Clearer skies ahead

If you are a regular online listener of this show, you probably noticed that all of the soundcloud links on this page suddenly stopped working.  Qué pena!  On CJSF radio’s soundcloud (where I was posting my podcasts), we received a warning from the cloud police that are were infringing on copyright laws by posting music shows online. This was a bummer, because as an independent radio station we exist to promote emerging artists and give their work some much-needed exposure – not to profit from their work (we are a community station, and all DJs are volunteers).  But rules are rules, even in the wild west of the web.

So to be brief, Wandering Rhythms has migrated from one cloud to another.  All soundcloud links are currently extinct and new shows will now be uploaded to mixcloud, and then to this here website.  Mixcloud is more geared towards radio shows and podcasts anyway, and claims to pay royalties to artists.  Long live the proud little cloud.

<happy sweet sixteen

Happy new-ish year friends.  The show is currently taking a little break for January as I wander the vast beauty of Mexico and beyond, digging into the Latin vibes and chapulines and mezcal.

MNGWA Txalaparta

Txalaparta Bar, Oaxaca City with my banda Mngwa

But hey here´s the latest show, a recap of some of the sublimiest songs of 2015..

And somethin fun i cooked up for those who want to boogie — a non-stop dance mix that spans the globe and never settles into a funk for long.

¡Hasta luego compadres!

Heaven and the Sahel

Niger is quickly becoming a new hotbed (up to 40ºC) for innovative African music.  Explore fresh Nigerien sounds on this sandstream:

Among the many grooves, a song from the soundtrack to the first ever feature film in the Tuareg language – an improbable remake of Prince’s Purple Rain (and not only because there is no word for purple in Tuareg):

Stream the first hour’s global mix here:

Classic Kanaky Grooves be Catchy

The Hen, northern Nü Caledonia.  Free range heaven on a tiny beach.

The Hen, northern Nü Caledonia. Free range heaven on a tiny beach.

On the north tip of the sleeping continent Zealandia, there is a land of super crows and bubblegum reggae that rises out of the deep Pacific.  New Caledonia (increasingly known as Kanaky by locals) is still a “special collectivity” of France.  But 40% of the overall population are native Melanesians, and there is an ongoing push for independence from their far-off administrators.

But regardless of who they call président, the Kanak are a strong and proud people, keeping their culture alive and infusing traditional vocal and percussion music with reggae and reggae-related vibes.  Yes, this is as far from the Caribbean as it is from France, but in the South Pacific, reggae rules supreme.

Hear skanking of many forms, ancient chants, janglin’ oldies, french hip hop and more on the Kanaky special…  {STREAM HERE}

(As a side note, there is very little information available about these artists.. the song titles are often missing.  Hey, if I lived on a tropical island I wouldn’t spend much time on the computer either.. but O the wealth of music from a mere quarter million people!)

good wooden vibrations

((we got the good wood vibrations))

Also, the first hour’s Global Mix {HERE}