Global Rhythm Radio: Uzbek Disco, Athos Dub, Algerian Jazz and beyond!

Tune in to Global Rhythm Radio for an eclectic mix of contemporary and traditional international music, featuring your host Parisa. We'll be exploring two hours of music that bridges eras and continents. And check out the blog to read a couple track highlights!

This month’s lineup:
- Funky folktronic and synthesized sounds from 1980s Soviet Central Asia
- Sweeping orchestral movements from the Golden Age of Iranian Pop
- Algerian jazz uniquely infused with Caribbean influences
- Heady IDM from the ​Gohouo-Zagna villages in the Ivory Coast
and much more!

Stream the episode here:
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Global Rhythm Radio originally airs the fourth Thursday of every month on 91.3 FM KXCI Tucson is archived here on T&E.

Playlist is available here. 
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You can hear a ton of information about each song played on the episode, but to make these posts more interactive, I also now delve into two tracks from the mix, one contemporary and one older track, right here on the blog.

Tracklist features

"Tutte le cose dentro" - Samuele Strufaldi
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I came across this track while doing some research for this album and was instantly hooked. It's a combination of all my favorite sounds - heady IDM, moody production, global fusion, ancestral roots. This track is from the 2023 album Davorio, a collaborative LP between Italian musician and producer Samuele Stufaldi and Guéré villagers from Gohouo-Zagna in the Ivory Coast, each combining their own influences and stories to create this beautifully harmonious record.

The music video is equally stunning, everything from the choreography to the set design. There's an article here that discusses the history of the Guéré tribe (also known as We people), and there's a section that delves into the intersection of musicality, mask-wearing, and religion -- all which can provide more perspective to the track and music video.

Here's an excerpt:

The Wè are characterized by an intense religious life and by mysticism, in fact they believe in the spirits and ancestors to whom they attribute supernatural powers, moreover they believe that they hold the destiny of men. The spirits, represented by the masks, are considered very important and occupy the first places of the sacred pantheon.

Of all the traditional sacred institutions, the tradition of masks is that which has endured over time, without undergoing too many changes. The institution of the masks is today the most widespread and the most popular among the members of the Wè ethnic group, so much so that the Wè civilization can be defined as the civilization of the masks.

For the Wè the mask is not only the one that is put on the face, but it is the complete clothing: it is composed of a headdress, a face carved in wood, a skirt in vegetable fiber and a fabric to cover the upper part of the body; the mask is worn by an initiate who is specially chosen. The cult of masks has repercussions in people's daily lives, the mask participates in the social life of the villages, he is present during the celebrations, at sacrifices and has an important role in redeeming disputes between the inhabitants of the village.

The mask represents an immortal spirit that was created by God and was given to men to organize, protect and entertain themselves; furthermore the mask has a power of mediation between the forces of nature and men. The mask is above all a sacred force that makes possible the communion between God and men, between ancestors and the living ones, he is a protective spirit that is opposed to the disruptive and harmful forces that are manipulated by sorcerers.

The profits from this record went to create a library and community space in the village that's stocked with books and music equipment. All in all, a great album with rich history and collaborative fusion.

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"Haich Sar Bina Koulili" - Freh Khodja

Top notch Algerian groove! Freh Khodja's 1975 album, Ken Andi Habib, is being reissued for the first time ever on Wewantsounds. From the label:

Originally released in 1975, Ken Andi Habib by Freh Khodja is an important document of North African music recorded during the 1970s. Born in 1949 in Sidi Bel Abbès, Algeria, Khodja developed an early passion for music, studying saxophone and theory before moving to Paris in 1968 to continue his training at the École Normale de Musique. Alongside his musical education, he experienced the difficult reality of immigrant life in France.

In Paris, Khodja became a member of Les Flammes, a group composed largely of musicians from the African diaspora, particularly Cape Verde. With Les Flammes providing the musical backing and the vocal group El Salem handling background vocals, Khodja recorded Ken Andi Habib in 1975, in a Parisian studio. The album blends North African melodies with jazz, funk, and Caribbean influences, reflecting the diverse musical environment of the city at the time.

Released by the Algerian label La Voix Du Globe, Ken Andi Habib was distributed mainly within North African immigrant communities in France and Algeria. While it received limited attention at the time of its release, it later became highly regarded among collectors and DJs interested in rare Arabic grooves and North African recordings. The album stands out for its synthesis of Arabic music with contemporary styles without losing its distinct identity.

This first official reissue has been remastered in Paris by Colorsound Studio. It restores the original artwork and includes newly commissioned liner notes by North African music specialist Rabah Mezouane, who places Khodja’s work within the wider context of musical innovation by North African artists in France during the 1970s. Wewantsounds is pleased to reintroduce Ken Andi Habib to all fans of Arabic music and Global grooves, highlighting an important chapter in the history of Algerian music created in exile.

Similarly to the track above, it's beautiful what happens when global influences fuse together immigrant stories from across the globe. While writing this blog, I tried to look up more about Khodja's life story and get a better understanding of the realities for Algerian and African musicians in France in the '70s. However, it looks like there's not much on the web about him aside from the above press bio from Wewantsounds. This nice review from PopMatters, however, mentions that the vinyl rerelease of this album comes with some dense liner notes on Khodja's life and music that serve as  way to connect and contextualize the music with complicated histories. I'm looking forward to reading more, but until then, hope you enjoy this track as much as I do!
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Thank you so much for listening! Please feel free to leave a comment with any questions, comments, or share any songs that you enjoyed!
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