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!

Most of the time when we think of the music of South Africa, we think of the immense variety of "indigenous" music, from Maskanda to Township Jive and so much more. We don't hear much of the musical contributions of the Dutch, or even of western music. But lately we have been seeing the impact and interpenetration of cultures that resulted from colonization in films like Karoo Kitar Blues. Another film debuting this week, Beautiful in Beaufort Wes (also located in the Karoo) reflects the popularity of the singer-songwriter idiom. For here in this dusty small town, we find one of South Africa's most noted poets and troubadors, Gert Vlok Nel. As the camera wanders in and out of the lives of the town's inhabitants, Nel accompanies it with songs reminiscent of Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen. The songs capture the loneliness, the longing and also, the love that infuses the film.  Is it "world music?" Perhaps not, but watch the film, and then decide whether or not you have visited a unique place, and been changed from the journey.

Last week I wrote about the diversity of music and films coming out of Africa these days. This week, you will notice that blocks #32 and #51 are all music from African countries, and two of our feature presentations are Vusi (Mahlasela) and Friends in Concert and Youssou N'Dour and the Grand Orchestre du Caire in concert. It's just a coincidence, but a good one. In looking back at block #32 (it was one I put together shortly after making contact with Gallo Records, in South Africa) I find it still as thought provoking and informative as ever.

We open with the late great Lucky Dube, who was tragically murdered during a carjacking in JoBurg this year. In his time he was pioneer of African Reggae, and "House ofExile" is a classic that displays his way with a beautiful melody. Next, El Hadj n'Diaye continues with the theme of displacement, with "Thiaroye" a powerful statement about missing one's homeland.  After that, KDD presents a truly dynamic (and high end) video. The chorus is a reworking of the French national anthem, as they demand "another color on the flag." In another (and much lighter) vein, Gomes and Tavares gather some of France's hippest rappers and deejays for a spoof on police corruption. Check out the reference in the video to cassoulet - the first time I saw it couldn't stop laughing. Back on African soil we find South African Jabu Khanyile smoothly extolling the hopes of a non apartheid future-- but hard on his heels, we have Phuzekhemisi, the great maskanda musician who never lets the powers that be, be they white or black, forget what is right.

We close with one from Oliver Mtukudzi, from Zimbabwe.  His video is about a prodigal son.  This video was made in slightly happier days for Zimbabwe, and we can only hope that things get better for its people by the next time we play this block.

Africa is a continent withover 50 countries, each with a myriad of faces and issues, and as it assumes a more and more important role in the world it is fascinating to see the cultural markers that are coming out of it, in the form of movies and documentaries. This week we are showing three films that represent such markers.

Our music documentary Fangafrica takes a look at a hooked up and urbanized pop culture, specifically a hip hop festival in Burkina Fasso. Karoo Kitar Blues, on the other hand focuses on an insular and isolated community in the South African desert, where music is an hermetic blend of local sensibilities and old colonial pop tunes.

The Cinemondo entry Waiting for Happiness is a reverie about cultural dislocation in Mauritania, as an urbanite visiting his mother's home town encounters traditions and attitudes he can no longer recognize or relate to. In particular check out the transmission of music from one female bard to another. To hear more of this kind of striking music, check out Ouleya Mint Amartichitt at YouTube here.

For videos that showcase some of the many faces of Africa, check out:
Daara J "Boomerang"
Issa Bagayogo "Diama Don"
Wazimbo "Nwahulwana"
K'Naan "Soobax"
Sobanza Mimanisa "Kiwembo"