Afropop Worldwide

May 07, 2021

The Money Show on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

Every day, money changes hands in Ghanaian cedi, South African rand, and Brazilian real as music is created, traded, performed, purchased and pirated. In this episode we look at the business side of African music, through a series of vignettes from around the continent and diaspora that illuminate…

April 30, 2021

Dakar Muse on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

"Dakar Muse" takes us to one of the most exciting musical cities in Africa. We'll meet young stars on the Mbalax scene, Senegal's national music. And we'll hear rappers making their mark in the huge Hip Hop scene. Finally, we pay tribute to the brilliant Mbalax pioneer Thione Seck, who recently…

April 23, 2021

Nairobi Roars on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

The Kenyan capital is roaring into the 2020s. On this program singer/songwriter/producer Eric Wainaina introduces us to a rising cadre of artists rocking the Nairobi scene. From hip-hop and dancehall to R&B and Gengetone, the city’s cultural melting pot is coming to a boil at a time of political…

April 16, 2021

Punk in Africa on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

When you think punk, a few locations tend to come to mind- New York, London, LA. But Durban? Jo’Burg? South Africa? In this program, we are taking a trip to a time and a place where punk had a very different meaning, exploring the music and the legacy of the mixed race bands that challenged…

March 26, 2021

Toronto’s African Scene on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

Toronto is Canada’s most cosmopolitan city--“like New York but mellower” in the words of Kofi Akah, son of the Ghanaian highlife legend Jewel Akah. Kofi is one of many superb African artists who have made Toronto their home over the years. That list is long, and it has included highlife star Pat…

March 19, 2021

Two Lions: Bunny Wailer and Hakim on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

On this program, we survey the careers of two giants within their genres. Bunny Wailer is the last surviving member of the original Bob Marley and the Wailers trio. Right up to his 2016 tour, where we met him, this architect of reggae music has continued to carry the banner with new concerts and…

Mar 12, 2021

Moroccan Music Today: Re-Examined Past, Innovative Future on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

In Morocco today, artists draw from a huge variety of styles and traditions, creating music that takes from previously neglected history in order to…

Mar 05, 2021

Botswana, Dumelang on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

While widely overlooked internationally for their music, over the past 20 years Batswana have steadily built a diverse and fruitful local scene that…

Feb 26, 2021

Soul to Soul at 50: A Look Back at Ghana’s Legendary Music Festival on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

On March 6, 1971, a group of some of the top musicians from the United States – Ike & Tina Turner, Wilson Pickett, The Staples Singers, and more –…

Feb 12, 2021

The Soul of Black Brazil on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

We explore the rich period in the 1970s when soul flourished in Brazil. We'll hear standard bearers of the movement such as Tim Maia, Ed Motta, Toni…

Feb 05, 2021

“A Tale of Two Rebellions” on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

Our Hip Deep edition “A Tale of Two Rebellions,” recounts the stories of two remarkable military campaigns in early Islamic history. Afropop…

Jan 29, 2021

Hear How Jazz Sensibility is Energizing African Music in Exciting New Ways on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

Some say jazz is the ultimate African American music. Back on the continent, it hasn’t always found an enthusiastic audience. But these days, jazz…

Jan 22, 2021

Finding Both Long Lost and New Styles of Music on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

A vast, new world of DJs, record collectors, and producers are going to the far reaches of the Earth to find forgotten records and new styles of…

Jan 15, 2021

The Other Afro-Latino: Hidden Sounds from Ecuador, Bolivia and Uruguay on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian musical giants have long enjoyed the spotlight, yet throughout Latin America, there are other black enclaves producing…

Jan 01, 2021

It’s a Lockdown Serenade on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm (2)

For all those stuck at home or stressed out during these uncertain times, here’s an hour of uplifting music from Mali, Cuba and South Africa. Vusi…

Dec 18, 2020

New Sounds From Nigeria on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

Nigeria is today the undisputed powerhouse of African pop music. Call it Naija Pop, Afrobeats, Afropop or what have you. The likes of Burna Boy,…

Nov 06, 2020

The Mighty Amazon on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

The Amazon River basin has long been a mystery to Brazil. Located far from the centers of business and power in the nation's southeast, the jungle…

Oct 23, 2020

GC's DJ Roadshow: From Kwaito to Amapiano on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

In this episode, Georges Collinet inaugurates a traveling talent search introducing guest deejays and producers with unique perspectives on global…

Oct 09, 2020

Remembering Johnny Clegg on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

Johnny Clegg holds a unique place in South Africa’s musical pantheon. From his childhood immersion in Zulu culture, his mastery of Zulu language,…

Oct 02, 2020

SxSW 2020 Virtual Showcase on Afropop Worldwide - Sunday at 9pm

The cancellation of South by Southwest was one of the early shocks in the global coronavirus pandemic. Countless artists, fans, vendors, nightclub…

Sep 18, 2020

This Week, Afropop Worldwide is Live from the Archive – Sunday at 9pm

When Afropop Worldwide launched back in 1988, a key goal was to capture the live energy of incredible artists emerging from Africa, the Caribbean and…

Sep 11, 2020

Baaba Maal Acoustic Live in NYC on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

Baaba Maal has toured the world, backed by his electric group, Daande Lenol. Sometimes he has performed as an acoustic duo with his longtime musical…

Sep 04, 2020

Thomas Mapfumo Live in NYC at SOB's on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

In 1991, Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited made their second tour of the United States. It was a fascinating transitional moment in the band’s…

Aug 28, 2020

It’s a Lockdown Serenade on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

For all those stuck at home or stressed out during these uncertain times, here’s an hour of uplifting music from Mali, Cuba and South Africa. Vusi…

Aug 23, 2020

Abidjan: A New Musical El Dorado on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

In the 70s and 80s Ivory Coast’s capital Abidjan was a major musical hub in West Africa. After a series of political crises, Abidjan is back. The…

Aug 14, 2020

Ancient Text Messages: Batá Drums in a Changing World on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

In Africa, drums don't only play rhythms, they send messages. “Ancient Text Messages: Batá Drums in a Changing World” explores an endangered…

Aug 07, 2020

Borderless Sounds: The New North Africa on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

North African music receives very little coverage in the United States. There are no high-profile mixes of recent Tunisian underground dance music…

Jul 17, 2020

Hip Deep in the Niger Delta on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

The massive Niger River Delta is a fantastically rich cultural region and ecosystem. Unfortunately, it has been laid low by the brutal Biafran War…

Jul 10, 2020

Afropop Worldwide’s Hip Deep Series Continues with Gerhard Kubik – Sunday at 9pm

When this episode first aired, the recent death of Malian guitar legend Ali Farka Touré inspired a new round of speculation about the roots of the…

Jun 26, 2020

Remembering Tony Allen on the Next Afropop Worldwide - Sunday at 9pm

Tony Allen is among the greatest drummers of the past century. His sudden death at 79 in April, 2020, was a shock felt around the world. In addition…

Jun 19, 2020

Remembering Manu Dibango on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

Remembering Manu Dibango Cameroonian musician and composer Manu Dibango passed away on March 24 at his home in France, an early victim of COVID-19.…

Jun 12, 2020

Musical Legacy of Al-Andalus, Part 2 on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

Even before the expulsion of Jews (1492) and converted Muslims, or Moriscos, (1610) from Al Andalus, many Andalusians crossed the Straight of…

Jun 05, 2020

The Musical Legacy of Al Andalus, Part 1: Europe on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

The 700-year period of Muslim courts and conquerors in Medieval Spain (711-1492) leaves behind many mysteries. In the first of a three-part look at…

May 29, 2020

Botswana, Dumelang on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

Botswana is a large, landlocked country in Southern Africa, a vast stretch of desert and savannah between South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia with a…

May 15, 2020

New Music from Tsapiky Maestro Damily and More on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

On a return trip to Madagascar, we catch up with and hear new music from tsapiky maestro Damily, the “King of Salegy” Jaojoby, an exciting new duo…

May 08, 2020

South African Roots in the 21st Century on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

Yes, it’s the age of South African House, Afrobeats, Afro R&B and the likes, but roots music lives on in South Africa. This show updates the Zulu pop…

Apr 24, 2020

Accounting for Taste: Dire Straits, Jim Reeves, and Death Metal in Africa on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

When we talk about the influence of American performers on African music, we usually think about a few obvious examples, legends like Michael…

Apr 17, 2020

Edo Highlife: Culture, Politics and Progressive Traditionalism on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 11pm

Highlife—West Africa’s pioneer popular music of the late colonial and independence periods—has mostly faded from popularity in 21st century Nigeria.…

Apr 03, 2020

With Feet in Many Worlds: Meklit Hadero and More on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 11pm

As the 21st-century rolls on, more and more of the musical artists who are making a difference cannot be pinned down to any one national identity.…

Feb 14, 2020

Aurelio, Badian, Damily, and the Kid from Timbuktu on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 11pm

This guitar-focused program presents a series of mostly acoustic sessions with Garifuna star Aurelio Martinez, griot guitar master Aboubacar "Badian"…

Jan 31, 2020

Discover and Record: The Field Recordings of Hugh Tracey on Afropop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

In this Hip Deep edition, Afropop producer Wills Glasspeigel heads to South Africa to reveal the story of the inimitable Hugh Tracey, a field…

Jan 17, 2020

Attending the Festival des Musiques Urbaines d’Anoumabo (FEMUA) in the Abidjan District of Anoumabo on AfroPop Worldwide – Sunday at 9pm

In the ‘70s and ‘80s Ivory Coast’s capital Abidjan was a major musical hub in West Africa. After a series of political crises, Abidjan is back. The…

Jan 10, 2020