As promised here's part two of my visit with Julian Kytasty. It concerns itself with the folk tradition, and Julian gets pretty whimsical. But of course, he settles back into some good old Slavic Darkness at the end.

I'd also like to start calling your attention to some of the great blogs and websites on the net that foster World Music. You have to  know these are all labors of love!  First and foremost, RootsWorld should be on anyone's list for great critical reviews, knowledgeable essays, (hey, I've written for them!) and even for those hard to get CDs from all over the world. Check it out, you'll be wandering around on that site for days!  

And if you can't get to a cassette shop in Ghana, the next best thing is Awesome Tapes from Africa, where you can hear the stuff that NEVER gets here....it's just TOO funky. Highly recommended listening.

Continuing with my theme of how preconceptions can get in the way of hearing something simply for what it is, I give you two much maligned instruments: the accordion and the banjo. The accordion started out innocently enough, but due to its capacity for playing rhythm, melody and harmony simultaneously, and being incredibly loud and portable, it became immensely popular and supplanted older instruments, ending up becoming the heart and soul of many folk idioms. Eventually, it became the most conspicuous member of the Polka ensemble, and from there it was a short hop to the Lawrence Welk Show, where its fate was sealed to an entire generation of young people who simply HATED the instrument, and were enamored of the electric guitar. It is only recently that the accordion has lost some of its stigma.

Next, turn back the clock to the late late 70’s and banjoist extraordinaire Tony Trischka’s fascination with the African roots of the banjo. Who knew? But yes, that instrument which we associate with Country music (plus bluegrass and old-timey), minstrel shows and Dixieland comes from Mama Africa. Years later, I interviewed Angelique Kidjo who told me how much she hated the banjo.  Why? Because her father loved American banjo music! Now fast forward to this week, when the soundtrack to the film “Throw down your heart” about banjoist Bela Fleck’s journey to Africa to commune with musicians and find common threads of sound, is now available. What is it about these instruments that has aroused so much emotion?  They are only instruments, things to make music with!  All I can say is let’s hope that Bela’s explorations bring us al a little bit closer to throwing down our preconceptions about music.

Several wonderful music documentaries will be making their last appearance on the channel in the next few weeks, and among my favorites showing this week is “Amadou and Mariam Live at la Gout D'Or.”  We don’t generally show full concerts, but this one had such great energy coming from both the stage and the audience, and the entire neighborhood, for that matter, that we bucked our own directive and licensed it. The band is tight, and the songs are simple, but catchy. No wonder Manu Chao decided to produce the blind couple's CD, as these elements are similar to his own music. Not only is the performance great, but you get to see one of Paris' most ethnically colorful neighborhoods, as both North and West Africans make La Gout D'Or their home.

Another great film that will be bidding us adieu soon is Jupiter's Dance.  If you haven't seen it yet, make a point to check it out in the next few weeks, and you'll hear some of the wonderfully sweet singing that Congo is famous for.

With the feast behind us, and hopefully some well targeted toasts given, the Friday after Thanksgiving becomes a day to recover, relax and gear up for the holiday barrage. This year, as the season bodes poorly for commerce, perhaps it's best to focus on those intangible things that give us great value and joy. Although I have called  your attention to our music documentary Soweto Strings before, I would like to approach its virtues from another angle today. The film, about a classical music school for South African children is noteworthy for the way it shows how music can flourish and change lives no matter where it finds itself. But it is also about a remarkable teacher, Rosemary Nalden.  I have been lucky to have had some inspiring teachers in my life, and she reminds me of them, with her fierce devotion to education, and her delight at the receptive nature of her pupils. So may I suggest, as you watch Soweto Strings this week, that you think on some of the pivotal teachers in your life, and say a private "Thanks" for their efforts.

I was very lucky that growing up, my dad loved to bring home all kinds of music. He was what was called, back then, a "hi fi nut," which meant we had the best sound system in the neighborhood. He'd put a record on and crank the speakers up so that the whole house would fill with music. He played classical music, Broadway musicals, and folk music.

One day he brought home a recording that changed my life. It was full of joy and rhythm and beauty. It was Miriam Makeba's "The Voice of Africa."  I had never heard a voice like that, or such melodies. I sang along, I danced, and the music became a part of me. On the jacket of the album I read something about her attitude toward South Africa that I did not understand; I did not know anything about apartheid.

Miriam Makeba passed away on November 10th. She left a legacy of countless recordings, and is considered one of the first "world music" stars. There is no doubt that she paved the way for the careers of the many world musicians that have since graced us with their songs. For my part, I remember the last song on that album my dad brought home. It was called "Qhude" and it's a beauty...if you can find it, give it a listen and think of Miriam, Mama Africa.

This week we are showing Amandla! A Revolution in Four Part Harmony as part of our continuing theme of "What change looks like." The film focuses on the role that singing played in the successful struggle against apartheid, and ends with a message of hope and joy. But since those days, much has changed and along with the sweet has come the bitter. The issue of poverty has not been sufficiently addressed in South Africa and when people are poor, crime rises. The country lost one of its most significant musicians, in the senseless murder of Lucky Dube at the hands of a carjacker. When I spoke to Vusi Mahlasela (one of the artists featured in Amandla!) about contemporary music in South Africa, he did not hide his disappointment with how easily so many of the youth turn away from their roots to embrace Western pop or expect musical mastery to come easily. In his efforts to turn this trend around, he has established music schools to revitalize traditional music. So, when we watch Amandla, let's keep in mind that what change looks like keeps changing.

This week we're airing The Festival in the Desert: the Tent Sessions. This isn't a new program by any means, but it put me in mind of two very good friends and heroes of world music: Banning Eyre and Sean Barlow. Together, they are the heart and soul of Afropop Worldwide, the pioneering radio program and website that has been bringing the sounds of Africa and the African diaspora to millions of listeners. It was their idea to go to Timbuktu and videotape the festival. Had they ever done anything like it before? No. Did this discourage them? No. They came back with hours of remarkable footage - and with some expert editing - made the program you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home. Sean and Banning definitely "roughed it" making this film, but when you watch it, all you will feel is the joy of music - and their joy of capturing it.

This week, to coincide with our coverage of the Democratic convention, we are rolling out programming about positive change. My favorite (but of course, I am somewhat biased towards music) is Fangafrika, about a Hip Hop festival in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. In this documentary you will meet passionate, engaged, and engaging young people who are dedicated to using the microphone as a platform for social comment. You won't see any bling, but you will hear a lot of singing, rhyming, and improvising about serious issues. The film is a Who's Who in African hip hop, from veterans like Pee Froiss, the members of Daara J, and Positive Black Soul to up and coming hot acts. And while it's true that the countries of Africa still have their problems, I'm an optimist, and think that we are going to see a steady improvement. Maybe it's the inevitability of the globalized economy - or maybe the MCs of Fangafrika give me hope.

We've been trumpeting the arrival of several new programs, and this week we're rolling three of them out. Soweto Strings is a totally endearing documentary about violist Rosemary Nalden, the music school she founded in Soweto, and her exceptional students. Coming from the impoverished township, their lives have been difficult to say the least, yet all of them show an openness and enthusiasm for learning classical music that Ms. Nalden (and we) find irresistible. On a side note, I showed this documentary to a friend of mine, who used to be the Concert Master for the Metropolitan Opera here in New York, and he thought Ms. Nalden had put together "a damned fine orchestra!"

We are also debuting two new music blocks (and in a few weeks these will be available streamed on our website, too).

Block #106 "Mashups" is a fun-filled block with videos that are musically and visually eclectic. Here's a brief rundown: Magnifico's "House of the Rising Sun" goes Balkan, Mexican Institute of Sound visits the dinosaur room, Rahul Sharma presents a philosophical hallucination, SoCalled deconstructs his head, Ojos de Brujo create a spiritual and cultural collage, Dengue Fever pays tribute to the Road Warrior, and Antiquarks get down on the dance floor - with the hurdy gurdy.

Block #108, aka "Romance" has Ziskakan praising Gypsies in Rajasthan, Sona Mohapatra presenting different styles of Indian dance, Federico Aubele playing guitar a bordello, while Rupa and the April Fishes take us to a Paris Bistro that is not really in Paris. Then Dato brings us a mournful love song illustrated by sand art, and we finish with Kiran Ahluwalia and a contemporary setting of an ancient Urdu love poem.

Starting in mid-June we'll be rolling out five new world music blocks, and some great new music documentaries. With themes ranging from "What a World" to "Romance" to "Mashups" and plenty of exciting live performances these new music blocks will be a great way to start your summer off. Faves to watch out for: a spirited Gaucho improv with Renato Borghetti, and some truly great Balkan Brass fusion with Shantel.

Of the new documentaries, Soweto Strings is an uplifting true story of a dedicated music teacher in South Africa whose young students are an inspiration to us all. They come from poverty and troubled home lives, but somehow gravitate to classical music, bringing a whole hearted enthusiasm and discipline to their studies. This is the one to watch if you've got the blues!