Audio Programs

Planet Afropop April 30, 2024

Planet Afropop: Gino Sitson: Cameroonian Renaissance Man

On this episode of Planet Afropop, Georges Collinet interviews fellow Cameroonian Gino Sitson. Sitson is a maverick maestro who blends unique vocal techniques with sounds from classical instruments—cello, violin, double bass—with African traditional elements.

Planet Afropop April 16, 2024

Planet Afropop - Rachid Taha: African Punk Ghost

In this episode, producer Elodie Maillot in Paris reviews the career of mercurial Algerian-French singer, composer and activist Rachid Taha, who died in 2018.

Hip Deep April 11, 2024

Thomas Mapfumo 1: The War Years

Part 1 of Afropop Worldwide's HIp Deep audio biography of Thomas Mapfumo focuses on his upbringing, musical education and the bands that lead up to the Blacks Unlimited. These are the war years, when Zimbabwe was fighting to throw off the burden of the racist Southern Rhodesian regime. This episode documents the birth of "chimurenga" music in the voices of those who made that history, many of whom have now joined the ancestors. Produced by Banning Eyre.

Planet Afropop April 2, 2024

Planet Afropop - ARB: Nigeria’s Alternative Reflective Beats

In this episode, Planet Afropop’s Lagos correspondent Fay Fay profiles a unique multi-generational band on the Nigerian scene: Alternative Reflective Beats (ARB).

Planet Afropop March 19, 2024

Planet Afropop: Singeli Jumps and Rumba Swings in Tanzania!

Tanzanian music veteran John Kitime guides the Planet Afropop team through highlights of singeli and Swahili rumba in 2024.

Planet Afropop March 5, 2024

Planet Afropop - South Africa in the Green Room: Bongeziwe and Bakithi

On the cusp of a world tour, genre-bending South African artist Bongeziwe Mabandla sits down with Planet Afropop's Mukwae Wabei Siyolwe. Mabandla, a true maverick, draws on his country's rich musical history but forges his own path.

Planet Afropop February 20, 2024

Planet Afropop: Mas Carnaval in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe

Planet Afropop: Mas Carnaval in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe with Mukwae Wabei Siyolwe

Planet Afropop February 6, 2024

Planet Afropop: Syli D’Or Winners And Artists For Aid

Every winter, starting in February, the organizers of the annual Nuits D’Afrique festival put on a battle of the Afropop bands.

Hip Deep February 1, 2024

Black History Month: The Ring and The Shout

This Hip Deep episode presents the stunning radio premiere of "Oh, David," the traditional song of the annual Easter Rock in Winnsboro, Louisiana.

Planet Afropop January 23, 2024

Planet Afropop: Moh! Kouyate: A Conversation with a Global Griot

Banning Eyre speaks with Moh Kouyate about his new album, Mokhôya.

Planet Afropop January 9, 2024

Planet Afropop: A Conversation with Okwy Osadebe

Explore the vibrant legacy of Nigerian Igbo highlife through a captivating conversation with Okwy Osadebe, son of highlife legend Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe, featuring insights into his life in the U.S., his new album 'Igbo Amaka', and exclusive tracks from both father and son on WOWD Radio.

Hip Deep January 4, 2024

The Fertile Crescent: Haiti, Cuba and Louisiana

Ned Sublette and Gwendolyn Midlow Hall explore the French, Spanish and African origins of New Orleans culture.

Planet Afropop December 27, 2023

Planet Afropop: Year End Special

Planet Afropop closes out 2023, focusing on celebratory music from the Democratic Republic of Congo. First, Mukwae notes some of the year's trends in global African pop. Then we go to the streets of Kinshasa with live music from Kin’Gongolo Kinyata, recorded at WOMEX 2023 in Spain. We end at the 35th Anniversary Dance Party at SOB’s in New York City with Samba Mapangala and Soukous Stars. It's a rollicking finale to an eventful year in African music.

Planet Afropop December 12, 2023

Planet Afropop - Three Takes on Burkina Faso

Planet Afropop November 28, 2023

Planet Afropop: Mr Eazi Gets Evil

Mr. Eazi stands out among today’s Nigerian pop stars in several ways. For starters, in a world of musical dreamers and schemers, he never set out to be a musician. Now, the 29-year-old is among the most innovative and respected artists in the Afrobeats universe.

Planet Afropop November 14, 2023

Planet Afropop - Ghana at WOMEX 2023

Planet Afropop October 31, 2023

Planet Afropop - Brazil Update, The Indigenous Edition

In this edition of Planet Afropop we focus on Brazil - especially with regard the the challenges facing indigenous people within the country.

Closeup October 25, 2023

Africa Seven

Africa Seven focuses on releasing curated remastered vinyl\n\nalbums and eclectic painstakingly researched compilations, mixing big and big\n\n“ish” hits with thoughtful deep cuts.

Planet Afropop October 17, 2023

Planet Afropop: Bombino And Bobi Wine

In this episode of Planet Afropop, Banning, Georges, and Mukwae explore the role of African musicians in the midst of political turmoil.

Hip Deep October 12, 2023

Hip Deep in Mali: The Tuareg Predicament

The program samples a rich variety of Malian Tuareg music and includes conversations with Tuareg musicians and cultural authorities in the wake of Mali’s crisis, along with University of Houston anthropologist Susan Rasmussen.

Closeup October 10, 2023

How the Sound of Saudade Traveled to Ethiopia

Producer Zubeyda Ahmed unravels the fascinating link between Ethio Jazz and Brazilian rhythms such as bossa nova, samba, and touches on traditional Afro-Brazilian cultures; illuminating the remarkable journey of saudade's musical pilgrimage to Ethiopia.

Planet Afropop October 3, 2023

Planet Afropop: Lagos update with Fay Fay and a conversation Las Hijas Del Rap

In the latest episode of Planet Afropop, hosts Georges, Mukwae, and Banning catch up with Lagos-based correspondent Fay Fay for the latest buzz in the Afrobeats scene. Mukwae also engages in an uplifting yet serious conversation with Las Hijas del Rap, a groundbreaking all-female hip-hop group from Yucatan, Mexico.