The Navigator

It's a beautiful Mother's Day. Cloudless and perfect for drying the washing. When that's done there nothing better than the second volume in the series of 'Tropical Grooves & Afrofunk International' selections from the Paris DJs Soundsystem is the follow-up to the 'Dis Is Good For You' compilation from last year, one of Paris DJs' bestseller since the media morphed into a label (now releasing a new single or album every week!). This time artists were sent a mesmerizing Ben Hito artwork as a source of inspiration to submit tracks, with a hypnotic new direction towards the mystic, and music flowed from all over the world with a communicative enthousiasm...The compilation was cooked up by Paris DJs honcho Djouls with the help of co-founders Loik Dury and Grant Phabao, going through hundreds of songs and instrumentals in order to refine a full hour trip of messing-with-your-mind grooves. From the Afro Funk of Polyrhythmics or Phil Motion & The Easy LO-Fi, to the Afro-Latin sounds of Bixiga 70, Jungle Fire, EMEFE or Radio Citizen vs. Deela, from the Carribean Funk of Mop Mop to the Ethio-Jazz of Arat Kilo or Jungle By Night, From the Afro Psych of Goat to the Roots Reggae of Grant Phabao & The Silvertones, from the heavy funk of The Sidetones or The Grits to the Afro Dub of the International Ducks, this is a new tour de force in gathering the many colors of psychedelic funk & jazz from all over the globe! Soundway Records present Kenya Special: Selected East African Recordings from the 1970s & ‘80s - a treasure-trove of rare and unusual recordings from East Africa. Spread out over two CDs and one triple LP, Kenya Special is accompanied by detailed liner notes, original artwork and photographs.It follows on from Soundway’s much acclaimed African ‘Special’ series that to date has focused on the highlife and afrobeat output from 1970s Nigeria and Ghana......... and much much more

 The Moroccan Sahrawi singer Oum announced the release of her new album and video entitled “Soul of Morocco” in France. The budding Moroccan singing star with her five-piece soul band headlined the opening night of the Taragalte music festival last November, which was dedicated to and also featured Malian musicians then exiled because of the takeover of northern Mali by al-Qaeda-linked extremist groups. Femi Kuti has taken upon himself to carry forward Afrobeat -both music and its message - but it's also important for him to take that creation and stamp his own mark onto it;as he says "I think it's very important for me to respect my father’s creation all the time. But I don't want to be my father's replica. I want to find my own spirit, my own soul and my own voice." 'No Place For My Dream' was recorded in Paris with producer Sodi, who is well known for his collaborations with the Kuti Family; he produced several Fela albums and has worked with Femi for many years. Founded by Trinidadian-Canadian songwriter Drew Gonsalves, Kobo Town is named after the historic neighborhood in Port-of-Spain where calypso was born. Kobo Town takes the intricate wordplay of classic Caribbean music and runs it through a 21st Century filter. In the world of Kobo Town calypso, roots reggae, and acoustic instrumentation meet innovative production techniques, social commentary and indie rock attitude.

Rain is coming soon on this dry land. The Navigator celebrates with the King, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Bede Taylor and Los Lobos. I play a fantastic new single from the forthcoming Tatou Tatou E Vol3 Kiri Eriwata "Na te Kukune. She is in good company with Aotearoa diva's Ngatapa Black and Iva Lamkum. Brand new albums by Kenya based Owiny Sigoma Band "Power Punch", a Chico Mann, Antibalas guitarist, release on Soundway records "Manifest Tone" The Best of Vol 1-3" and A Hawk And A Hacksaw "You Have Aleady Gone To The Other World" and much more..................

It's a dry Eastern. Need a drink and some rain. Best to do some African Griot Groove, Mambossa and Porca Troica. The Kaligola Disco Bar sounds like a good idea to break the drought. Gospel could do the trick, but perhaps we need the genius of Magnifico, Electro Blues, Love for Levon or a Dirty Dub Raindrop. I just keep trying from around this great planet. The only one we have and share all together. Better get along and thanks for the music. Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!