Readers Write In

Hey wow, some of our readers wrote in with their suggestions for world music podcasts . Although they all modestly posted as "Anonymous" I hope it's OK if I share their information with the greater blog world, as in those of you who don't go back and read the comments section after each post.

Reader #1 writes:

1. If you like latin music, you should check out the Ritmo Latino podcast. Neil Hohman (sp?), the host, has a very generous definition of "latin", from traditional tropicals like salsa and merengue to latin fusion from NYC, to Brazilian beats like samba or bossa nova, to Fado to flamenco to Rock en Español, to European bands with latin influence. Me gusta!

And I might add, here's the website. Playlists and other fun stuff to check out there beside the podcast.



Reader # 2 shared info about a relatively new 'cast out of the Pacific Northwest.

2. Another "world music" option is the show Spin The Globe out of KAOS radio in Olympia, Washington. They just started posting episodes at http://soundroots.podomatic.com. You don't get the entire show that's posted in their playlists, but it's a great burst of global sounds once a week (the show airs every Friday morning).

WOW! Went over and checked out the playlists from their last few shows...I'M THERE! They played Vilddas, fer crying out loud! I thought I was the only person around who had special ordered Haliidan from Digelius in Helsinki a few years back! [Hmmm...another one of those "Wonder what happened to" situations? Their website hasn't been updated in a while.] Oh wait, here's Vilddas lead singer Annukka Hirvasvuopio-Laiti demonstrating the differnce between singing and joiking.

Got that?

Spin the Globe played Faraualla , too ! And I thought I was the only one who had their first album.

Reader #3 shows us the way back to an old fave.

3. Do you know about Afropop? http://www.afropop.org/radio/recent.php

Why yes, I do! That was the African podcast I wrote of last week that I had lost track of. And I did spell the host's name wrong; it's Georges Collinet. Here he is. This one is actually a PRI (Public Radio International) production, too. Whether or not you do podcasts, their website is worth a visit.





Here are a few more sites to try.

Global Rhythm magazine site has a monthly podcast called Global Beat. Find it here. They also have features, playlists, a monthly top 10, interviews and a fair trade download section. NICE! Look what I found in their features section: a little interview with Racheal Unthank. (She and her band The Winterset played the Cedar this past September and those who made it to the show were buzzing around their unusual take on North-of-England folk tunes. I could not make it to that show, but I will weigh in here and say "Whitethorn" (from The Bairns) is one freaky-cool dark folk song.

Here's one more podcast that I found which I plan to downoad and check out some more. A guy calling himself DJ Vladimir Pinocchio from New York City puts this one out once a month with stuff from all over. I mean really all over, as in combining Besh o droM, Sigur Ros, Dengue Fever, Di Grine Kuzine, and No Smoking Orchestra. Really worth a second look. Here's his MySpace.

And I'll leave you with that because I've gotta work a double tomorrow. 'Night!