Closer Laked Viewing

The middle part of this week’s proGram took out its binoculars to take it in better.

Someone Else Tonight- KC Armstrong
Memphis Bound- Melon Jelly
greenarrowradio promo- HeavyDrunk
BluesLand Theme Park- HeavyDrunk & Watermelon Slim
Fresh- HeavyDrunk & Watermelon Slim
Ain’t Worth The Heartache- Tommy Castro & The Painkillers


I Try, I Try- The Altons
Don’t Like You Anymore- Tanika Charles
Let Me In- Canyon Lights
Midnight Sweat- Şatellites


Midnight Hour- Tjiwara Band de Kati
INTERLUDIO- Tony Allen & La BOA
LA MAQUINA DE TONY- Tony Allen & La BOA
After 24 Years- Femi Kuti


Victory Garden- Smoke & Mirrors
I’m the Man for You Baby- Dub Syndicate
Hey Ho- Dub Syndicate

LakedViews

The first part of this week’s proGram saw the fall of the powder on that lake.

Words & Birds- The Minus 5
Trouble- TV On The Radio (Live)
Keep On Loving You- Tenacious D
Jesus Doesn’t Want Me For A Sunbeam- levitation room


Los sueños que ya no se sueñan más- Les Breastfeeders
Narc- cutouts
March On For Max Romana- Psychedelic Porn Crumpets


Sugar Free Jazz- Soul Coughing
Amy Fisher- Soul Coughing
Good 2 Go- MikelParis Ft. Vernon Reid
HitMe- MikelParis Ft. G. Love


Up On The Mountain- Seth Walker
Last Thing In Sight- Reckoners
Joy, Joy!- Valerie June
Tear It Down- Little Georgie & The Shuffling Hungarians

International Festival 2025

Madison, Wis. (Feb. 5, 2025) — The International Festival returns to Overture Center for an exciting day full of cultural performances, food and more. The annual festival will take place on Saturday, March 8 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Celebrating the rich cultural heritage within our community and enjoying nearly 30 FREE performances throughout Overture by artists who call Dane County home. Indulge in cuisines from around the world, browse stunning arts and crafts available for purchase, and learn about the many local businesses with global connections. More than 20 cultures will be represented.

Guests may participate in person at Overture or online for select livestreamed performances via Overture’s Facebook page.

PERFORMANCES – 10:15 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Atimevu – Traditional music from Ghana
Beni Daiko – Madison-based Japanese Taiko drumming
Breckenridge School of Highland Dance – Watch the swirling kilts and vibrant tartans of Scotland
Charanga Agozá – Cuban charanga-style dance music
Cris & Ann Plata – South Texas and Mexican border music: conjunto and norteño
Guitar House of Madison – Spanish guitar music with rhythm, passion & fire featuring Gabor Szarvas & friends
Hmong Institute’s Heritage Club – Traditional poetry songs (kwv txhiaj) with musical instruments
Last Gaspe – Canadian, Irish and American fiddle music that swings
Limanya Drum & Dance Ensemble – Traditional drumming and dancing from Guinea, West Africa
LuLu Quintet – Sparkling French/Romany “hot club” jazz inspired by Django Reinhardt
Mad Craic Irish Dance – All-adult dance troupe performing both modern and old-style Irish dances
Madison Chinese Culture Association – Promoting Chinese culture and supporting our community
Madison Männerchor – Wisconsin’s oldest German chorus, performing German and English songs
Madison Pipes & Drums – Scottish bagpipe band that promotes Celtic heritage through music
Meenakshi Ganesan & the Kalaanjali Dance Company – Bharatanatyam – classical Indian dance more than 3,000 years old
Mona Augustin – World beat love & social justice songs
Raizes do Brasil – Capoiera – an Afro-Brazilian art form that fuses self-defense, dance, music and acrobatics
Rebulu Group – Classic Cuban conjunto music
Sadira Middle Eastern Dance – Raqs Sharki – the joyful, classical women’s dance of the Middle East
Sergio El Vacilon – Cuban Son Guajira, Cha Cha Cha, Mambo, solo guitar and vocals
Son Del Atlantico – Colombian fusion band
Swapna Srinivasan-Mukula – Bharatanatyam dancer, teacher and performer
Tania Tandias Flamenco & Spanish Dance – Fiery flamenco dances from Southern Spain
UW Russian Folk Orchestra – Russian/Eastern European music played on authentic instruments
Yid Vicious – Festive blend of traditional and contemporary Klezmer music
Žaibas Lithuanian Dancers – Sharing, preserving and promoting Lithuanian heritage through dance
Zhong Yi Kung Fu Association – Traditional Sar Ping style of Lion Dance with live music

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES
Little Eagle Arts Foundation (LEAF) (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.): Hands-on activities by various LEAF artists:
Molli Pauliot – natural fiber weavings
Lightning New Rider – natural fiber weavings
Glory of the Morning: Claire Maisells and Joy Maisells – hand crafted items all Native American made
Blue Bear Studios: Chris Sweet and Chrissy Shegonee – paintings, totes and mugs
Sky Woman Beadwork – Sayokla Kindness
Lillian WhiteEagle – traditional beadwork on everyday items and Ho-Chunk dancer regalia
Kimberly Crowley – basketry
Earth Jewelry by Leah: Leah Winneshiek – gemstone and beadwork mixed media
Little Eagle Arts Foundation – beadwork art making activity
UW-Madison International Reach (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.): Explore new cultures with student ambassadors

INTERNATIONAL MARKET & FOOD VENDORS
Aidanm Sweet Isintu Foundation
Akarim African Enterprise
Café Costa Rica
Friendship Force of Wisconsin-Madison
Friends of Ukraine – Madison, Inc.
Greenbush Heritage Foundation
Hope Institute of Uganda
Inti Fair Trade
Italian Workmen’s Club – Madison
Jakarta Cafe
Madame Chu Delicacies
Madison Arcatao Sister City Project (MASCP)
Madison Area Chinese Community Organization
Madison-Camaguey Sister City Association
Madison-Freiburg Sister City Committee
Madison-Obihiro Sister Cities, Inc.
Madison-Rafah Sister City Project
Madison-Tepatitlán Sister Cities
Madison-Vilnius Sister Cities, Inc.
Mundo Esperanza Inc.
M&J Jamaican Kitch’n
Nazka’s Handmade
Nepali American Friendship Association
Otavalo Art
Polish Heritage Club of Madison-Wisconsin
Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Wisconsin-Madison
Spinning Handiworks
The Hmong Institute
The Rolling Pin Bake Shop
Verona Area International School


International Festival 2025 is funded by Ho-Chunk Gaming Madison.

Orchid Views

The final part of this week’s proGram had itself a unique feel that could be unmatched elsewhere.

Guzleme- Romano
Infinity- Smif-N-Wessun
Deixa Passar- Gerardo Frisina & Toco Ft. Luzia Dvorek
Naif- Anan Ft. Kadi Koulibaly


Money- Dukes Of Roots
Stoned Immaculate- Dub Syndicate
Fight the Power- Dub Syndicate
Peace- Famara
Afonhe- Kimi Djabate


Morena- Ryan Tennis Ft. El Caribefunk & Bakithi Kumalo
Zunzun Baba- Rita Donte
Beye Bu, Beye Ba- Ebo Taylor, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Get Up- Ebo Taylor, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Bhangra Rangeela- Red Baraat Ft. SMK & Bakhshi Brothers


Balloon Pop- Hiromi Ft. Sonicwonder

Ohh That’s The Spot There

The middle part of the proGram this week is there but not to be found.

somebody 2 love me- Black Light Animals
Mystery- Allen Stone Ft. PJ Morton


(Feels Like) Things Are Comin’ Our Way- Charles Wigg Walker
***pre-recorded conversation with Mr. Charles WIGG Walker***
I Like ‘Em Like That- Charles Wigg Walker


Together- SNACKTIME Ft. Devon Gilfillian
Shelley & Smoota Converse…Smoota Gets The Last Word- Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber
Summertime At Paula’s Barn- Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber
Ray’s Tune- Roy Haynes
TORMENTO- Alix Brown


Influences- Old Tek
Whirred Up- Old Tek
See You Soon- Cantrips
Paper Machine- Fujimara Band

Find The Chair

The first part of this week’s proGram knew about the special spit within.

Home Again- The Brothers Comatose Ft. Lindsay Lou
The Moment Of Truth (Live At The Coliseum)- Ella Fitzgerald


Maybe it Takes Time- The South Hill Experiment
Altitude- Immersion & SUSS
Become Sun- Fifth Daughter


I Love You, I Need You- GA-20
Fortune Teller Blues- Joe Bonamassa & Sammy Hagar
Fast Drive’n- Big Al and the Heavyweights
First Train Out- Robbert Duijf
Bring It Down- Reckoners


Sofa King- The Pro-Teens
Doomsday- The Pro-Teens
Tito’s Dumpling Machine- George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners
Yok Yok- Şatellites
White Noise- Peter Matson Ft. Kendra Morris

New Music From Charles WIGG Walker

Charles Walker was born in Nashville, Tennessee on 7/12/1940. Charles or “Wigg,” as he is known by his friends (his mother nicknamed him when he was born with a full head of hair), began singing at an early age in church & school. He cut his first record in 1959 for Ted Jarrett’s legendary Champion label. One cut, “Slave To Love,” was credited to Charles Walker and the Daffodils. In fact, there was no such group as the Daffodils. The backup singers on the record were label mates the Kinglets & Larry Birdsong. In 1960, Charles moved to New York City where studios & nightclub work were plentiful. 1962 found Charles recording with Chess Records out of Chicago, and soon he signed on as lead singer with the J.C. Davis Band. This band began touring the country opening for the greats of the era including James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Etta James, Wilson Pickett, Little Willie John, Otis Redding, & Sam Cooke. The J.C. Davis Band recorded some real barnstormers for Chess like “Sweet Sweet Love” & “The Chicken Scratch.” In 1964, Charles formed his own group, Little Charles and the Sidewinders. They became one of the most in demand soul bands in New York City’s nightclub scene, performing at the Apollo Theater, Small’s Paradise and venturing out to Las Vegas & Atlantic City. They subsequently recorded for Chess & Decca labels. The Sidewinders stayed together through the 60’s, and in 1969 he cut some sides for Botanic Records. The Sidewinders reformed in 1973 and worked as a show band in hotels, nightclubs, and casinos without the benefit of a recording contract. Early in the 80’s, he recorded in England and re-issued many of the Sidewinders classic sides. Realizing that there was a market for soul music in the U.K., he formed his own label P.R.G. and released the single “See Me” in Europe. He spent most of the 1980’s in England & Spain and worked steadily but recorded occasionally. In 1993, he moved back to Nashville to do some serious recording, since Nashville’s blues & R&B scene was really booming. His solo releases include “I’m Available,” “Leavin’ This Old Town,” “In the House” (live with Johnny Jones) & “Soul Stirring Thing.” He also released an album on the U.K. label Zane records called “Number By Heart” in 2003. Charles most recently was the featured singer for a band called “The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker”, and 3 records were released since June of 2007 on Outtasight Records. The band toured frequently in the U.S., Canada, Europe, & Australia. Charles is one of the few remaining original soul singers from back in the day when old school R&B/soul was brand new on the music scene. There has recently been a resurgence of this style of music, and it is finding a younger audience while rekindling memories for the old school crowd. Wigg is still delivering this style of music at a very high level, and his experience and maturity in the field of soul music gives him a perspective that is unmatched. Now in 2025, he comes out strong like never before even, with a new album ‘This Love Is Gonna Last’.

I had the chance to catch up quickly with Mr. Charles “Wigg” Walker’s shortly after ‘This Love Is Gonna Last‘, his first album in over a decade, officially dropped. We go seed to flower on the record, including dissecting two of the track a bit. The album is a dedication to his late wife and shifts seamlessly between definitive eras of soul, from Philly and Detroit to Memphis. We go back in time to learn a little about what he learned from James Brown, how he was the opening act for the Jackson 5 and the work he did fronting The Dynamites. I think this album will add to any music fans collection, but certainly, if that old feelin’ soul music is your thang – this has that and it feels fresh and new.

GongMyoung Blows Minds

In collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and the Korean Cultural Center on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center.

The Korean drumming collective GongMyoung is renowned for its innovative reinterpretations of time-honored Korean music—with a modern jam-session flair, unconventional improvised instruments, and an effortless sense of cool. Formed in 1997, the group has the unique ability to recreate & rearrange traditional Korean music, showcasing the versatility & diversity of Korean culture through surprisingly approachable works. Their performances often feature their namesake—a distinctive bamboo instrument they created, called the GongMyoung—plus a variety of wind & percussion instruments. As an ensemble, GongMyoung transcends genres in both their style and musical application, which includes major concerts, stage musicals, plays, dance performances, & films. GongMyoung’s global impact extends to over fisty countries and 130 international festivals. The group has been selected for some of the world’s largest art showcases & festivals, including performances at AAM 2001 in Singapore, GATEWAY 2006 in Mexico, APAP 2007 in New York, WOMEX 2008 in Spain, MIDEM 2009 in France, SXSW 2010 in Texas, and CINARS in 2007 and 2014 in Canada. They have performed at numerous international festivals including in Australia (Melbourne, Sydney), Norway (Ford), Sweden (Malmö, EBU Folk Festival), Italy (San Marino), China (Guangzhou), Germany (Pina Bausch), Canada (Vancouver), the Philippines, Zimbabwe (Harare), Mongolia (Playtime), Belgium (SFINKS Mixed Festival), and Taipei (WMF). Their performances in international diplomacy and cross-cultural exchange has taken GongMyoung across the globe as well, to India (New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai), Portugal, Greece, Bangladesh, the Philippines, China (Guangzhou), New Zealand (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch), Chile, the United States of America (Los Angeles, Seattle, Boston), Vietnam, Japan (Tokyo), Brazil, Pakistan, the UAE, the United Kingdom (London), Germany (Wuppertal), Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Sweden, Bulgaria, Canada, Cambodia, Mongolia, Hong Kong, Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, France, Belgium, Taiwan, Romania, Nauru, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago, and many more. Their performances continue to expand globally, further cementing their place as a prominent cultural ambassador group.

Members:
Director: Seo Hyungwon
Planning: Jeong Wooin

Musicians: Kyongkeun Song (sogeum, daegeum), Youngju Lim (percussion), Sunil Kang (janggu, gayanggeum), Seungwon Park (guitar, string bamboo)

Mali Obomsawin Amazes At Lincoln Center

The genre-fluid, accomplished creator Mali Obomsawin is a bassist, composer, vocalist and proud citizen of the Odanak First Nation. Obomsawin’s increasingly broad body of work spans jazz and roots music, indie rock and experimental sound, film scoring, and all-ages instruction. An international touring artist and celebrated accompanist, her current projects include the shoegaze duo Deerlady, the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band and her eponymous free-jazz ensemble, making its Lincoln Center premiere at the David Rubenstein Atrium. Obomsawin’s music liberally references her Native heritage and the challenges of realizing freedom under colonialism while challenging listeners with expressive harmonies.

Under The Dome

The final part of this week’s proGram had a little more shine to parts than expected.

Approaching the Red Planet- Moonbrew & Paolo “Apollo” Negri
Stab- Kuna Maze
Clean- Küf Knotz & Christine Elise
Inner G- Küf Knotz & Christine Elise Ft. Boogieman Dela & Shad


Let’s Git It On- Smif-N-Wessun
**pre-recorded conversation with Tek & Steele of Smif-N-Wessun**
Bucktown- Smif-N-Wessun
Elephant In The Room- Smif-N-Wessun

Emi Aluta (Zamrock Remix)- Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 w/Sampa the Great
Ayalolo- Dusty Ft. King Owusu
People of Earth- Old Tek


Memories of Senegal (Remix)- Ernest Ranglin
A Música Na Minha Fantasia- Adrian Younge
Stand Up (BALTHVS Remix)- King Canyon
Batto- Songhoy Blues

Mosaic Above

The middle part of the proGram made you look up and smile.

Toby Arrives- Greg Koch
Magic Carpet Ride- Karl Latham Ft. Mark Egan, Wolfgang Lackerschmid, Mitch Stein, Henry Hey & Roger Squitero


I Can’t Get You Out Of My Mind- Luke Marzec
Midnight Rendezvous- Charles Wigg Walker
Broken Promised Land- Reckoners
Looking for a Reason- Reckoners Ft. Susan Tedeschi


Renard’s Groove- Bronze, Silver & Brass
Paris- Wolfgang Valbrun
The Gas Face- The Pro-Teens
Lifestyles- Rosettes
Fight Song- Hot 8 Brass Band
Ronda- Danzón El Gato


Moto joie- Gaspar Claus
Moto drame- Gaspar Claus


Rock Candy- Frollen Music Library
Space Between Us- Franc Moody
TRA TRA TRA- El Dusty & DJ Kane

Dropping Performance Art

The first part of this week’s proGram went out to jazz it up once again.

Chapters- John Mailander’s Forecast
Boom- Sierra Hull
Gunfire at Midnight- Stephen Jacques


Come and Go- The First Cosmopolitans All Male Chorus

Honeysuckle- Rev Peyton’s Big Damn Band
Go Ahead- 63 Deluxe
I’m Gonna Ride- Geoff Achison
Delta Dave- Geoff Achison


Change Calls the Tune- David Ronaldo
New York Minute- Dion
Ride or Die- Graeme Jonez
Together Forever- The Bablers


Zero Sun- Little Barrie & Malcom Catto
Snake City- Gyasi
Star- Gyasi
Man Made Of Meat- Viagra Boys