AMERICAN ROUTES
Blues and Jazz, African Roots and Branches with Shemekia Copeland & Balla Kouyaté Blues and Jazz, African Roots and Branches with Shemekia Copeland & Balla Kouyaté May 18th, 2022 (Hour 1)
Blues and Jazz, African Roots and Branches with Shemekia Copeland & Balla Kouyaté

It’s Blueswomen, Jazzmen, African roots and branches. Chicago blues singer Shemekia Copeland‘s father, the late blues guitarist Johnny Copeland, brought her into his music as a child. As an adult, she found new ways to use blues to express her perspective. We’ll hear from some of Shemekia’s heroes including Etta James, Ruth Brown, Alberta Hunter and Big Mama Thornton. Then a conversation and performance by Boston-based Mandinka balafon player Balla Kouyaté and music inspired by and from the continent of Africa from Randy Weston, Miriam Makeba and the Modern Jazz Quartet.

Shemekia Copeland photo by Mike White

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AMERICAN ROUTES LIVE: FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DE LOUISIANE 2017

April 11th, 2018

American Routes gears up for festival season by revisiting live performances from the 2017 Festival International, a showcase of French music from southwest Louisiana and the wider Francophone world along with blues, Chicano nouveau and swamp pop. We hear female Cajun supergroup Bonsoir, Catin tear up the stage; bluesman Corey Harris ring out the Mississippi Delta’s West African roots; and blue-eyed soul from swamp pop legends Johnnie Allan, T.K. Hulin, and G.G. Shinn. Plus, accordionist CJ Chenier, son of Clifton Chenier, proves he is carrying on the king of zydeco’s royal bloodline. Las Cafeteras from East Los Angeles give us a taste of Veracruz’s Afro-Latin jarocho music, including the folk-turned-pop song “La Bamba.” And Louisiana singer and fiddler Cedric Watson adds Caribbean and Latin flavors to his homegrown Creole sound.

  • Listen to Hour One
  • Listen to Hour Two

HOUR ONE

  • Open Bed: Cher Minoux Bonsoir, Catin
    American Routes recording live at Festival International 2017,
  • Sista Rose Corey Harris
    American Routes recording live at Festival International 2017,
  • 44 Blues Corey Harris
    American Routes recording live at Festival International 2017,
  • Big Road Blues Corey Harries
    American Routes recording live at Festival International 2017,
  • Instrumental: Revelation Two-Step Bonsoir, Catin
    Light the Stars, Valcour
  • SEGMENT: Bonsoir, Catin

    Listen
  • The Squirrel Song Bonsoir, Catin
    American Routes recording live at Festival International 2017,
  • L'delaissé Bonsoir, Catin
    American Routes recording live at Festival International 2017,
  • Tit Angé Bonsoir, Catin
    American Routes recording live at Festival International 2017,
  • Instrumental: Let the Good Times Roll The Revelers
    The Revelers Play the Swamp Pop Classics, Vol. 1, The Revelers
  • I Can't Stand the Rain Gregg Martinez and the Delta Kings
    American Routes recording live at Festival International 2017,
  • Promised Land Johnnie Allan
    American Routes recording live at Festival International 2017,
  • I Got Loaded T.K. Hulin
    American Routes recording live at Festival International 2017,
  • Something Is Wrong With My Baby GG Shin
    American Routes recording live at Festival International 2017,
  • End Bed: Firebird Blues Sonny Landreth
    Bound by the Blues, Provogue

HOUR two

  • Open Bed: Eunice Two-Step C.J. Chenier
    American Routes recording live at Festival International 2017,
  • My Name is C.J. Chenier C.J. Chenier
    American Routes recording live at Festival International 2017,
  • I Got a Woman C.J. Chenier
    American Routes recording live at Festival International 2017,
  • SEGMENT: C.J. Chenier

    Listen
  • Zydeco Party C.J. Chenier
    American Routes recording live at Festival International 2017,
  • Instrumental: unknown cumbia Cedric Watson et Karnival Kreyol
    American Routes recording live at Festival International 2017,
  • Midland Two-Step Cedric Watson et Karnival Kreyol
    American Routes recording live at Festival International 2017,
  • Mange Creole Cedric Watson et Karnival Kreyol
    American Routes recording live at Festival International 2017,
  • Instrumental: A Si Paré Don Vappie
    Banjo a la Creole, Vappielle
  • La Morena Las Cafeteras
    American Routes recording live at Festival International 2017,
  • This Land is Your Land Las Cafeteras
    American Routes recording live at Festival International 2017,
  • La Bamba Las Cafeteras
    American Routes recording live at Festival International 2017,
  • Closing Bed: I'm Coming Home C.J. Chenier
    American Routes recording live at Festival International 2017,

THE LATEST STREAMS

  • May 18th, 2022

    BLUES AND JAZZ, AFRICAN ROOTS AND BRANCHES WITH SHEMEKIA COPELAND & BALLA KOUYATé

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  • May 11th, 2022

    BREAKING OUT: BRITISH BLUES TO NEW ORLEANS BOUNCE

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  • May 4th, 2022

    KINGPINS OF THE GULF COAST: RODNEY CROWELL & DR. JOHN

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