Song of the Day: From her interim EP Welcome To My Island, a sprightly Spanish flamenco-influenced and sunnily beautiful love song by the American singer-songwriter, her voice soaring and warbling, bird-like, in the chorus
Read moreSong of the Day: Imarhan - The Distance (featuring Gruff Rhys)
Song of the Day: After the Algerian Tuareg quintet’s gorgeous album Aboogi released in January this year included a collaboration on the song Adar Newlon, Welsh artist Rhys teams up again with another beautiful, delicate track of subtle guitar licks and gentle vocals
Read moreSong of the Day: Σtella - Up and Away
Song of the Day: Stylish, uplifting retro pop by the artist from Athens, combining 60s pop with Greek influences with oodles of charm and in this song created with artist and producer Tom Calvert (aka Redinho) and the title track from the album out on Sub Pop
Read moreSongs of the Day: Penya - Elevation / False Prophets / Trail of Awó
Songs of the Day: Dance beats, brass, electronica and voices, a trio of songs displaying the wonderful melting pot diversity of the the collective band of African and other influences with core members Magnust Mehta, Lilli Elina and Jimmy le Messurier
Read moreSong of the Day: Mind Maintenance - Glow and Glimmer
Song of the Day: A mesmeric track from the self-titled album by Chicago duo of bassist Joshua Abrams and drummer Chad Taylor who take up the guimbri and mbira, instruments used the music of diverse African states
Read moreSong of the Day: Howie Lee - Birdy Island
Song of the Day: Enchanting new experimental electronica with intricate, intertwining vocal harmonies, bird calls and traces of traditional Chinese music by the artist from Beijing in this title track from his wonderful new album
Read moreFulu Miziki: Tikanga
Song of the Day: Released earlier in 2020, a sample of the fabulously energised music of the musicians’ collective in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, led by eco activist Pisko Crane who play instruments made from recycled rubbish
Read moreLead Belly to Nirvana and more – Where Did You Sleep Last Night?
Song of the Day: Also known as In The Pines, and Black Girl, today we move onto another traditional song variously interpreted, dark and brooding, haunting in its melody, and simmering with suspicion and jealousy
Read moreVarious (Playing For Change) – Clandestino
Song of the Day: Yesterday's pick was Cuban played by Africans, today's is an even richer blend with artists from Morocco, Hungary, Mexico, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Senegal, Egypt, India, USA, France and Serbia
Read moreKora Jazz Trio / Teté Garcia Catulra, Pancho Amat, Mamadou Diabaté / Buena Vista Social Club – Chan Chan
Song of the Day: A Saturday special as we compare three versions of a song made famous by the Cuban ensemble, but here with an African and jazz twist, featuring the kora, piano and more with other musicians
Read moreSona Jobarteh – Gambia / Jarabi
Song of the Day: Moving from Ivory Coast and Mali to The Gambia, and the singer, multi-instrumentalist and composer who hails from a long line of Griot kora players with a song to mark her country's 50th independence anniversary in 2015
Read moreYoussou N'Dour – Immigrés / Bitim Rew
Song of the Day: Moving from Morocco, and another huge figure in African music and the style of mbalax, which mixes jazz, soul, Latin, and rock blended with sabar, the traditional drumming and dance music of Senegal
Read moreOum – Taragalte
Song of the Day: From the deserts of Mali with Tuareg band Tinariwen to the Sahara further north, and the sublime singer Oum El Ghaït Benessahraoui from her 2013 album, Soul of Morocco
Read moreAli Farka Touré – Savane
Song of the Day: After Nigeria's Fela Kuti, let's move over to Mali, and enjoy some of the finest work from great multi-instrumentalist whose final album, recorded in 2004, marked a crossroads between African music and blues
Read moreMalcolm McLaren – Double Dutch / Boyoyo Boys – 3 Mabone
Song of the Day: From yesterday's song about whooping and clapping by Mahlathini & The Mahotella Queens, a nimble act of skipping – and controversial sampling – by the Sex Pistols impresario from 1983
Read moreThe Four Brothers – Makorokoto
Song of the Day: Moving from Nigeria's funk master William Onyeabor, one of Zimbabwe's greatest bands, employing the 'jit' African electric guitar sound of clean, golden-glinting riffs and vocal harmonies
Read moreChildish Gambino – This Is America
Song of the Day: Continuing our ongoing edgy theme, this time on a different plain – a super-sharp, ironic cultural commentary with one of the most talked about videos in years by the US rapper, actor and comedian, aka Donald McKinley Glover Jr.
Read moreTraditional – Ureshī Hina Matsuri (Happy Hina Matsuri)
Song of the Day: One of our regular readers, Hoshino Sakura, who lives in Japan, takes a turn on SOTD to choose a special song to mark a festival that highlights the rights and importance of women
Read moreHugh Masekela - Grazing In The Grass / Khauleza / Soweto Blues
Song of the Day: A triple tribute to the sadly departed but hugely influential South African trumpeter, composer, singer, cornet and flugelhorn player, and leading anti-apartheid campaigner
Read moreNadine Shah – Holiday Destination / Out The Way
Song of the Day: With a rich, full voice and truly original sound, from one of the best albums of 2017, two powerful songs from the intelligent South Tyneside singer-songwriter with a Norwegian/Pakistani heritage. This cuts deep into one of the burning issues of modern times, the plight and treatment of war-torn immigrants in the UK, and the divisions in our state. Think PJ Harvey and Anna Calvi with a new, contemporary, edgy twist
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