lou 05 Wanda Jackson - Fujiyama Mama 06 Curtis Hobock - Apron Strings 07 Johnny Burnette - The Tr

  That’s what I like about “folk” music. It lasts forever. Forever in the hearts of those who lived it, maybe long ago. Forever in the spirit of their kids and grandkids who will (at least) admit to having heard (and maybe sung) those old-timey themes at family gatherings. Forever in the overtures produced by classical composers while slumming in the realm of “semi-classical” works. Forever amongst the ethnomusicologists, keenly aware of a musical genre’s importance in cultural identity. And forever in the evolutionary churning out of contemporary stylings where periodic rediscoveries of “the roots” pay homage to what used to be. And that is what we’re going to find in today’s playlist.   Wailing guitars, thumping bass lines, and heavy drums signify a distinct brand of rock ‘n roll that still finds popularity in parts of Latin America (though admittedly, some of these samples come from earlier in this century.) Listen to Uchpa, Raymi Rock, Rockpata and Chingon, where folk themes get bl

Every now and then I like to throw in a jazz show for my international audience at Al compas del mundo. In the weekly chronology it might follow a program of Arabic pop tunes and be succeeded seven days later by music from Estonia, but jazz always seems to wake up those people who favor an eclectic, never predictable potpourri. The purpose, of course, as with every show, is to entertain and expand horizons. Or maybe just give familiar pleasure to the cognoscenti who’ve been there and done that. There’s a lot to savor in this playlist and I see little merit in calling out individual performances and mostly well-known musicians – with the exception of one. The Brotherhood of Breath was a gathering of South African and British musicians in the early 70s, and the piece performed here is a calling card for what was known in the South African Black neighborhoods of Johannesburg as “Township music”, while retaining its jazz credibility. Oh, and Roland Kirk is a blues monster on Blue Rol. -J.H