World Music Archive

Explore more than a decade of Radio 3 on-location recordings from 2000 to the present in our World Music archive, recording the life and musical traditions of countries ranging from Brazil to North Korea and Cuba to Turkmenistan.

Browse the World Music Archive Collection, or use the A to Z list below to find programmes from a particular country.

A

Albania (2011)

• Albanian Urban Music
• Iso-Polyphony in Southern Albania
• Northern Albanian and Kosovan Music

Algeria (2006)

• Rai music in Oran and the Kasbah of Algiers
• Rachid Taha and the Kabilian mountains

Appalachia - USA (2009)

• Mount Airy Fiddlers Convention
• North Carolina
• Music from Georgia

Australia (2014)

• Commonwealth Connections - Australia (Feature)

Azerbaijan (2013)

Fidan Hajiyeva and her teacher Gochaq Askarov pt 1

• Fidan Hajiyeva and her teacher Gochaq Askarov pt 2
• Fidan Hajiyeva: World Routes Academy apprentice

Azerbaijan (2008)

• Ashig Troubadours, Mugham and the Kamancha
• The Saz and Mugham singer Alin Qasimov

B

Bangladesh (2014)

• Commonwealth Connections - Bangladesh (Feature)

Barbados (2014)

• Commonwealth Connections - Barbados (Feature)

Belize (2002)

• Andy Palacio and the Garifuna

Bolivia (2013)

• Baroque music of Chiquitos
• Panpipes of Lake Titicaca

Botswana (2014)

• Commonwealth Connections - Botswana (Feature)

Brazil (2008)

• Carnival: Maracatu, Ciranda and Mangue Bit
• Carnival: Candomble, Samba and Ranata Rosa
• Carnvial: Rio, the Samba and Mart'nalia
• North East: Forro, coco and cowboys
• North East: Coco music, the pifano flute and Sebastian Dias

Brazil (2012)

• Abril Pro Rock Festival
• Salvador da Bahia and the Source of Samba

British Isles

• British Music from the Shetland Folk Festival pt 1
• British Music from the Shetland Folk Festival pt 2

C

Cameroon (2004)

• The Baka Music House

Canada (2011)

• Cape Breton Island
• Chants de Vielles Festival in Quebec

Canada (2014)

• Commonwealth Connections - Canada (Feature)

Cape Verde (2009)

• Morna, Batuque and Eugenio Tavares
• Cesaria Evora, Bau and Tito Paris

China: Silk and Bamboo (2000)

• Shanghai tea-houses
• Chinese opera in Beijing
• Buddhist harvest celebrations
• The Uighur people of Xinjiang

China: Ethnic Music (2008)

• Music of the Hani and Yi People
• The Uyghur People and the Muqam
• Silk and Bamboo music, the Gugin and Pingtan music

Colombia (2012)

• Folk Festival and José Hernando
• José Hernando and Egidio Cuadrado

Corsica & Sardinia (2005)

• Andy Kershaw in Corsica and Sardinia

Cuba (2007)

• Santiago de Cuba and Son Music
• Changai and Decimas Music
• Matanzas, birthplace of rumba and danzon

Cyprus (2014)

• Commonwealth Connections - Cyprus (Feature)

D

Dominica (2014)

• Commonwealth Connections - Dominica (Feature)

E

Egypt (2013)

• The Nile Project pt1
• The Nile Project pt2

Equatorial Guinea (2013)

• Equatorial Guinea pt1
• Equatorial Guinea pt2

Ethiopia (2003)

• Comic Relief 2003

F

France (2006)

• Marseille - Mahgreb Rap, Algerian Rai, Pacific Creole, Congolese Rumba

G

Georgia (2007)

• Polyphonic drinking songs and choral music
• Svaneti polyphony and Guria yodeling

Ghana (2007)

• Koo Nimo and King Ayisoba
• Serena Owusua Dankwa and Batman Samini

Greece (2004)

• Athens - Manolis Karantinis and Glykeria
• Athens - Lazarus Koulaxizis and Mario
• Epirus - Polyphony and Petroloukas Chalkias
• Southern Greece and Crete

Guinea-Bissau (2003)

• Balanta men
• Manecas Costa and the gumbe rhythm

H

Haiti (2000)

• Kershaw in Haiti: The 2000 election, trobadou and voodoo
• Kershaw in Haiti: Haitian rap and Port-au-Prince cemetry

I

India & Pakistan: Songs of the Sufi Mystics (2000)

• The Nizamuddin shrine in Delhi
• A mahfil Sufi gathering in Karachi

North India (2003)

• The Misra Brothers perform Vedic chant
• Rikhi Ram and Sons, Nizami Brothers
• Rajasthan, Bombay and Trilok Gurtu

India: Music for Lord Krishna (2005)

• Gujurat - Praful Dave
• Courtesan songs and music of the Bauls

India: The Golden Temple (2007)

• Music from the Golden Temple of Amritsar

India (2014)

• Commonwealth Connections - India (Feature)

South India (2011)

• Hari Sivanesan in Tamil Nadu
• Hari Sivanesan in Jaffna

Indonesia (2003)

• Gamelan Journeys: Java, Jakarta to Solo
• Gamelan Journeys: Bali

Iran: Kershaw in Iran (2004)

• Iran - Axis of Evil

Iran (2001)

• Iranian classical music - Kayhan Kahor

• Khorosan to Kurdistan

Iraq: Kershaw in Iraq (2001)

• Iraq's classical and gypsy music traditions
• Ilham Al-Madfai

Israel (2004)

• Mount Tabor and the Sea of Galilee
• The Dead Sea Festival and Sephardic song

Israel (2008)

• Nazareth, the oud, and Dalal Abu Amana
• Jerusalem International Oud Festival 2008 - Paytanim of ancient Aleppo and the Persian Jews Iran
• Jerusalem International Oud Festival 2008 - Old Turkish folk songs
• In Jerusalem: Dalal Abu Amneh and The Yonah Ensemble

Israel (2012)

• Jerusalem Oud Festival 2011 pt1
• Jerusalem Oud Festival 2011 pt2

J

Jamaica (2014)

• Commonwealth Connections - Jamaica (Feature)

• Rastafari Bobo Shanti Nyabinghi Church

Japan (2006)

• Minyo singers and Taiko drumming
• Sadao China, Yoreko Genako, The Rinken Band

Jordan: Amman (2007)

• Jordan - Amman: Ilham Al Madfai

Jordan (2007)

• The Bedouin
• Amman: Ilham Al madfai, Toni Qattan and Shou Al Ayam

K

Kenya (2012)

• Massai singing

Kenya (2014)

• Commonwealth Connections - Kenya (Feature)

L

None

M

Madagascar (2012)

• Tulear and Anakao
• Fianarantsoa and Tulear

Madagascar (2009)

• Justin Vali
• Hira Gasy and Court Music
• Vahali and the music of the Spirit House

Malawi (2014)

• Commonwealth Connections - Malawi (Feature)

Malaysia (2013)

• Rainforest World Music Festival pt 1
• Rainforest World Music Festival pt 2

Malaysia (2014)

• Commonwealth Connections - Malaysia (Feature)

Mali (2012)

• Bambara

Mali (1989: Radio 1)

• Discovering the music of Mali

Mali: Ali Farka Toure (2006)

• A Tribute to Ali Farka Toure

Mali: Bambara Blues (2007)

• Bambara Blues

Mali: Festival in the Desert (2003)

• Festival in the Desert featuring Ali Farka Toure, Tinariwen and Robert Plant
• Mopti, Timbuktu and Bamako featuring Les Escrocs and Toumani Diabate

Mali: Festival on the Niger (2006)

• Neba Solo, Abdoulaye Diabate, Habib Koite
• Amadou and Mariam

Mali: Oumou Sangare (2005)

• Oumou Sangare, one of West Africa's best loved divas

Malta (2014)

• Commonwealth Connections - Malta (Feature)

Mauritania (2006)

• The Festival of Nomad Music

Mexico (2002)

• Son Jarocho and the Malinto Choir

Mozambique (2005)

• Music for Timbila
• Tufo song and Ghorwane

Music Planet (2011)

• Oceans: Galicia, Papua New Guinea, Brazil
• Deserts: Dubai, Mongolia, Algeria
• Arctic: Greenland, Norway, Canada, Siberia
• Jungles: Solomon Islands, Congo, Burma
• Mountains: Switzerland, Nepal, Solomon Islands
• Grasslands: Cambodia, Mongolia, Namibia
• Rivers: Zambia, Brazil, Thailand, Laos
• Cities: Congo, Mali, South Africa

N

Namibia (2014)

• Commonwealth Connections - Namibia (Feature)

Nepal (2012)

• City of Bhaktapur

New Zealand (2014)

• Commonwealth Connections - New Zealand (Feature)

North Korea (2003)

• Kershaw in North Korea pt1
• Kershaw in North Korea pt2

O

None

P

Pakistan (2000)

• Music from the Sufi Shrines of Pakistan

Panama (2002)

• Tamborito drumming and Yin Carrizo
• Kuna Indians, Lord Panama and Cumbia

Paraguay

• Latin American Baroque 1 - music for harp
• Latin American Baroque 2 - music for harp and classical guitar
• Latin American Baroque 3 - cowboy musicians from the Misiones region

Peru (2006)

• Huaynos of the Andes and Afro-Peruvian music
• The music of Ayacucho
• Iquitos, Huancayo and Lake Titicaca

Poland (2008)

• World Routes in Poland

Q

None

R

Romania (2004)

• Gypsy musicians of Transylvania

Russia (2011)

• Sayan Ring Festival

Rwanda (2014)

• Commonwealth Connections - Rwanda (Feature)

S

Seychelles (2014)

• Commonwealth Connections - Seychelles (Feature)

Singapore (2014)

• Commonwealth Connections - Singapore (Feature)

Solomon Islands (2014)

• Commonwealth Connections - Solomon Islands (Feature)

South Africa (1995: Radio 1)

• Kershaw in the rainbow nation

South Africa (2014)

• Commonwealth Connections - South Africa (Feature)

South Sudan (2011)

• Robin Denselow reports on the music of a new nation

Sri Lanka (2011)

• Lucy Duran on the diverse music of the island

Sri Lanka (2014)

• Commonwealth Connections - Sri Lanka (Feature)

Syria (2005)

• Damascus
• Islamic Sufi in Aleppo

T

Tonga (2014)

• Commonwealth Connections - Tonga (Feature)

Trinidad and Tobago (2014)

• Commonwealth Connections - Trinidad and Tobago (Feature)

Turkey: Istanbul (2009)

• Selim Sesler, troubadour songs and an Alevi ceremony
• Aynur, Erkan Ogur, Kirike and Rembetiko

Turkmenistan (2005)

• Christmas in Ashgabat

U

Uganda (2007)

• Bugandan Royal Court music
• Busoga Kingdom

Uganda (2014)

• Commonwealth Connections - Uganda (Feature)

V

Venezuela (2004)

• Afro-Venezuelan music of the coast
• Harp playing cowboys of the central plains

Vietnam (2002)

• Tran Quang Hai in Hanoi
• Tran Quang Hai in Saigon

W

None

X

None

Y

None

Z

Zambia (2014)

• Commonwealth Connections - Zambia (Feature)

Zanzibar (2005)

• Taarab and Ikwan Safaa
• Culture Musical Club and Bi Kidude

Zimbabwe (1988: Radio 1)

• Kershaw takes a trip with Biggie Tembo