The World Fusion Show

Ep #114 with Yinon Muallem, composer, percussionist and oud player Yinon Muallem is a composer, percussionist and oud player. He grew up in Israel and lived in Turkey for 20 years where he was deeply inspired by the rich cultural mix in Istanbul. He now lives in Sweden where I am interviewing him. Beautiful music is his trademark. His father was a huge musical influence in his life and was the aut...

Ep #113 - with Sweet Plantain, World Fusion String Quartet Sweet Plantain is a dynamic latin-influenced string quartet from NYC but they are quite unusual in that their violinists double on trombone and mandolin. They also bring a wide range of World Music into their performances and original compositions. In this episode we get to hear their arrangement of the classic Brazilian samba “Chega De Sa...

Ep #112 with Mike Block, cellist, composer and singer-songwriter. Mike Block is an eclectic composer, singer-songwriter and cellist who performs with Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble. He has freed himself from the ordinary constraints of playing the cello sitting down with his innovative Block Strap which allows him to move freely and even dance while playing. This episode features some of his great...

Ep #111 with Anbessa Orchestra, Ethiopian influenced dance band Anbessa Orchestra is a horn-driven group of Israeli musicians who have a great love for Ethiopian music. They are currently living in the US and are famous for their live shows in NYC and around the country. Led by guitarist Nadav Peled who writes a lot of their material, they also have a drummer, bassist, keyboardist and 3 horns to r...

Ep #110 with Arun Ramamurthy and Trina Basu, Indian violinists and composers Arun Ramamurthy and Trina Basu are Indian violinists and composers. They are married with young children and perform together. They have a strong interest in World Fusion and work with many groups in NYC including Brooklyn Raga Massive and Go Organic Orchestra. They were recently invited to a residency in Vermont with Nex...

Ep #109 wth Samirah Evans, singer and songwriter Samirah Evans, a singer and songwriter, who shares her stories of her early musical inspirations and career, making music in New Orleans and New England. Check out some funky New Orleans flavor in this episode. She worked as a radio DJ at the legendary New Orleans radio station WWOZ for many years and played with all of the great musicians from New...

Kevin Nathaniel is a mbira player and percussionist from NYC. He is the host of AfroRoots Tuesdays, a live show devoted to presenting World Music. His show has been airing since 2013 and he has presented all kinds of music. He works with many musicians - in this episode he plays with Indian musicians and with his group AfricaForest Dance. A Worldsoul Records production derrikjordan.com Facebook: h...

Ep #107 with Mames Babeganush, Danish Klezmer band Mames Babeganush is a high energy Klezmer band from Denmark who have traveled the world spreading their infectious, manic and melancholic music. They have worked together for almost 2 decades and are releasing a new CD that they produced during the lockdown. In this episode on The World Fusion Show I interview Emil and Lucas from the band. Great s...

Ep #106 with Hassan Hakmoun, sintir player and composer Hassan Hakmoun was born in Morocco in Marakesh and grew up in a musical family. His mom was a powerful healer in the Gnawa tradition. He plays the sintir, a Moroccan bass lute and sings. He was inspired by his mother’s healing abilities and wanted to follow in her footsteps as a healer with music. He is internationally famous and has toured e...

Ep #105 with Frank London, Klezmatics founder and composer Frank London is an eclectic composer who works in an extremely wide range of styles but he is mostly famous for his group The Klezmatics, which has been together for decades. This world-touring group's mission is all about fun, ecstasy and irreverence and it shows in their music big time. He is a trumpet player and is very well known in NY...

Episode #104 with Forward Kwenda, mbira player and singer Forward Kwenda is an internationally known mbira player and singer from Zimbabwe, who feels he has a very strong spiritual connection through his music. Mbira (aka thumb piano) is the national instrument of Zimbabwe. One of the videos on this episode shows Forward and some friends playing at Great Zimbabwe, the ancient circular ruins that a...

Ep #103 on The World Fusion Show features Maetar, a trio that includes two brothers from Israel and an American drummer. They do improvised groove music with some ambient touches. Trumpet, bass and percussion. Enjoy! A Worldsoul Records production derrikjordan.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/109866072979176/videos/192484809423034 YouTube: https://youtu.be/evlWX4JPldw Podcast: https://soundc...

This episode features 9 tracks taken from my 5 SuperString Theory CDs, showcasing my original music and collaborations in a huge range of World Music styles. From Afro to Bollywood to Flamenco and more, they represent some of my many musical influences. I am so fortunate to work with so many amazing collaborators all over the world. Bideew Bou Bess, Sana Ndaiye and Barou Sall from Senegal, Yehuda...

Ep #101 with Milford Graves - A Celebration (part 2) Milford Graves was a master drummer, herbalist, acupuncturist, martial artist, teacher, scientist and inspirational force of nature. He was my mentor ever since I met him at Bennington College in 1974. I studied drums and rhythm with him and he instilled in me a passion for World Music and native plants. I owe Milford a debt that I can never rep...

Episode #100 with Andy Akiho, composer and steel pan player Andy Akiho is an intense and rhythmically charged composer who is promoting the steel pan in the contemporary Classical world. He has worked in Trinidad, played in Soca bands and has studied composition at many US universities. He works with some of the best musicians in the country. His music is unique, playful and complex. There is a lo...

Ep #99 with Milford Graves - A Celebration (part 1) Milford Graves was a master drummer, an herbalist, acupuncturist, martial artist, teacher, scientist and scholar. I was extremely fortunate to meet him at Bennington College in 1974 and soon began to earnestly study drums and rhythm with him. His wide ranging approach to life and learning completely transformed my life. He was truly my mentor. He...

Ep #98 with Opium Moon, World Fusion Quartet bring a seamless blend of Middle Eastern and Asian music. They all have solo careers and work in the film industry. For this episode I am interviewing Lili Haydn and Itai who sing and play violin and bass in the group. The other members play santoor and percussion. They recently won a Grammy and have a very spiritual approach to their music. A Worldsoul...

Ep #97 with Olox - Neo-shamanic World Fusion Olox is a very unusual duo that features Siberian singer Zarina and Armenian-Greek percussionist and singer, Andreas. They had a big breakthrough last year with an appearance on America’s Got Talent that blew away the audience and judges. Zarina grew up in the Sakha culture where the winters get down to 90 degrees below zero. Spending her youth in natur...

Ep #96 - Sampler #8 on The World Fusion Show showcases six of our inspiring guests with some live music videos that were not included on their original episodes. Evan Ziporyn’s clip features a piece he wrote for Balinese gamelan with two Balinese dancers. Amit Kavthekar on tabla does a playful and masterful improvisation with me on the kalimba. Frevo, a mixed wind and string quartet from northern...

Ep #95 with Lisa Sokolov, singer, composer and teacher. Lisa Sokolov is a free jazz singer living in NYC, a composer and long-time voice teacher at NYU. She has a unique singing style and brings her wild and expressive sound to her performances in the US and Europe. She talks about her journey of healing herself as a young person and using that experience to develop her Embodied Voice work, about...

Ep #94 with Kotoko Brass, Ghanaian Fusion dance band is a Boston-based high energy band known for their dance parties. They combine traditional Ghanaian Ashanti drumming with jazz-funk horns. There are two Ghanaian drummers in the band, one of whom, Attah Poku, grew up in the Ghanaian royal palace. They also have a Japanese keyboardist, a bass player from Antigua, and an American guitarist and dru...

Ep #93 with Paul Richmond, performance poet and spoken word artist. Paul Richmond is the current National Beat Poet Laureate and creates word stages for other poets and spoken word artists. He works with the World Fusion group “Do It Now” which showcases his hard-hitting dystopic vision of our current reality. The group includes Tony Vacca and John Sheldon who are featured on this episode. He has...

Ep #92 with Amit Kavthekar, tabla player and composer. Amit Kavthekar grew up in India and began studying tabla at age 6. He has been a student of Zakir Hussain for 20 years and now lives in Boston where he works with World Fusion group Sawaari and with orchestras. His expressiveness and clarity on the tabla is phenomenal. He is a dedicated teacher of tabla and started a music school in Boston. We...

Ep #91 with Loire Cotler, rhythm vocalist. Loire Cotler has a unique way of singing that draws on the ancient Konokol tradition of Indian vocalization that is used in the training of percussionists. She also combines that style with many other influences creating a true World Fusion of sound. She has a degree in Music Therapy and works with film composer Hans Zimmer. Her new CD “18 Wings” is a re-...

Right Brain Music podcast Ep #21 - In this episode, our first joint production of Right Brain Records and The World Fusion Show, we meet the Om Shalom Trio. Ranendra Das is on the tabla, Abhik Mukerjee is on sitar and Jessie Reagen Mann plays the cello. They meld Indian, Jewish and classical music and their own experimental impulses in forging a dynamic new hybrid that evokes the spirit of the anc...