A Fullblown Gugak and Yangak Sonic Attack!

All hands and ears are back at the control board this week.  As South Korea is busy launching rockets into space, we have been given the heroic mission of exploring the many peaks and valleys of the South Korean soundscape..  The old (the Gugak), the new (the Yangak), the psychodilly 70s, the drum n bass music of 1672, , the hiphop, the trot, and nary a K-pop song in the lot (we respect you).  Yes, South Korea, in all its world-friendliness, has grown into the sophisticated polar-opposite of its twin (the Korea we don’t talk about).  But for all the modern dilemmas of open and closed minds, the twin Koreas will always share the same Gugak.  History is something you can’t take back.  Ditto for disco funk.

Alright I admit it, we couldn’t fit any Trot into the program.. but it’s an important piece of the Korean puzzle – the first global style to be adapted by Korean musicians, back when the nation was one.  So here’s some good ol’ Japa-merican inspired Foxtrot for you swingers out there:

Sénégal, the Wild West

Found on the farthest western tip of the African continent, this small country packs just as big of a punch as its neighbors.  Mbalax music, also native to Gambia, is the popular form of dance music and Kiara (who is unfortunately alone again!) will be playing some of the most popular Mbalax musicians including Youssou N’Dour, Thione Seck and Baaba Maal (who is more popular globally for his adventures in other styles of music).

2013!!

What’s Shakin? It’s Kiara. I am alone on the show for the next few weeks; however, there have not been any major changes to the show this year… Nic is going to come back! Yay! Happy 2013!

This week we travel to Puerto Rico. I believe they just voted themselves into the US to become the 51st state of the Union.
Check out this video from my favourite Puerto Rican underground group (Well… actually not so much… they’re about as underground in Puerto Rico as Radiohead is in the UK) Calle 13:

The Legacy of Yugoslavia

This week we radiowave to a great nation of the past.  The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia existed between 1946 and 1991 before ethnic and political tensions dissolved the SFR into 6 separate Balkan nations.  Some call it Yugo-nostalgia, but this period represented a fascinating mixture of traditions and transitions.  A nation with one eye on Western culture,  the other flirting with Communism.  One foot in pop music of the West, the other in the deep history of Eastern European music.  Expect world-class rock of many breeds.

This program is curated by two friends and musical scholars who grew up in the former Yugoslavia.  On behalf of Mladen and Bojan, we hope you enjoy the trip through time…

And a happy holiday season to all.  We will make it through the darkness with goodwill and love for all beings!  Here’s a little ode to the holiday celebration that gets very little attention while retaining a high degree of integrity: