Hindi film music is one of my favorite forms of music from the subcontinent. One of the things I love so much about the music that accompanied Bollywood films in the 1950’s thru the early 1980’s was the sheer imagination of its composers such as S.D. Burman, his son R.D. Burman, O.P. Nayyar and the brothers Kalyanji Virji Shah and Anandji Virji Shah. These men would incorporate everything from Indian folk music, jazz, rock and roll, latin music and later crazy electronics.

Of course you can’t have the music without the playback singers and one of the most popular was Mohammed Rafi.  He was the most sought after singer between 1950 and 1970 and he could do it all: classical numbers, patriotic songs, mournful ballads, romantic tunes as well as the more traditional qawwalis and ghazals. Mohammed Rafi’s voice was silenced on July 31, 1980. We’ll remember his art with some tunes throughout the show.

We’ll also play some Indian psych rock, disco from the Caribbean, pop music from Iraq, trance rhumba from Kinshasa’s Mbongwana Star, and Colombian cumbia.

Playlist

9PM

Mighty Duke- Be Yourself- Tropical Disco Hustle

Mohammed Rafi- Chan Mere Dil- Rough Guide to Psychedelic Bollywood

Trio Tekke- Andigonou- Samas

William Onyeabor- Tomorrow- Tomorrow

Spoek Mathambo, Cerebral Vortex & Frown- Zombie- Red Hot + Fela

Mbongwana Star- Nganshe -  From Kinshasa

9:30PM

Mohammed Rafi- Jan Pahechen Ho- Bombshell Baby of Bombay

Lorna- Sougar Ranjeant- Konkani Songs: Music from Goa made in Bombay

Lucho Perez- Judith- The Original Sound of Cumbia: The History of Colombian Cumbia & Porro as told by the phonograph 1948-79

Bob Andy- Games People Play- Roots of Reggae Vol. 2: Rock Steady

10PM

Mohammed Rafi- Sar Jo Tera Chakraye- Classic Guru Dutt

Nana Kinomi & Leo Beats- Suki Sa Suki Sa Suki Sa- Nippon Girls: Japanese Pop, Beat and Bossa nova 1966-70

Alcione- Olere Camara- Brazil Classics 2: O Samba

Okoi Seka Athanase- Melokoton Membun Ou - Ivory Coast Soul Edits

Mohammed Rafi- Jo Bat Tujh Mein Hai- The Best of Mohammed Rafi

Jorge Drexler- El Triangulo de la Bermudas- Bailar en la Cueva

The Wailing Souls- Mr. Fire Coal Man- Studio One Groups

10:30PM

Ibibio Sound Machine- The Tortoise- Ibibio Sound Machine

Owiny Sigoma Band- Owiny Techno- Power Punch

Francis Bebey- Sanza Tristesse- Psychedelic Sanza 1982-84

Mohammed Rafi- Haaye Mehamaan Kahan Gham E Jana Hoga- Shaam e Ghazal

Dom la Nena- Menino- Soyo

Dimba Diangola- Despidida- Angola Soundtrack Vol. 2

Here’s Jorge Drexler performing in an Argentine studio