June 2026
June 1-5
This Week's Music Around the World-Traditional and Contemporary Music-Azores
Azores is not an independent nation but an autonomous Portuguese archipelago in the Atlantic.
Chamarrita (9:37) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lFc0_mheu4&list=RD2lFc0_mheu4&start_radio=1) This is a folk dance from the Azores. It's danced in circles or pairs, sometimes with a caller who gives instructions rather like square dancing.
Saudade-Viola da Terra-Rafael Carvalho (3:00) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WzLc6bR5T8&list=RD9WzLc6bR5T8&start_radio=1) Viola da Terra is a distinct 12 string guitar important in music in the Azores. Here is a well known Azorean musician playing.
Zeca Medeiros-Earth Song (Cantiga de Terra) (3:19) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_qP7cWeugA&list=RDM_qP7cWeugA&start_radio=1) Medeiros is a well known musician, composer, actor and director from the Azores. His gravelly voice is often compared to Tom Waits. Here is a beautiful song.
PMDS-Live in Berlin (6:12) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LulLXIQ87Gs) Modern experimental electronic music is popular in the Azores and enhanced by the local Tremor festival. PMDS are the duo of Pedro Sousa and Filipe Caetano from São Miguel in the Azores. Here they perform live in Berlin.
June 8-12
This Week's Music Around the World-Traditional and Contemporary Music-Western Sahara
This wasn't one of our official countries but is an add-on. This UN recognized non-self-governing region is currently mostly controlled by Morocco. It is the last African colonial state (Spain) to achieve independence. They are currently awaiting a referendum (which is stalled) with a government in exile and a ceasefire in effect. The main ethnic group are the Sahrawi people.
Tbal (3:22) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skcocBiKZ64&t=54s) The tbal is a calabash or gourd drum covered in cow or goat skin important in the music of the Western Sahara. I could only find this video marked as 'Moroccan Folk' for a good look at the instrument (Western Sahara is mostly occupied by Morocco as they await an independence referendum).
Tidinit vs guitar (2:24) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFfdFzwAKNM) The desert blues emerged in the Western Sahara and surrounding countries and is a music I love. The traditional instrument is the tidinit. In this cool video they demonstrate how the way the desert blues is played on the electric guitar originated with the way the tidinit is played.
Mariem Mint Hassan-Haiyu (3:23) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpnpyGAS374&list=RDcpnpyGAS374&start_radio=1) Hassan was a well known Sahrawi singer and lyricist who sang in the Hassaniya language (Arabic dialect of Western Sahara). This song is an homage to those fighting for a Western Sahara free of colonial control.
Doueh-Live (3:00) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzfnyUE8NQc&list=RDXzfnyUE8NQc&start_radio=1) Doueh is a popular group of the Western Sahara that has toured the world. They are Sahrawi.