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Recent episodes:
The explorers at KEXP Documentaries have set sail for uncharted musical lands.
Step into “The New World”, a 10-part series of short musical stories on the latest
faces in international music.
Meet Rodrigo y Gabriela, a duo from Mexico whose heavy metal background has them slamming
their fingers into their acoustic guitars to intense rhythms fired by rock, rumba and jazz.
Listen closely to K’naan - an afro-sporting rapper from Somalia who
not only paints a grim picture of growing up in Africa, but also has
drawn himself in as the new, brutally honest, poetic face of modern
African music.
Hear the incantation of Juana Molina, a former Argentinian comedian and
tv celebrity who gave it all up to play with an electronic effects box,
a guitar and some microphones.
Discover Nomo, a collective from Michigan who follow the great teacher
Fela in the tradition of Afrobeat, but drop the bible by adding
neo-funk, prog-rock and computer loops.
Follow One Giant Leap, two dudes from the UK who take their backing
tracks far and wide to record with the world’s top musicians and
speakers - including Michael Stipe, Maxi Jazz, Lila Downs, Noam Chomsky
and Carlos Santana.
Hang out with 4 producers from Tijuana who call themselves Nortec
Collective, and tell a new story of Mexico by warping techno and adding
it to traditional Norteño instruments.
Find Curumin, a trained samba player from Sao Paulo who dances around
his Japanese and Spanish heritage with an electronic mashup of samba,
pop, Latin and Brazilian styles.
Bump up the party with Buraka Som Sistema from Portugal, whose urban
ghetto-funk somehow incorporates the gentle, soulful rhythms of Kuduru
music from Angola.
Take a moment to get to know A.R. Rahman, who has been leading the
cutting edge in soundtracks in Bollywood for many years. And who is the
first Indian to win an Oscar (he won 2, in fact) for his soundtrack to
“Slumdog Millionaire”.
Dig deep into Eastern Europe to visit Skalpel, a band from Poland who
take jazz, loops and sculptural sounds and add pop culture elements from
their native Poland.
 One Giant Leap - From Myspace One Giant Leap - What About Me - 2008 Album
One Giant Leap is Duncan Bridgeman and Jamie Catto, two guys from the UK who take a laptop to record different artists in different countries, then put them on the same song. Their album and TV series “What About Me” has guests like: Michael Stipe, Baba Maal, Jhelisa, Noam Chomsky and hundreds of others.
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 A. R. Rahman - Press Photo A. R. Rahman - Oscar Publicity Photo
Indian composer and multi-instrumentalist A.R. Rahman has sold over 200 million records. That’s more than the Beatles. He’s famous in Asia, and more recently in the U.S. after winning 2 Oscars for the soundtrack to the film “Slumdog Millionaire”.
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 Hiperboreal And Clorofila - From Myspace Bostich And Fussible - From Myspace
Nortec Collective is a group of friends from Tijuana, Mexico whose music incorporates influences from artists as diverse as Kraftwerk, Herb Alpert and Joy Division, and styles like disco, house and Norteno (the music of Northern Mexico).
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 Nomo - From Myspace - Photo by Doug Coombe Nomo - From Myspace - Photo by Doug Coombe
When Nomo formed in 2003, they were jazz musicians interested in the work of Fela, creator of Afrobeat. Since then their work has incorporated the styles of Motown, neo-funk and electronica.
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 Curumin - From Myspace Curumin Press Photo - Courtesy of Quannum Records
Curumin is a Brazilian singer-songwriter who was trained early in life as a samba guitarist. Living in the metropolis of Sao Paolo he was exposed to all kinds of music including funk, soul, electronic, pop and all kinds of world music. His songs are warm yet cutting-edge, futuristic yet somehow classic-sounding.
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 Skalpel Press Photo - courtesy of Ninja Tune Skalpel - 2005 Album Konfusion
Polish duo Skalpel take samples from their homeland’s top jazz artists from the 60’s and 70’s and add it to electronic loops, beats and textures. Find out how listening to punk, new wave and hip-hop inspired them to create a whole new tradition for Poland’s music scene.
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 Buraka Som Sistema - From Myspace Photo by Ana Gilbert - From Myspace
Portuguese band Buraka Som Sistema play a kind of music called Kuduru, a dance style that originated in the streets and dance clubs of Angola. Originally a lo-fi attempt at house and techno by Angolan DJs who added traditional sounds like Kizomba and Samba to beats, BSS change Kuduru by working on the latest software and adding rhythm hits influenced by Spank Rock, Diplo and MIA.
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 Juana Molina - From Myspace Juana Molina - From Myspace
Argentine singer, songwriter Juana Molina is inspired by the acoustics in elevators and the random notes of birds. She was one of Argentina’s most famous comedians, but quit being a celebrity to play the unusual musical sounds she creates on the keyboard, guitar and with her voice.
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 Knaan Photo By JamesMinkin - From Myspace K’naan - From Myspace
Somalian hip-hop artist K’naan is changing the face of African music and also the impression that Westerners have of Africa. In this KEXP Documentary, you will meet the man and hear why his brave, graphic and poetic songs about real life in Somalia have made him one of the hottest names in hip-hop in 2009.
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 Rodrigo Y Gabriela Rodrigo Y Gabriela's 2006 Self Titled Charted Number One In Europe
Rodrigo Y Gabriela are an acoustic team who started working together in a metal band in Mexico City. After leaving the group, the duo traveled to Europe, playing in the streets. After their 2006 self-titled album hit the charts in Ireland, the band has played to packed houses full of rock fans, with a mix of rumba, jazz and rock. Whatever you do, don’t call them Flamenco.
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