Afropop Worldwide Folgen

Sweet accordion riffs, the steady twang of the triangle, and the off-beat pounding of the zabumba drum make forro a favorite for all Brazilians. The infectious tunes and syncopated beats have been described as "a mixture of ska with polka in overdrive." This edition of Afropop Worldwide's Hip Deep will profile forro creator Luiz Gonzaga--from the wanderlust that led him from his rural birthplace in northeastern Brazil to a pumping career in the capital, Rio de Janeiro, in the 1940s. Conversations with Brazilian artists, recorded on location in the forro capital of Recife, following in Gonzaga's footsteps. Co-produced by Harvard's Megwen Loveless. APWW #457

On this program, we follow Caribbean steel-pan bands and Haitian rara groups through their preparations for Brooklyn's West Indian Day Parade and Carnival, into the special jouvert celebration that kicks off carnival with revelers and performing groups dancing through the pre-dawn streets of Brooklyn; to the intense Panorama steel-pan competition, the daylight parade and beyond. We also hear how members of these Caribbean communities keep their cultural activities alive and thriving despite the considerable challenges they are facing in a rapidly gentrifying city. APWW #739

If Americans hear about Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro at all, he's usually described as a "Brazilian Donald Trump." But on this week's CloseUp, we step out of the American bubble, and look at who Bolsonaro is, who his targets are, and how he rose to power. We also hear the first round of songs written to protest his hard, right-wing politics.