Afropop Worldwide (Africa)

(Part 1 in a two-part series marking the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution.) 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...

With new visa fees, a weak dollar, and the decline of the CD business, it's not easy for foreign musicians to mount a successful U.S. tour these days. And yet they keep on coming! On this program we catch up with an exciting collection of hearty, traveling Afropop musicians. We'll hear insights, memories and fabulous music from Zimnbabwe's Chiwoniso, Umalali and The Garifuna All-Stars, Lobi Traorandeacute;, Joep Pelt, and more.

Here it is--the moment you've been waiting for! It's the moment we open the envelopes to see who wins Afropop's honors for the ten best African, Caribbean, and Latin albums of the year. Plus we'll play selections for the guitar lover, dance fanatic, Arab music lover, percussion discussionist, etc. on your holiday shopping list (including yourself)!

In our continuing celebration of Afropop Worldwide's 20th anniversary, we return to one of our favorite cities--Dakar, Senegal--to hear an extraordinary all-night concert in front of 70,000 fans at the national stadium. Featured are Senegal's artistic royalty--Youssou N'Dour, Baaba Maal, Thione Seck--as well as lesser-known artists. We also visit the home of the one and only Baaba Maal.

There's a lot of fantastic music being made by Brazilian artists living in the United States. For sure, they have a large audience: it's estimated that over one million Brazilians have immigrated here over the past 25 years and there are sizeable Brazilian communities in cities all over the U.S. And that's not to mention the ever-growing legions of non-Brazilian fans of samba, capoeira, forr?, bossa nova, choro, Brazilian jazz and other styles that are so important to U.S musical life. We'll...

The summer season is always the best time to catch touring Afropop and Latin stars. As always, in this 2008 edition of our annual summer concerts program, we pick our favorites so you can plan your summer around when these artists come to your town. Seun Kuti and Egypt '80 from Nigeria, Vieux Farka Tourandeacute; from Mali, Bajofondo and others. We'll check in with some of our favorite free summer music festivals--Central Park SummerStage, Celebrate Brooklyn, Detroit's Concert of Colors,...

Sudan presents a uniquely complex Afro-Arab history and culture, and this program tells the country's story through music. A vibrant tradition of pan-Sudanese music was flowering in 1989 when an oppressive, Islamist government came to power. Many major artists then left the country, creating a far flung musical diaspora. Others--such as Mohammed Wardi, and Abdel Gadir Salilm--remained behind, weathering years of conflict and division. On this program historian Ahmad A. Sikainga helps...

As part of our 20th anniversary celebration, we are proud to encore one of our all-time favorite programs, celebrating one of most exhilarating events of the 20th Century, the peaceful transition from the evil system of apartheid to a democratic, non-racial country. With all Africa's troubles today, the extraordinary wisdom and forgiveness of Nelson Mandela as he led South Africa to freedom is a miracle that we should not forget. The music of this era is a vivid reflection of the emotions and...

We go to Rio, Salvador de Bahia, Recife and Sao Paulo to visit with some of the greats--Gilberto Gil, Joao Bosco, Gal Costa, and others. Brazil is exceptional in how new generations of artists incorporate the work of their elders and at the same time add their own flavor for exhilarating results. We'll enjoy the conversation between Luis Gonzaga and the roots revivalists such as Chico Science in Recife and then hear the latest from Carnaval 2008. And in this year that marks the 50th...

The recent death of Malian guitar legend Ali Farka Tourandeacute; has inspired a new round of speculation about the roots of the blues in Africa. Tourandeacute; famously argued that the beloved American genre was "nothing but African," a bold assertion. Among scholars, Gerhard Kubik's book Africa and the Blues has gained recognition as the most serious and penetrating examination of the subject. This program in our Hip Deep series will be produced in collaboration with Kubik, allowing a rare...

Once-substantial Jewish enclaves of Morocco, Algeria and other North Africa states have dwindled steadily since World War II, mostly through migration to Israel. In sub-Saharan Africa, lesser known Jewish communities provide strikingly different narratives. Guided by ethnomusicologist and Rabbi Jeffrey A. Summit of Tufts University, this program focuses on the history and music of a small but robust community of Jewish converts in Uganda, the Abayudaya. Summit's own recordings include the...

Every year, the Afropop Worldwide team goes to WOMEX in the heart of old Al-Andalus, Seville, to gather interviews, live recordings and mountains of new CDs available nowhere else. This is the most important pow-wow for artists and world music pros anywhere. Over 30 artists will perform. Some of our favorities include: 3Canal (Trinidad and Tobago), Aman Aman (Spain), Kasai All Stars (Congo); Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 (Nigeria); and Siba (Brazil). It's tough to boil all that into one hour of...

From Vodou to Compas to Racine to Rara and Beyond Haiti became the first black-ruled republic in the Americas in 1804, and music has mirrored, and at times shaped, the twists and turns of Haiti's politics and culture ever since. A primary source of Haitian culture is Dahomey, the birthplace of vodou--the most commonly held world view among Haitian people today. We explore how each of Haiti's rulers has championed his own preferred music. The Duvalier dictators favored compas dance music, and...

Oriente in eastern Cuba is the birthplace of the son, that traveled to Havana and grew into the worldwide salsa movement. Oriente also received some of the exodus of the Haitian Revolution 200 years ago, and Oriente today reflects that lively mix of Franco-Haitian, African and Spanish sources. This program, we head to Oriente visit places where musicians gather in Santiago de Cuba, Baracoa, Holguin, and Guantanamo to play traditional son, as well as antique cousins of son--changui and nengon.

The guitar is at the center of so many Afropop styles we love. And it's still going strong even in the age of hip hop. In this program we'll hear from some well known guitar heroes--Djelimady Tounkara from Mali and Jaojoby from Madagascar, and others--as well as some less well known artists such as Louis Mlanga from South Africa.