Global A Go-Go presents:
Blind guitarist-singer Daniel Gonora has been making his living performing on the streets of Harare, Zimbabwe since 2004. His four year old son Isaac joined him on drums in 2008. They call themselves Gonora Sounds and they play sungura, the quintessential popular sound of Zimbabwe that’s based on traditional mbira (thumb piano) music adapted for the electric guitar.
Street videos of Daniel and Isaac have racked up more than 10 million views on the internet, and the family band was the subject of an award-winning 2017 documentary film You Can’t Hide From The Truth. They’re released a number of limited edition CDs but now for the first time there’s a full-length, full band Gonora Sounds studio album, Hard Times Never Kill.
It’s a revelation. 1970s and 1980s Zimbabwean artists like Thomas Mapfumo, the Four Brothers and The Bhundu Boys were some of the first African musicians I ever heard, so hearing Gonora Sounds brings me back to some of my favorite, most memorable music of all time. And I’ll bring some of it for you this week on Global A Go-Go.
Also this week (Sunday February 13, 1:00-3:00 PM on WRIR, for two weeks afterwards on the wrir.org archive player, check your local listings for airing on other radio stations, and any old time at my podcast site): a reissued masterpiece of South African jazz by Abdullah Ibrahim; new music by Small Island Big Song, who will be performing at the University of Richmond in March; high energy Russian folk-rock; and 21st century takes on Mexican tradition.
Podcast: radio4all.net/index.php/program/111632
All the podcasts: radio4all.net/index.php/series/Global+A+Go-Go
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, “Global a Go-Go”
from Global a Go-Go
BMG Rights Management (US) LLC - 2001
England UK
Pat Matshikiza & Kippie Moeketsi, “Umgababa (feat. Basil "Mannenberg" Coetzee)”
from Tshona! (feat. Basil "Mannenberg" Coetzee)
As-Shams/The Sun - 1975
South Africa
Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi, “Rugare Rwamangwana”
from Oliver Mutukudzi Selected Favorites
Charly Records - 2006
Zimbabwe, 1988
The Bhundu Boys, “Hupenyu Hwangu”
from The Great Zimbabwe Riddim
Chillspot Recordz - 2016
Zimbabwe, 1983
Robson Banda & the New Black Eagles, “Rambai Makashinga”
from Soweto
Nyami Nyami Records - 2021
Zimbabwe
Hallelujah Chicken Run Band, “Mwana Wamai Dada Naye”
from Take One
Analog Africa - 2020
Zimbabwe, 1974
Small Island Big Song, “Aoka (feat. Sammy)”
from Our Island
Small Island Big Song - 2022
Taiwan-Mauritius-Tahiti (French Polynesia)-Madagascar-Papua New Guinea-Rapa Nui (Chile)-Marshall Islands-New Zealand-Borneo (Malaysia-Indonesia-Brunei)-Hawaii (USA)
OKI, “Iuta Upopo (Pestle Song) [feat. Umeko Ando]”
Mais Um Discos - 2022
Japan, 2003
Yat-Kha, “In a Gadda Da Vida”
from Re-Covers (feat. Albert Kuvezin)
world village - 2006
Tuva Republic Russia
Renee Goust, “La Muchacha Alegre (feat Nancy Sanchez)”
from La Muchacha Alegre - Single
677794 Records DK2 - 2021
Mexico-USA
Marco Flores Y La Jerez, “Ahora Es Cuando (feat. Grupo Legítimo)”
from Ahora Es Cuando (feat. Grupo Legítimo) - Single
Casa Nacional - 2022
Mexico
Son Rompe Pera, “Proteus”
from Bootleg Cumbia Vol. 1: The Live On KEXP Session
self-released - 2021
Mexico
Bill Lupoletti Global A Go-Go February 13th, 2022
Posted In: Music Shows