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A World In London

SOAS Radio is truly excited to have DJ Ritu on board! Her show A World in London has long been a much-loved institution, recognized as the essential meeting point for world music fans and a hub for the industry. Originally broadcast on the BBC London, Ritu’s show has an unrivalled reputation for presenting a rich cultural mix that truly reflects the diverse musical tastes of London and its people.
Whether she's interviewing one of the leading lights of world music (past guests have included A R Rahman, Angelique Kidjo, Jah Wobble, Tinariwen, and Tarkan) or introducing listeners to new talent, Ritu’s down-to-earth approach demystifies world music, presenting it as a user-friendly genre which unites cultures and denies barriers.
For the very best sounds from all 4 corners of the globe, to hear the freshest (and often exclusive) new releases, to know who’s who, and what’s happening in town, check out A World In London every Wednesday at 3pm online and podcast!

East London born DJ Ritu began her career as a pop music expert in 1986. Since then she has been at the forefront of London’s global beats/world music scene. In the 90s she co-founded Outcaste Records signing Nitin Sawhney and Badmarsh & Shri. She created two bands – first the Asian Equation and later Sister India – for whom she mixed cool Asian Underground vibes with trip-hop, drum & bass, and techno. She has toured in over 30 countries from Istanbul to Cape Town, Cairo to Tokyo, Toronto to Riga, and beyond, performing at major venues and festivals such as The Big Chill & WOMAD, Royal Festival Hall & Trafalgar Square.
In 2006, when the late Charlie Gillett resigned from BBC London due to ill-health Ritu was the natural choice as his successor. She re-launched the Saturday night world music slot with a particular focus on the UK’s capital and its diverse communities, championing emerging local artists and giving them airspace alongside established international stars such as Tarkan, Angelique Kidjo, A.R. Rahman, Mariza, & Omara Portuondo.
Ritu’s weekly show for BBC3 Counties Radio is now 20 years in the running and is syndicated in Germany, Turkey, & online. She has broadcast for BBC World Service, Kiss 100, and more. Ritu is a Rough Guides CD compiler and she runs three London clubs where you can hear her in action playing her unique mixes of North African, Middle-Eastern, Mediterranean, and Bollywood flavours!

Two major talents in the form of Sarah Gillespie and Gilad Atzmon came together on this A World In London. Sarah’s powerful lyrics and contagious ironic humour are delivered through her pristine & glorious jazz voice. Partnered by iconic composer Gilad Atzmon, a dash of Arabic strings, lashings of rock guitar, and oodles of eclecticism are added to her beat poetry in albums like ‘Stalking Juliet’ and ‘In The Current Climate’. While Gillespie’s acclaimed narrative, ‘War On Trevor’, recently showcased at Ronnie Scott’s, marks her out surely as the natural successor to Ian Dury!

Percussionist, dancer, & composer, Guy Schalom is back with a brilliant new album! In ‘Baladi Blues 3’, Guy pays homage to the great Egyptian composer Baligh Hamdi, resurrecting and re-arranging ever-green hits originally sung by Warda, Oum Koulsoum, and Hafez. Baladi Blues 3 will be out on May 21st, but exclusive copies will be on sale at the launch party on May 20th. Join us at Dingwalls in Camden!

Singer Carroll Thompson is a key pioneer & representative of Black British music. Quite rightly crowned as the Queen of Lovers Rock she has a perfect, rich, and soulful voice plus superlative song-writing skills. Her passion for music was ignited at home, caressed in London school and church choirs, and led to her debut single, ‘I’m So Sorry’ which topped the reggae charts in 1981. A series of accolades, albums, and awards followed as well as recording deals with majors like EMI and Virgin. She has worked with Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Natalie Cole, Chaka Khan, and many more. Hear her on this A World In London, check out her brilliant new album, ‘Feels So Good’, and see her live in concert alongside Janet Kay at The Islington Assembly Hall on May 11th!

Songwriter Terryazoome and musician Angelos Georgakis joined Ritu on this A World In London. Terry’s extensive and varied career as a guitarist and composer began in the 1970’s with bands like Sister Strutt, and the challenging & pioneering women’s collective Jam Today. Her Smyrnian roots and mother’s love for traditional Greek music re-surfaced in the 90’s when she mastered the bouzouki. With a short detour into academia and astrophysics, Terryazoome is now back in the world of music drawing together her vast array of musical influences from Africa, Europe & Latin America. Hear extracts from her unique new album, ‘Xana’ on this show and see her live on May 24th at The Grey Horse in Kingston!

East-West fusionists Flasiantronico guested on this A World In London. With an infectious mix of sounds gleaned from Indian classical, Flamenco, and European dance styles, this trio are well on their way to creating an exciting & unique new hybrid. Represented today by singer/guitarist Silvia Rox and sarod master Ameen Ali Khan, we were treated to some shimmering grooves from their 4 track EP, leaving us hungry for their forthcoming debut album!

Heidi Vogel, lead singer with The Cinematic Orchestra, debuted on A World In London today. They say that some people are simply born to sing and this North London woman is one of the chosen few. Heidi’s husky voice soothes while her vocal range excites, formulated on a journey through Acid Jazz, Cirque Du Soleil, and now in perfect harmony with Brazilian singer/composer/guitarist Josue Ferreira. Listen out for their individual solo albums, and await the release of Heidi’s ‘Lagrimas De Um Passaro’ on leading Bossa Nova label, Far Out Recordings.

A World in London 4/4/12  Eduardo Niebla

A World In London 28/3/12 Sambasunda Quintet 

Gamelan innovators, Sambasunda Quintet illustrated various styles of Sundanese music on this A World In London, and performed tracks from their latest album ‘Java’.

http://soasradio.org/content/world-london-episode-37 

ARTIST                                  TRACK                                   COUNTRY

Sambasunda Quintet     Bulan Sapasi                       Indonesia

New budget, new tunes!

Budget day in the UK so DJ Ritu brings in some joy with a delightful selection of new CDs on this recession-free A World In london!

 


Le Super Borgou de Parakou - Bori Yo Se Mon Baani - Benin

Carmen Souza - Song For My Father - Portugal/Cape Verde/UK

Varttina - Vietavia - Finland

Claudia Aurora - Silencio - Portugal/UK

Ash King - I love You - India

Electric Balkan Jazz Club - Sina Nari - Germany

Banda - Zahrada - Slovakia

The Agrin Ensemble - Abouta - Iran

Carmen Souza made her debut appearance on A World In London in 2008. Four years on after touring the world, her return to the show today revealed a singer/songwriter that has blossomed into a confident and sparkling performer, ‘finding’ her voice and glowing in its magnificent powers. Her latest album, ‘London Acoustic Set’, was recorded live at Liverpool’s cavernous Philharmonic Hall  as well as the intimate Green Note in London.

Superlative Fadista, Claudia Aurora, joined Ritu on this A World In London. Playing tracks from her excellent debut CD, Silencio, Claudia shared some exclusive insights into the world of Fado, singing techniques, and her unique compositions cooked up in her kitchen! Hear her remarkable voice, live, at The Green Note March 8th or on tour in the UK in September!

Tango singer extraordinaire, Martin Alvarado, gave a stunning live performance on this A World In London, alongside superb bandoneon player, Mikko Helenius. Their second appearance on this show proved beyond a doubt that that this duo are in a world-class of their own. Following on from their recent gigs in Russia, Spain, and Finland, you can see them live in London at The Forge in Camden, March 1st . Then March 8th at The Latvian House, Rojo Y Negro Tango Club, London W2!

Bollywood special with Prof. Rachel Dwyer

Coinciding with the BFI’s Raj Kapoor season, SOAS professor and ‘100 Bollywood Films’ author Rachel Dwyer stepped into this A World In London. Sample classic tracks and anecdotes from four decades of Indian cinema as well as new CDs from the wider world, plus a mention of the Brit Awards!

Guy Schalom brought his percussive skills to AWIL in this episode. The
London based dancer & composer also treated us to an exclusive preview of
his forthcoming album, Baladi Blues 3 which is set for release on May 21st.
A pop fan and musical chameleon, Guy enjoyed our closing track in this show
paying tribute to superstar Whitney Houston.

The AWIL-Rainlore Top Ten of world music albums was compiled by Rich Rainlore and Ritu for this A World In London. Taking into account production quality, content, and originality, you can hear some of the finest CDs from 2011 on this show, with comments from Chetna Kapacee and Rich! Check out Rainlore’s World of Music.net for more info!

Calypso monarch, Alexander D. Great, made his first appearance on A World In London today. Armed with just acoustic guitar he gave an impromptu live rendition of The Mighty Sparrow classic, ‘Carnival Boycott’, plus the background to some of his thought-provoking songs from superb CDs, ‘Finest Cuts’ and ‘Haiti’. Conversing about West African griots to the US Black Panthers to Notting Hill Carnival, Alex gave a rare insight into his distinguished career as a musician, band-leader, conscious-lyricist, educator, and the various musical genres of the Caribbean.

New music for the New Year, as DJ Ritu unleashes the latest crop of CDs from across the globe, and re-visits some of 2011's guests!! Featuring music from Baloji, Sambasunda, Amalia Rodrigues, Ibrahim Maalouf and more.

ARTIST - TRACK - COUNTRY

Indigenous Australian, Frank Yamma, guested on this A World In London. Playing tracks from his excellent CD, ‘Countryman’, Frank offers a rare insight into the lives and culture of the Pitjantjara people.

ARTIST
Frank Yamma

Track
NGUTA WALJILPA
SHE CRIED
DOCKER RIVER
KUNKA KUTCHA
I DON’T KNOW WHO
PITJANTJARA

Composer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Andrew Cronshaw, accompanied by Armenian duduk maestro, Tigran Aleksanyan, joined Ritu on this A World In London. Playing tracks from new album, ‘The Unbroken Surface of Snow’, Andrew and Tigran spoke about their live project, Sans, and the joy of discovering new sounds from all over the globe.

ARTIST
Andrew Cronshaw & Tigran Aleksanyan

It’s Christmas at A World In London and time to let our hair down!!! Brit-born Greek Cypriot duo, Martha & Eve lead the festivities at AWIL for a fifth year with their unique sense of ‘humous’ and musical talents!! Accompanied by Francesca Rodgerson on violin, Kevin Davey on trumpet, and a mini-village of party people from Cyprus including RIK TV, Martha & Eve perform exclusive tracks from their forthcoming  solo albums:Homage to Roza, Queen Of Rembetiko’ & ‘For The Record.