Labor Day weekend has always been a transitional holiday. We go from a sense of carefree summer and vacations to a "back to work" (or school) mindset. Over the next week, we are showing some wonderful music documentaries that show how hard work pays off.  The Orchestra of the Piazza Vittorio demonstrates how a few dedicated and adventurous people can change a wreck into recreation. Soweto Strings brings us into the lives of children and young adults in the music classes of violist Rosemary Nalden. You don't have to love classical music to be swept away in the positive attitude that these kids have to their stern taskmaster, and she to them. We should all have such open minds and hearts. And a quick look ahead: next week we'll be premiering Renegade Fiddler about Gilies Apap, a classically trained violinist who goes on a journey to India to teach, and be taught. It's a real ear-opener!

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're showing two of my favorite blocks this week, Songbirds (#50) and Ladies, Sublime and Ridiculous (#62). They all feature women as either the central singers, or as the focus of the video. It is amazing how much strength runs through both blocks. The Nordic lands weigh in with Groupa and Garmarna, each with straight-as-an-arrow vocals, and both sets contain entries from Eleftheria Arvanitaki: "The Bodies and the Knives" is a searing look at the perils of relationships, while "Dynata" asserts the power of the Female. Even Yungchen Lhamo's ethereal vocals cannot disguise her core of assurance - she might be praying to her teachers, but she is still the woman who trekked over the Himalayas to freedom. Our longer offerings keep this motif flowing: watching Mariza and the story of Fado we feel the passion of a diva's commitment to her music, and in Vanaja (on Cinemondo this week) we are witness to the things in life that give a woman an iron will.

The controversial Olympics in Beijing are about to launch, and it's no coincidence that Link TV has rolled out several eye (and ear) opening  programs for this week. China is an endlessly fascinating subject, and our programming department has chosen some compelling stuff for you. Mosuo Song Journey is a loving look at a remote part of China that is trying to adapt to an influx of tourism. The area is known for its matriarchal culture and its passionate songs, but "progress" is taking its toll. For a look to the past, Yang Ban Xi resurrects the Maoist years with some pure propaganda that took the form of highly entertaining musicals. Moving from music into the movies, we present an encore presentation from our first season of Cinemondo, with a harrowing tale of betrayal in Beijing in the film Stolen Life – a recent Tribeca Film Festival winner for Best Narrative Feature. And while I'm touting our cultural programming, don't forget our series Chinese Restaurants which is a tasty look at how Chinese culture survives in diaspora, through the lens of one of its most well known aspects: food.

I am a bit of a proselytizer for world music. I remember a several years ago someone telling me rather smugly "I would NEVER listen to music that isn't in English!" and thinking "and you aren't ashamed?"  I rather love listening to songs in other languages-- it's like one kind of music on top of another…a musical sundae. With all the different kinds of music there is out there, why not be open to it all -- the whole smorgasbord! (You may have guessed that I'm a foodie, too.) This brings me to a documentary we are showing this week. It's called Jupiter's Dance and in it Jupiter, Kinshasa's ever optimistic entrepreneur says time and again that the musical riches of Congo could be its economic goldmine. And the variety and sweetness of what is there is indeed compelling, from rhythms that get your hips shaking to harmonies that seduce your ears. I recommend Jupiter's Dance to you, and hope it gives you a craving for Congolese music that compels you to buy some. And maybe next time a friend comes by whose tastes are totally mainstream, you'll can slip them an exotic musical hors d'oevre and create another convert!