Uplifter or downpressor?

Photograph by Michael Lease

I’m going to start this week’s program with a tribute to George Floyd in honor of his family — that is, all of us.

Rastafarians have a theory of language called Wordsound: a word should sound like what it means. So ‘oppressor’ doesn’t make sense — you can’t start a negative term with the “up” sound. Rasta says ‘downpressor’ instead, giving you the image of a man with his knee on your neck, pressing down.

In these times, it’s incumbent on all of us to choose: Am I an uplifter or a downpressor? I don’t think there’s an in-between.

Also this week (Monday June 8, 3:00-5:00 PM on WRIR, for two weeks afterwards at wrir.org/listen, check your local listings for airing on other radio stations, and any old time at my podcast site), Global A Go-Go uplifts you with a song by Idir, who brought Algerian Kabyle music to the world; women of cumbia; Igbo Afrobeat from Nigeria; the first ever international release from Djibouti; and a Balkan beats dance party.

Podcast: radio4all.net/index.php/program/105882

All the podcasts: radio4all.net/index.php/series/Global+A+Go-Go.

Show Archive

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Playlist:

Oliver Lake, “Separation”

from Matador Of 1st & 1st

Passin Thru - 1996

USA

Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, “Global a GO-GO”

from Global a Go-Go

BMG Rights Management (US) LLC - 2001

England UK

Gregory Isaacs, “Babylon Too Tough”

from Babylon Too Tough - single

17 North Parade - 1975

Jamaica

Peter Tosh, “Downpressor Man”

from Equal Rights

Columbia/Legacy - 1977

Jamaica

Willie Williams, “Armagideon Time”

from Armagideon Time

Studio One - 1979

Jamaica

Queen Ifrica, “I Can't Breathe”

from Climb

VP Records - 2017

Jamaica

Tamikrest, “Anha Achal Wad Namda”

from Tamotait

Glitterbeat Records - 2020

Mali-Algeria-France

Idir, “A Tulawin (Une Algerienne Debout) (feat Manu Chao)”

from Identites

Saint George - 1999

Algeria-France

Franck Biyong, “Anywhere Trouble (feat. Cristina Violle)”

from Trouble - EP

Hot Casa Records - 2019

Cameroon

Kumbia Queers, “Mis Botas”

from Kumbia Nena!

Horario Invertido - 2007

Argentina-Mexico

Nohe & Sus Santos, “Come As You Are”

from Tempestad

Avokado Artist Recordings - 2020

Honduras-Mexico-USA

Lila Downs, “Viene la Muerte Echando Rasero”

from Balas y Chocolate

RCA Records Label - 2015

Mexico-USA

Bomba Estereo, “Fuego”

from Blow Up

Nacional Records - 2009

Colombia

Tabansi Studio Band, “Kama Sofoa”

from Kama Sofoa - EP

BBE Music - 2020

Nigeria

Ethio Stars, “Yetentu Tez Alew (feat. Mulatu Astatke)”

from Addis 1988 (feat. Mulatu Astatke)

Piranha - 1992

Ethiopia

Dur Dur Band, “Shaleedayaa”

from Mogadisco: Dancing Mogadishu (Somalia 1972 - 1991)

Analog Africa - 1991

Somalia

Groupe RTD, “Halkaasad Dhigi Magtiisa (That's Where You'll Leave His Reward)”

from The Dancing Devils of Djibouti

Ostinato Records LLC - 2020

Djibouti

Sharhabil Ahmed, “Argos Farfish”

from The King of Sudanese Jazz (Habibi Funk 013)

Habibi Funk Records distributed by Groove Attack - 2020

Sudan, 1960s