Guidance: Vusi Mahlasela and "Ntombi Mgali"

Our random tune for today is by Vusi Mahlasela. Sometimes called "The Voice of South Africa" for his work in African folk music, Vusi Mahlasela served as an inspiration for the anti-apartheid movement with songs that focused on freedom, forgiveness and reconciliation. He has collaborated with musicians such as Dave Matthews, Josh Groban and Taj Mahal, has performed at many famous live concert events such as Live 8 and Live Earth, and sang for Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday celebration in London. ITV used one of his songs as their theme song for their World Cup coverage in South Africa, and he also performed at the South Africa World Cup kickoff concert. This song, Ntombi Mbali, is from his 2007 CD Guiding Star - that album garnered him Best Male Artist in the South Africa Music Awards. The song features Black Moses Ngwenya, a South African organist who was a co-founder of the Soul Brothers, a South African band that was one of the pioneers of the Zulu-inspired mbaqanga music.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

I Heard the Calypso Today, Oh Boy: Kobo Town and "Kaiso Newscast"

Our random song is brought to us by Kobo Town. Founded by Trinidadian/Canadian Drew Gonsalves in 2004, Kobo Town refers to the neighborhood in Port Au Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, where calypso was conceived and first performed. Kobo Town blends calypso music with other Caribbean music, as well as genres such as ska, reggae, dub, rapso, zouk and hip hop. Gonsalves moved to Canada from Diego Martin, Trinidad & Tobago with his mother when he was thirteen. She was a Canadian citizen who was escaping her abusive marriage. He turned to music and poetry to deal with his situation and feelings of exile. He studied history and political science at Carleton University before taking up music as a career. This song, Kaiso Newscast, can be found on Kobo Town's 2013 album Jumbie in the Jukebox. The song opines how simpler the world would be if news was brought to us in calypso, rather than through outlets such as Fox and CNN.  After a short interview with Gonsalves, the song starts at the 2:00 mark.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Love Rising: Lira and "Ixesha"

Lira, whose name translates to "love" in the Sesotho language, brings us today's tune, Ixesha. Lira grew up in apartheid South Africa listening to musicians such as Miriam Makeba, Steve Wonder, Nina Simone and Aretha Franklin, and decided she would be a musician. After attending college, she got a job as an accountant and used her skills to record a demo CD. An accountant for two years, she turned in a letter of resignation and devoted herself to a five year plan to make it in music. She was discovered in 2000 by musician/producer Arthur Mafokate. She has since come to be considered South Africa's most prominent adult contemporary artist. Lira describes her music as elements of soul, funk, elements of jazz and African. Ixesha can be found on Lira's 2014 album Rise Again.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

An Afternoon Street Scene: Moussu T e lei Jovents and "Boulevard Bertolucci"

Today's random song is by Moussu T e lei Jovents, a Marseilles-based band that is inspired by the music of Marseilles between 1920 and 1930 and the melting pot that the city was and remains. They range musically from the blues to reggae to Brazilian music to music hall. The band splits its time between Marseilles, a French commune called La Ciotat, and Recife, Brazil. They are very comfortable singing in Occitan, the regional language of the southern third of France. They have released eight albums. This song, Boulevard Bertolucci, can be found on Moussu T e lei Jovents' 2006 album Forever Polida. The song is a snapshot of a street at 4:30 pm in the afternoon.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Preaching by the Choir: The Bulawayo Church Choir and "Wangal' Unozipho"

Wangal' Unozipho, our random tune for today, is performed by the The Bulawayo Church Choir. The song was part of The Power of One movie soundtrack. There is not much information on the group other than that they are from South Africa. We saw the movie many years ago. The Power of One is based on a novel by Bryce Courtenay and is the story of a young English boy in South Africa and his complicated relationships under apartheid with others in the country, both black and white. The Power of One soundtrack was released in 1992.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Roaming the Halls: Conjunto Céspedes and "Los Pasillos de Tia Conga"

Our random tune for today is called Los Pasillos de Tia Conga. It is performed by Conjunto Céspedes, who was founded in 1981 in San Francisco as Trio Céspedes. They soon expanded to a septet and released their first album in 1984. Their music has developed into a big band sound, and they explore Afro Cuban folklore, both religious and secular, and turn it into music that can be danced to. Los Pasillos de Tia Conga can be found on their 1993 album Una Sola Casa, and on the 1997 Putumayo various artists compilation ¡Latino Latino!

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Cross Cultural Seedings: Family Atlantica and "Enjera"

Today's random tune is supplied by Family Atlantica. Family Atlantica is a band that spans an ocean and two continents, South America and Africa, building on African rhythms that came to South America through slavery and colonization. Those rhythms helped build Latin music, and later Latin music went back across the Atlantic to inspire African musicians in the 20th century and today. Listening to the band, you will hear echoes of Cuban rumba, Venezuelan tambor (a dance music) and tonada, Ghanaian highlife, calypso and even Ethiopian blues (a melancholy style of music). This song, Enjera, can be found on their 2016 debut Cosmic Unity.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.