Feb 18 2006 - Free Kick Goes African!
This last weekend's show was dedicated to music from sub-Saharan Africa, and boy was it a challenge to select the tracks to fill our little 2-hour slot from the bonanza of available material. Ghana got short shrift, Franco was bumped, the single Ethiopian track had to be faded out early - the list of omissions is huge. Listen to future Free Kick shows for much more of this fantastic music. Also, other shows on CKUT play lots of African stuff: check out World Skip the Beat on Mondays from noon-2 pm (Shawn is at the controls for this one once in a while), and Bassa Bassa on Tuesday mornings if you are interested.

Of course, there is more to Africa than great music for listening & dancing pleasure. I didn't discuss any of the social and political realities that have been and continue to be the setting for music-making around the continent, but there's no doubt that the music there is tied up with the nitty gritty of social life in important ways. In future posts I may point you to some interesting books and other resources on these topics; on CKUT, you can can hear discussion of current affairs in Africa on Amandla, every Wednesday night from 7-8 pm. As we enjoy the cultural wonders Africans have contributed to humanity, we can't forget the awful and preventable situation of a lot of people right now in Sudan, Kenya, Malawi, Ethiopia, Congo, Niger, and many other regions - and there are a variety of ways those of us who live relatively comfortable lives can help, so please check them out (one possibility is Doctors Without Borders).

OK, now here's the playlist (artist-album (VA=various artists) -song):

• background music: John Kunaka - Zimbabwe: The Soul Of Mbira - Nhimutimu
• Alif - Dakamerap - Addu Kalpin
• Rahsaan Roland Kirk - Left & Right - Black Mystery Has Been Revealed
• Rokia Traore - Mali Lolo: Stars Of Mali (VA) - Yere Uolo
• Bembeya Jazz National - The Sylliphone Years - N'gamokoro
• Wofa - Guinee:Percussions & Chants De La Basse Cote - Lenge Bere
• Wagogo - Tanzania: Wagogo Songs - Inamwaluko
• Bokoor Band - Afro-Rock vol.1 (VA) - Onukpa Shawarpo
• Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe & His Nigeria Sound Makers International - African Music (VA) - Odindu Nyuliba
• Sir Victor Olaiya's International All-Stars - Afro Baby (VA) - Omelebele
• Ambali Adedeji - Lagos All Routes (VA) - Ole Obinrir
• Shina Williams & His African Percussions - Lagos Chop Up (VA) - Ise Aje Male/Egbekegle/Emikoni Koja Ayemi
• Gandajikan Women - Prattle (VA: Donna's 2002 WFMU Marathon Premium) - Tuhuri Dance
• S.E. Rogie - Africa Dances (VA) - Toomus Meremereh Nor Good
• Mwenda Jean Bosco - The Secret Museum Of Mankind: Music Of East Africa (VA) - Masanga
• Os Kiezos - Angola 70's 1974-1978 (VA) - Princeza Rita
• Masanka Sankayi - Congotronics vol.2 (VA) - Le Laboreur
• Udokotela Shange Namajaha - The Indestructible Beat of Soweto vol.2 (VA) - Awungilobolele
• Simon Mashoko (Gwenyambiri) - Zimbabwe: The Soul Of Mbira - Mbiriviri
• Thomas Mapfumo - Chimurenga Forever - Mhondoro
• Les Amazones De Guinee - Au Coeur De Paris - P.D.G.
• Mahmoud Ahmed - Ethiopiques 3 - Lomiwen Teqebeletch

The next show will be on Saturday March 4 from 9-11 pm. Shawn will be back, hopefully with some special goodies picked up during his travels!

Next Show - Tonight!
Hey everybody, don't forget that the next Free Kick show is tonight, Saturday Feb 18, from 9 to 11 pm eastern on CKUT 90.3. Two hours of pure African musical goodness for ya!

In the meantime you might enjoy the videos posted here...

The First Saturday Night Show - Feb 4 2006
Shawn and I are delighted to report that our first show in the Saturday slot went just swimmingly. I hope all listeners had as good a time as we did. The show had a bit of a Black History Month theme to fit in with the overall thrust of programming for the month of Feb at CKUT. Maximum respect to all the great musicians of African descent who have made the world a better place for everyone!

Here's what we played on Saturday (artist - album (VA=various artists) - song):

• Rahsaan Roland Kirk - Left & Right - Black Mystery Has Been Revealed
• Disposable Heroes of Hip-Hoprisy - Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury - INS Greencard A-19191 500 + Socio-Genetic Experiment
• Funkadelic - Maggot Brain - Super Stupid
• Gus "The Groove" Lewis - The Sound of Funk vol. 1 (VA) - Let the Groove Move You
• Ambassadors of Soul - Funky Funky Houston vol. 1 (VA) - Cool Sticks
• Curtis Mayfield - Curtis - Move On Up
• Lee Dorsey - New Orleans Funk (VA) - Who's Gonna Help A Brother Get Further
• Mo' Horizons - Brazil Remixed (VA) - Hit the Road Jack
• Marcelinho Da Lua feat. Seu Jorge - Rough Guide to Rio de Janeiro (VA) - Cotidiano
• Riachao feat, Carlinhos Brown - Rough Guide to Bahia (VA) - Pitada de Tabaco
• Curumin - Achados E Perdidos - Olhando de Uma Janela No Centro da Cidade
• Sun Ra - Space is the Place S/T - Black Man
• Count Ossie & the Mystic Revelation of Rastafari - Tales of Mozambique - Sam's Intro + Mozambique/Tales of Mozambique
• Mulatu Astatqe - Ethiopiques vol. 4 - Yekatit
• No. 1 de Dakar - Golden Afrique vol. 1 (VA) - Yaye Boye
• Odyssey The Band - Back in Time - Open Doors
• Eric Dolphy - Far Cry - Serene
• Jabbo Ware: The Me We & Them Orchestra - Vignettes in the Spirit of Ellington - Intro #2 Free at Last

The next show is on Saturday Feb 18 from 9-11 pm. Shawn will be away, so I will hold it down with 2 solid hours of African music, once again as a nod to Black History Month. Check it out - you won't be sorry, no sirree.

Yes indeedy, we are off and running. Do stay tuned on Saturday, February 4th at 21h00 EDT for the premiere of our new slot.

Opening Whistle

The Free Kick blog is now off and running! Check here regularly for extra goodies (show-related or not) such as quaint ramblings from Shawn & Dave, links to cool & essential web stuff, the odd mp3 and general good vibes.

Today's top story: excitement is mounting with the approach of Free Kick's debut as a bona fide regularly scheduled show on CKUT 90.3 FM . Every second Saturday from 9 to 11 pm Eastern time, starting February 4!! Y'all tune in & check it out now.