There's still a little snow on the tops of the hills but the big thaw is nearly complete. Hear to add some sunshine is Melstar with her favourite picks from the world of African Hip Hop. Stretching across the continent from West to East form Nroth to South the message is one of Peace, Love and Unity.

First broadcast on Sheffield Live! 93.2FM you can follow the playlist on http://www.gondwanasound.co.uk

Welcome to your latest round the world music adventure. Please donate to the Disasters Emergency Committee there's a link on the front page of the website and to concentrate our thoughts we open the broadcast with two Haitian tracks. One from Les Shleu Shleu a sixties dance band from Haiti, the precursor to all the retro tropical funk that's being dug up and reissued right now. We follow that with a stunning track from one of the best albums from last year Ti Coco and Wanga Neges' Haiti Colibri.

Our album of the week comes from The Hut People and extraordinary combo of Percussion and Piano Accordian. Ever since we saw them at Musicport two years ago we've been waiting in anticipation for their debut album and we haven't been disappointed. Hope you enjoy the three tracks that we've picked out for you.

With two new releases from Toureg artists,Nabil Othmani and newcomers and young pretenders for the Tinirawen crown, Tamikrest both with their own approach to Tamasheq music and beyond. Plus two tracks from two more exceptional dug up funk compilations two more exceptional albums for your collection.

We hope you enjoy another eclectic round the world music adventure. You can buy what we're playing here and please spread the word we want more people to listen to all the wonderful global roots and grooves.

View the playlist http://www.gondwanasound.co.uk

Join us live every Wednesday 11am - midday on Sheffield Live 93.2FM

Welcome to the first podcast of the year, we were snowed in last week and couldn't get to the studio.
This week its just as bad but with so much music and such little time, we couldn't wait another week. So we tested some new technology at GondwanaSound, bits of string, wires, blu tak and gaffer tape and DJ Maze's mp3tunes later we have a programme. We take a look at the European World music charts and continue our support for Amnesty's send a greetings card campaign.

Hope you hear something you enjoy.

Having recently been nominated in the 2009 Songlines Music Awards, Best Group category We headed down to their gig at Camden's Dingwalls to catch up with the London based group who are reworking the Sephardic songbook, drawing upon music from across North Africa, the Southern Mediterranean and into the Balkans and Turkey. Enjoy this interview that was first broadcast on Sheffield Live! 93.2FM in April.

Joining me in the studio in January were two of the Ian McMillan Orchestra. Ian McMillan is well known as poet in residence for Barnsley FC and beat poet for Humberside police and a Radio 3 broadcaster. Luke Carver Goss plays accordian amongst other instruments, writes commissioned peices and plays in a number of bands including the much praised Tea Hodzic Trio.

The idea was to talk about their tour and new album Sharp Stories but somehow it didn't quite work out like that. I blame the coffee! The duo are masters of improvisation and it turned out to be a session full of mischief including the special improvisation for GondwanaSound.

Enjoy.

Copyright GondwanaSound all rights reserved. GondwanaSound is a two hour magazine style broadcast of global roots and grooves, every Wednesday 10-midday on Sheffield Live! 93.2FM. Further details on http://www.gondwanasound.co.uk

The "world" music community were shocked to hear that Andy Palacio had lost his fight for life and had died in his homeland of Belize on 19th January.

Andy Palacio had the most extraordinary year in 2007 receiving nominations, awards and accolades for his music and for his ceaseless promotion of Garifuna culture and language. It made the news even more difficult to comprehend.

This tribute was first broadcast on GondwanaSound / Sheffield Live! 93.2FM on 22nd January and whilst on air Jill received a bulletin from his record company to say that in an unprecedented move the BBC had bought forward the announcement that Andy Palacio had indeed won the best artist of the Americas category in the BBc Awards for World Music for 2008.

This tribute is mixed with some of his music.

Copyright - GondwanaSound, all rights reserved, please do not rebroadcast or make copies without prior consent.

GondwanaSound broadcast two hours of global roots and grooves weekly on Sheffield Live! 93.2FM and around the world on African Internet Radio. See the website for further details http://www.gondwanasound.co.uk

I was delighted to meet with Cistica "Cimai" Trifan and Radulescu Lazar of the mighty Fanfare Ciocarlia, from Zece Prajini. They bought their unique style of speed brass playing and Ancient Secrets of Brass to Manchester's Royal College of Music in January.

Many thanks to Florence Arpin and to Henry Ernst from the recording label Asphalt Tango who stayed with us to offer translation services.

Enjoy the interview that was first broadcast along with some of their music on GondwanaSound / Sheffield Live! in February 2008.

Copyright - GondwanaSound 2008 All Rights reserved, please do not broadcast or make copies without prior arrangement and agreement with GondwanaSound.

GondwanaSound broadcasts two hours of Global Roots and Grooves weekly on Sheffield Live! 93.2FM and on African Internet Radio. http://www.gondwanasound.co.uk