Global A Go-Go presents:
It’s the most wonderful time of the year …. That’s right, it’s the time of the year when Global A Go-Go unwraps its favorite albums of the last 12 months.
This week, it’s my Top Ten new releases of 2018, plus ten honorable mentions. Next week, you’ll hear my favorite compilations, reissues and historic recordings of the year. And on January 2, it’s the best of the rest: all the great songs that didn’t fit onto the previous two programs.
Overkill, you say? No way. WRIR received 772 new world music releases in 2018; that’s 41 percent more than we got just three years ago. Who says the music industry is dead?
Then there’s all the new stuff that was never sent to the station that I bought or streamed during the year. In fact, three of my top ten new releases are albums that WRIR didn’t get promos of. Shape up, music industry!
Add them all up, and you’ll see that my top-lists are just five or so percent of all the new music I heard in 2018. That’s not overkill — it’s selective company.
Of course, the proof of the pudding is in the eating — tune in to Global A Go-Go over the next three weeks and hear for yourself just how good a year in world music 2018 was.
Here’s Global A Go-Go’s 2018 Top Ten, new releases division (with links to my reviews):
Top Ten New Releases Of 2018
1. Baba Commandant & The Mandingo Band (Burkina Faso) | Sira Ba Kele | Sublime Frequencies
2. Angelique Kidjo (Benin-France-USA) | Remain In Light | Kravenworks
3. Vaudou Game (Togo-France) | Otodi | Hot Casa
4. Orquesta Akokan (Cuba-USA) | Orquesta Akokan | Daptone
5. Guy One (Ghana-Germany) | #1 | Philophon
6. Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 (Nigeria) | Black Times | Strut
7. Newpoli (Italy-Sweden-Finland-USA) | Mediterraneo | Beartones
8. Hailu Mergia (Ethiopia-DC USA-Australia-Germany) | Lala Belu | Awesome Tapes From Africa
9. Jupiter & Okwess (RD Congo) | Kin Sonic | Everloving
10. Imarhan (Algeria) | Temet | City Slang
Honorable Mention
Alba Griot Ensemble (Scotland UK-Mali-Belgium) | The Darkness Between The Leaves | Riverboat
Alpheus (England UK) | Light Of Day | Liquidator
Barro (Brazil) | Somos | self-released
Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba (Senegal-USA) | Routes | Twelve|Eight
Drunken Foreigner Band (USA) | White Guy Disease | Electric Cowbell
Roberto Lopez (Colombia-Canada) | Criollo Electrik | Stonetree
Spanglish Fly (USA) | Ay Que Boogaloo! | Chaco World
Superfonicos (USA) | Suelta | Discos Fonicos
Sidi Toure (Mali) | Toubalbero | Thrill Jockey
Yeni Nostalji (RVA USA) | Yeni Nostalji | Ropeadope
Podcast: http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/100557
All the podcasts: http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/series/Global+A+Go-Go
Baba Commandant & The Mandingo Band, “Siraba Kele”
from Sira Ba Kele
Sublime Frequencies - 2018
Burkina Faso
Alba Griot Ensemble, “Long Way Home”
from The Darkness Between the Leaves
Riverboat - 2018
Scotland UK-Mali-Belgium
Hailu Mergia, “Anchihoye Lene”
from Lala Belu
Awesome Tapes From Africa - 2018
Ethiopia-USA-Australia-Germany
Bill Lupoletti Global A Go-Go December 19th, 2018
Posted In: Music Shows