For those of you who are night (or early morning) owls, may I recommend our World Music Video Block #85, airing this week. This block is all about visual creativity, so you will see great graphics, animation, and skewed visuals all over this one. The Warsaw Village Band give us a stop animation drama about tempestuous relationships, while Polvorosa present us with a bizarre ode to delayed romantic gratification. MIA delivers a graphic tapestry of her own invention, and Cankisou takes some hallucinogenic mushrooms and goes tripping Castaneda-style. My own favorite, however, is the ever popular Juanes, singing "La Camisa Negra" (and no, he is not talking about Mussolini's black shirts) throwing down a deadly cumbia beat straight from Hell...well, watch it and you'll understand.

FLASH!! I don’t really believe that music is the universal language. There are too many kinds of music that I've had to learn to understand, and many more I may respect, but not enjoy. Still, there is no doubting the phenomenon of musicians from one culture becoming totally enamored of music from another. Many years ago I participated in an International Bluegrass festival in Southern France.  I was surrounded by Bluegrass players from all over the world, and all of them were simply crazy about the music! Why do I bring this up? Because this week we are showing Like a God When He Plays about Irishman Paddy Bush and his love affair with Malagasy music, and the instrument he plays, the valiha. His devotion is real, and it's touching to see him make his pilgrimage to attend the ritual exhumation of a beloved master valihist. Along the way we also get to hear some delightful music, so do check this sweet documentary out.