Global A Go-Go presents:

The Platonic ideal of a West African garage band

Here’s a news flash: one of Africa’s best (IMHO) bands is coming to Richmond this spring, and they’ll be playing in a small club, probably their ideal venue. The band is Baba Commandant & The Mandingo Band from Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. The place is the Get Tight Lounge, and the date is Wednesday May 24. You might want to put that date on your calendar, just sayin’ ….

Baba plays the traditional donso ngoni and sings like the brother of Howlin’ Wolf or Captain Beefheart, guitarist Issouf Diabaté sounds like Mark Ribot meets Zani Diabaté, and the funky rhythm section propels the whole thing inexorably forward. To me, they’re the Platonic ideal of a West African garage band.

You’ll hear one of my favorite Baba Commandant tracks this week (Sunday February 26, 1:00-3:00 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) on an all-Afro edition of Global A Go-Go along with new music from Niger’s Moussa Tchingou, Fendika & K-Sanchis from Ethiopia and the Netherlands, Oakland’s Orchestra Gold, Solomane Doumbia from Mali, Danish band Sunbörn and the team of Kala Jula & Gangbé Brass Band from Mali and Benin, plus much more.

Podcast: radio4all.net/program/114829
All the podcasts: radio4all.net/series/Global%20A%20Go-Go.

Show Archive

Playlist:

Time: February 26 - 9:00:00 am
• 

  Oliver Lake, “Separation”

  from Matador Of 1st & 1st

  Passin Thru - 1996

  USA

Time: February 26 - 9:01:00 am
• 

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

  from Global a Go-Go

  BMG Rights Management (US) LLC - 2001

  England UK

Time: February 26 - 9:06:00 am
• 

  Tinariwen, “Tenidagh Hegh Dejredjere”

  from Kel Tinariwen

  Wedge - 2022

  Mali-Algeria, 1991

Time: February 26 - 9:10:39 am

• Moussa Tchingou, “Derhan”

  from Tamiditine

  Sahel Sounds - 2023

  Niger

Time: February 26 - 9:15:13 am
• 

  Afous D'Afous, “Nak Amahah”

  from Tenere

  Sahel Sounds - 2017

  Algeria

Time: February 26 - 9:23:00 am
• 

  Mulatu Astatke, “Netsanet”

  from Ethio Jazz

  P-VINE RECORDS - 1974

  Ethiopia

Time: February 26 - 9:28:36 am

• Fendika & K-Sanchis, “Unity”

  from Gojo

  self-released - 2023

  Ethiopia-Netherlands

Time: February 26 - 9:33:08 am
• 

  Debo Band, “Not Just a Song”

  from Debo Band

  Next Ambiance - 2012

  USA-Ethiopia

Time: February 26 - 9:43:00 am
• 

  Bamba Wassoulou Groove, “Farima”

  from Farima

  Label Bleu - 2015

  Mali

Time: February 26 - 9:49:18 am

• Baba Commandant & The Mandingo Band, “Loga Fo Djelba”

  from Sira Ba Kele

  Sublime Frequencies - 2018

  Burkina Faso

Time: February 26 - 9:57:19 am

• Orchestra Gold, “Tequila Jam”

  from Medicine

  Orchestra Gold - 2022

  USA-Mali

Time: February 26 - 10:04:00 am
• 

  Fela Kuti, “Trouble Sleep Yanga Wake Am”

  from Roforofo Fight

  Knitting Factory - 2009

  Nigeria, 1972

Time: February 26 - 10:16:03 am

• Solomane Doumbia, “Ségou to Lagos”

  from Ségou to Lagos

  MIERUBA - 2023

  Mali

Time: February 26 - 10:24:00 am
• 

  Bixiga 70, “Ventania”

  from III

  Glitterbeat Records - 2015

  Brazil

Time: February 26 - 10:29:36 am
• 

  The Superpowers, “32 Bit”

  from Trance For Nation

  Young Cub Records - 2008

  USA

Time: February 26 - 10:34:17 am

• Sunbörn, “Mankind?”

  from Dancing In The Dark / Mankind? - Single

  Tramp - 2023

  Denmark

Time: February 26 - 10:43:00 am

• Kala Jula & Gangbé Brass Band, “Gèdé”

  from Asro

  Buda Musique - 2023

  Mali-Switzerland-Benin

Time: February 26 - 10:49:18 am
• 

  Toumani Diabate's Symmetric Orchestra, “Ya Fama”

  from Boulevard De L'Independance

  World Circuit - 2006

  Mali-Senegal-Burkina Faso-Guinée Conakry

Time: February 26 - 10:54:14 am
• 

  Balimaya Project, “Balimaya”

  from Wolo So

  Jazz re:freshed - 2021

  England UK-Nigeria-Gambia-Guinée Conakry

Bill Lupoletti    Global A Go-Go    February 26th, 2023

Posted In: Music Shows