The Case of the Birthday Bag of Love

This week is Encyclopedia Sound's Birthday!!!

But don't think I'm taking the week off... you get a brand new set of music!

The theme this week is, simply, music that is close to my heart. For once, we will be mixing together music from Africa, Brazil, and Latin America all in one show!

We will hear several tracks today from the standout 2010 album "Afrocubism," a project which brought together Eliades Ochoa (of Buena Vista Social Club fame) and his rhythm section with a host of talented African musicians, from venerable lions to rising stars. This amazing ensemble played a show at the Oregon Zoo, one of the best concerts I have ever seen.

Another standout of this show will be a string of songs from Guinea, an African nation that does not register with many gringos these days. In the 60s and 70s, Guinea was led by a Communist regime that mandated a program of "Authenticity" for all musicians in the country. This meant that the musicians, who were employed by the government, were required to include regional folk instruments and themes in their music. Now, Encyclopedia Sound is no fan of censorship and abridged liberty, but it does so happen that this program of Authenticity created wonderful music, and influenced more rootsy musical material in other countries throughout Africa.

My birthday wish:  long live XRAY FM!!