Global Pop for Pops Around the Globe

Pink Martinimore photos

So perhaps this is a "Dad-ism," or an "Ian-ism," as my Dad would say to me when I was younger. I just realized, while starting to write this, that this week's World Music Show (6/16) aires right before Father's Day.

Did I plan out a special show for Dads to enjoy? Not particularly.

But, can I wrap all the songs I'll be playing this Saturday into a nice package with a bow and present it as a Father's Day special? You bet!

Here's why: 

All the songs on this week's two-hour World Music Show are songs that Dads, as well as everyone else, will like. My reasoning is simple. I'm a Dad and I like all the songs I picked to play, so I think you will to. How's that for a stretch? But, as the saying goes, the proof is in the pudding--and we all know Dads love pudding--so here's the pudding.

We'll kick off this week's show with Big Noise Tropicalismo music from a place just outside of London called The Mambo Inn. We'll hear the Young Holt Trio do a really cool song called "Wack Wack." That will be followed by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Khan doing the song Kinna Sohna. Both of these tracks will get your Pop's toes tapping. In this same set, you'll also hear another toe-tapping song by Carlinhos Brown and Sergio Mendes, called "Odo-ya," as well as a nice Brazilian track by Luca Mundaca called "Ha Dias." It's all about the setting the right mood for the night.

We'll move from Brazil to the Dominican Republic to hear some bachata and merengue music from both Juan Bautista and Ramon Cordero, who calls himself the coolest dude in the Dominican Republic. His nickname is El Destroza Corazones, which means The Hearbreaker. And if your Dad likes Latin Party music, then he'll love this cover of the classic song "Wooly Bully," done here by the band Dr. Loco's Rockin' Jalapeno Band (I'm not sure why this last sentence sounds like an infomercial, but there it is). I'll also play a the title track to the Los Lobos CD This Time, which is such a good CD. These guys have been playing for years and each new CD or track I uncover or find, the more I like them. 

And for an odd set or chunk of music, as I like to say, I'll mash together a couple of songs from the Portland, Oregon French band Pink Martini next to some street music out of Soweto. In electronic text (to replace the phrase "on paper"), this looks funny, but through your ears, this will make sense.

There's other surpises for Dad (and you) in the first hour, but I'll save those for discovery. In hour two, we'll hear more new music from the band Cornershop, including the song "What did the Hippie have in his Bag?" which is really fun to hear. And, I'll play some live music (because what's summer without some live music?) from David Byrne when he visited Austin City Limits. He recorded this show right after he released his CD "Look into the Eyeball," so there's a lot of good music off of that, as well as music from his days with the Talking Heads.

And, here's my nod to Father's and Sons--I'll feature a nice set that features Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, which are his family members, along with his Dad, Bob Marley. Thrown in the middle will be a song from Peter Tosh. Also thrown in this hour somewhere, will be a song by a bunch of Brazil Ex-Patriots who all met up in a bar in New York. They now play as the band Forro in the Dark. 

So, in looking over this list as I write this, I can honestly say that Dads from all over, as well as the rest of humanity, will enjoy this week's World Music Show. The World Music Show aires Saturday nights at 10:00 p.m. on WCVE Public Radio (88.9FM) and online, here at this website. You can also follow me on Twitter, at: @wcveworldmusic to get musical updates as well as my ramblings about what's going on.