Al compás del mundo is a multi-cultural radio program on streaming platform Radioactiva.TX out of Tequisquiapan, Mexico. And when I say “multi-cultural” I mean what I say! In the program’s Spanish language intro I point out “You never know what you’re going to hear.” In an effort to feature something different every week, past programs include music from Colombia, Black and White blues, psychedelia, jazz and complements, bluegrass-folk, 1950’s rock ‘n roll, the music of French speakers, South and North Africa, Cuba, Eastern Europe, New Orleans sounds, Latin American protest music, the British rock invasion, Palestinian and Arab music, and much etc. When I don’t focus on a particular region or style, I will throw out a potpourri of everything under the sun. In short, eclectic is the byword.
Choosing music and writing about “the guitar” opens many doors. I could have gone off in any number of directions and with a singular narrow focus - but I didn’t. Instead, I threw a whole bunch of varied tunes against a wall to see which ones stuck. Sometimes there’s a continuity and other times none: just two aesthetically pleasing pieces that worked well in tandem and, hopefully, were preceded and followed with similar morsels. Usually, that is how these programs come together. I receive a divinely inspired revelation for a certain theme, region, or style of music and build it from there. Baden Powell, Brazilian beatnik poet and guitar master, seemed to me an obvious choice to begin the program. From there (as you can well see) we stick around Latin America a bit; segue into Spain, notorious as a guitar hotbed; head South to North Africa for the venerable Bombino (yes, again!) and more of that desert blues ilk; logically morph into a short blues set and settle at the bottom sid...
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