Afropop Worldwide Folgen

The guitar music of Africa is eternal! Despite the rise of Afrobeats, Afro-house, hip-hop and techno, the continent still turns out inventive and thrilling string pickers. This music-rich program features shredding desert-rock axemen and filigree griot guitarists from Niger and Mali, as well as new sounds from the Congo, Zimbabwe and Madagascar. We’ll also travel to rural Botswana to meet itinerant guitarists who have gained a worldwide following through eye- and ear-popping YouTube videos. Some of their new music is now out on a unique compilation called I’m Not Here to Hunt Rabbits. We’ll hear the sweet, raw sounds and their surprising stories, and discover a whole new way of playing the world’s most versatile string instrument. APWW #786 Produced by Banning Eyre

The plight of albinos in Africa is a sad story. Occult beliefs make them the targets of kidnapping, killing and mutilation. But in Malawi, an exceptionally talented street musician named Lazarus is making a stand in defence of fellow albinos, and he's doing it with music. Lazarus's debut album Stomp the Devil will be released in August, 2019. Producer Banning Eyre takes us inside Lazarus's life and music and explores his surprising tale of survival and activism. This is the season premiere of Afropop Closeups--shorter pieces made specifically for podcasting, which will come out every other week over the summer.

The annual WOMEX gathering is a feast for the eyes and ears. At the 2018 edition in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, over 300 artists performed in 60 official showcases. Afropop Worldwide recorded both intimate exclusive sessions and official showcases. We also interviewed globetrotting artists: Moonlight Benjamin (Haiti/France), Dawda Jobarteh(Gambia/Denmark), Tita Nzebi (Gabon/France) and Serge Ananou (Benin/France). And, we collected a load of new releases from artists you know, like Salif Keita, and some you don’t, but will be happy to discover. This is our second WOMEX 2018 program, a music-filled hour of music and impressions from the world’s greatest gathering of global music movers and shakers. Produced by Banning Eyre. APWW #796