PRI's The World: Global Hit
PRI's The World presents the Global Hit podcast, a daily spotlight on international musical artists or trends. Created by The World's Marco Werman, the Global Hit features interviews with musicians, critics and deejays around the globe. The World is US-based international news and analysis program co-produced by the BBC World Service, Public Radio International, and WGBH Public Radio in Boston. Copyright 2007 PRI's The World Marco Werman
- The World: Global Hit - Jens Lekman
Anchor Marco Werman tells us about Swedish singer- songwriter Jens Lekman. His music often find significance in life's most mundane moments such as getting a haircut. - The World: Global Hit - Laulun Laulut
The World's David Leveille takes us to a Scandinavian town -- located north of the Arctic Circle -- where musicians who sing in the region's minority languages recently got together for a festival. But the music they play isn't old traditional stuff. It's contemporary music that is helping to keep the old languages alive in the 21st century. - The World: Global Hit - Marco Werman's 2007 musical picks
The World's Marco Werman offers his picks for best global music released during 2007. There are lots of new albums to talk about. But many of Marco's favorites are old tunes rediscovered and digitized for the 21st century. - The World: Global Hit - Dean Reed
For today's Global Hit, reporter Susan Stone tells us about a new documentary called "The Red Elvis." It tells the story of an American singer who found pop fame behind the Berlin Wall during the 1960's and 70's. - The World: Global Hit - Sinikka Langeland
Today's global hit marries Scandinavian folk music, jazz, and poetry. The musician is Norwegian. The instrument she plays is Finnish. The World's Ken Bader has today's Global Hit. - The World: Global Hit - Shantel
We begin our Global Hit today with a brief look back at the fall of 2004. The Orange Revolution was underway in Ukraine. Thousands of opposition protesters hit the streets, waving orange flags. They were demanding respect for democracy. - The World: Global Hit - Mizero Children of Rwanda
Anchor Marco Werman speaks with musician Jean-Paul Samputu of Rwanda. Samputu says music saved him after the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Now he wants to help other budding artists in his country. - The World: Global Hit - Mohsen Namjoo
Mohsen Namjoo practices a subtle form of protest music. Namjoo is an Iranian singer and composer. He's a master of classical Persian poetry. But his fans say his satirical songs reflect the frustrations of Iranians today. Roxana Saberi reports from Tehran. - The World: Global Hit - Raul Midon
It's doubtful that any musician has captured the connection between soul music and flamenco the way Raul Midon has. Midon writes, sings, and plays guitar. And if you've never heard him, get ready. The World's Marco Werman has today's Global Hit. - The World: Global Hit - Unknown to No One
Beirut correspondent Ben Gilbert checks in on a band we profiled back in 2003. The Iraqi band is called "Unknown to No One," or UTN-1. It gained worldwide attention just after Saddam Hussein was overthrown. The band had since split up. Now they're back together and giving it another shot in Beirut. - The World: Global Hit - Sara Tavares
Anchor Lisa Mullins speaks with Sara Tavares. She's a singer-composer from Portugal. But her roots reach back to the African island of Cape Verde. - The World: Global Hit - Silky Kumar
This is one of those stories about life imitating art. Or is it art imitating life? Or is it schlock imitating schlock? Whatever this story is about, just telling it probably helps to feed the whole advertising machine that sells stuff. In India, it's become a well-oiled machine in recent months. The leading player in that machine currently is a singer named Silky Kumar. - The World: Global Hit - Valentina
The World's Jason Margolis profiles Mexican singer-songwriter Valentina. She's a former pop diva who decided to give her career a different steer. Now she performs more contemplative music, singing in both Spanish and English. - The World: Global Hit - The Divine Comedy
A Vatican priest has set Dante's masterpiece "The Divine Comedy" to music. The opera opens tonight in Rome. Correspondent Megan Williams went back stage at the dress rehearsal and has today's Global Hit. - The World: Global Hit - The Park Bench Social Club
A band from Newcastle, England, has embraced a distinctly American sound. The World's Marco Werman profiles The Park Bench Social Club. - The World: Global Hit - Sofia Jannok
Correspondent Will Freeman profiles Swedish singer Sofia Jannok. She combines jazz with the music of the SAMI people of northern Scandinavia. Jannok and other Swedish acts have been promoting their musical styles in China. - The World: Global Hit - Hafez Nazeri
This years marks the 800th anniversary of the birth of the Persian poet Rumi. He was born in what is now Afghanistan. And Rumi's poetry still sells, even after all these years. Many contemporary poets call him a bridge between East and West. - The World: Global Hit - Nils Landgren
The just-released CD by the Nils Landgren Funk Unit is called "Licence to Funk." - The World: Global Hit - Jay-Z
Brooklyn-born gangstah rapper JZ as economic trendsetter? His latest music video features the rapper riding in a limo through the streets of Harlem flashing wads of the high-test European currency the Euro. Host Marco Werman has the story. - The World: Global Hit - Arapiat
We go to northern Israel for our Global Hit. That's where two young rappers from the mixed Arab-Jewish town of Akko are making some waves.They're controversial -- not because they are women -- and not because they are Arab. What really gets them noticed is that they rap about the treatment of women in Arab culutre. Matt Gutman has the story. - The World: Global Hit - Jacques Schwarz-Bart
For our Global Hit today, meet saxophone player Jacques Schwarz-Bart. - The World: Global Hit - Patricia Arguelles
Today's Global Hit features an artist who sought inspiration inside a glass box. The artist is a 25-year-old violinist from Spain. And the glass box was set up on a public street in the Spanish capital, Madrid. The World's Gerry Hadden sent us this report. - The World: Global Hit - The foreign ministers of France and Germany
The foreign ministers of France and Germany are the subjects of our Global Hit today. The two ministers got together at a European summit on cultural integration. And they decided to use music to help make their point. Genevieve Oger has the story from Paris. - The World: Global Hit - Father Goose
Jamaican Rapper Father Goose, has teamed up with musician and producer Dan Zanes to create his newest album, Bam Bam Diddly. - The World: Global Hit - Electric Kulintang
In today's Global Hit we hear the sounds of the kulintang. That's an instrument consisting of eight small GONGS -- laid out horizontally, like a xylophone. The kulintang is common in Indonesia and the Philippines. - The World: Global Hit - Sones de Mexico
The group Sones de Mexico is up for a Latin Grammy tomorrow night. The band's CD "Esta Tierra Es Tuya" or This Land is Your Land, is nominated for best folk album. Most of the band members are Mexican immigrants now based in Chicago. - The World: Global Hit - Bibi Jaan
The World's Mary Kay Magistad tells us about a group of singing and dancing grandmothers from Tajikistan. The youngest is 50, the oldest 80. - The World: Global Hit - 3canal
Anchor Marco Werman profiles a musical trio from Trinidad called