Mixed in a sultry summer in Budapest, La Danza Poetica #65 is a collection of sultry new sounds from South America, the States, France, Canada. And dedicated, with love, to the bright light of Australian poet and activist, Candy Royalle, who passed last month. Pure heart and spirit, within this music is the poetry of life, the continuum of tradition, the bright promise and healing that comes through music.

Made by Radio Continental Drift in collaboration with radio-makers at Zongwe FM and the women of Zubo Trust, A Radio Bridge Across the Zambezi includes tracks from more than 50 contributors, from 17 countries. It’s an energetic, spirited and spiritual journey created through a powerful spirit of unity and sharing.

A special edition of La Danza Poetica dedicated to the life and work of Rim Banna, the poet, singer, and activist who left this world in March. A tribute to her extraordinary example, and to the power of poetry and music to amplify the stories and the struggle of Palestine to the world. I talk with with ScMoCha of Checkpoint 303 about working on Rim’s final album, her final creative act of resistance in the face of injustice and occupation in all their forms. Also featuring poetry from sons and daughters of Palestine, plus a recent collaboration between Brian Eno and Samir Joubran.

A mix of sublime, poetic music and word from Morocco, Tunisia, Syria. Poetry and music are inextricably intertwined, in a constant dance, in music, language and rhythm, and life. Sukitoa o Namau’s field recordings from and around Meknés, Morocco, form the canvas on which this whole mix has been painted. Also featuring Moroccan slam poet Mustapha Slameur, very conscious and complex folktronics / electronics from Tunisia’s Ghoula and NURI, the France/Morocco collaboration of Titi Robin and Mehdi Nassouli, Syria’s Muudra paying tribute to Vîyan Peyman, and reworking Emel Mathlouthi’s great song ‘Layem’, DJ Tudo connecting Morocco with Brazil, plus, 'honoured ghost' Paul Bowles' sweet and sad little poems, and classic recordings from Morocco released by the Dust to Digital project.

Recent releases from Brome, J.Lamotta, Kuzich featuring Mei Saraswati, William Beale, Lido Pimienta, The Turbans, Besarabia, Anna Stereopoulou, Dat Garcia remixed by Space People, the Music Action Collective, DjClick, Lagartijeando remixed by Chancha Vía Circuito, and featuring Laurie Anderson and Kronos Quartet’s, “Landfall”, now released as an album.

Canada’s diverse and challenging storytelling flow. Stories told in a time of reckoning, rooted in cultural expression, social consciousness and Mother Earth connection. Featuring a new album from spoken word poet Brandon Wint, recent albums from poets M.L. Holton and Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, a remarkable collaboration between poet Shane Koyczan, Inuk throat singer Tanya Tagaq and folk artist Kym Gouchie, another great Rise Ashen remix featuring Eivør Pálsdóttir, Native hip hop from Jb the First Lady, Wellspoke, Mob Bounce and the Mag 7 Standing Rock collective, orchestral electronics with deep roots, from Francois Couture, Ziibiwan, and Quantum Tangle.

Pieces of the Puzzle takes its title from a poem by English spoken word artist Salena Godden – the poem that closes the show. From Australia to Costa Rica, to Colombia, to Argentina, to Italy, Portugal, Germany, America, Chile, England, France, Japan, Ghana, Mozambique … all these pieces are part of our big, beautiful jigsaw puzzle of thought, emotion, word, and music. 

On La Danza Poetica this month, surfing the poetic radio waves: une fête de la musique et de la poésie! A smooth and cool mix of new French abstract hip hop, alt-rap, spoken word, trip hop and jazz. Downtempo melodic beats and spoken word. 

Diving deeper into the dancehall – mixing the poetry of MC Zulu, Chicago’s most profound dancehall vocalist and electro-reggae producer with conscious beats old and new. Concerned that we listen as we dance, learn as we excite, and have a real conversation with the music, Zulu has been presenting some of his lyrics in spoken word recitations. This month, we are seriously dancing to poetry! Are you listening?

This month on La Danza Poetica, the spirit runs deep. Featuring the brilliant new album from Canada’s Tanya Evanson, debut EP from Australia’s Mirrah, and a poetic release from USA’s Solange. Alongside, the smooth spirituals of Canadian/American soul sisters: Cris Derksen and Jennifer Kreisberg, Marianne Verville, Sunni Patterson, Shauntay Grant, Queen Ka. And soulful brothers from Canada: Ivy, Ian Kamau, and Shane Koyczan collaborating with the inspirational sister of all activist poets, Ani Difranco.

The Apollo Saxophone Quartet’s collaboration with poet Lemn Sissay is one of the deepest word/music journeys you can take - expressive, cinematic, arresting. Robert Frost’s 1920s poem “Fire and Ice” observes the end of the world with the cool objectivity of someone who is part of, not just observing, the changes of seasons. There is a goal! So, let’s become the rain...

Pausing for reflection in January 2016, a mix of tracks that I couldn’t include in the feature shows of ’15, that are still on high rotation in my mind.

Collaborative poetic jazz, organic electronics. From New Orleans to New York; France to Brazil; Poland to Trinidad; Mali to Cape Town; Portugal to Suriname. Stretching and tensing, sincopando.

Sung poetry, the oral tradition, passed down from generation to generation, continuing today, no break in the chain…

Rêver en français… storytelling of emotion and delirium of loops, Being in transit in between times and places, in a woozy mood, a loose mix from a recent live set. No explanation, no reason, no solution. Just the enlightened, unapologetic emotion of French poets, under the spell of delirious analysis. From Saul Williams to Anaïs Nin, let’s hallucinate Napoléon Bonaparte together, la danse poétique!

This month I am presenting for you an excerpt of a special mix for Chimeres Radio and Circe:the Black Cut, performed live in Athens on 4 July at Kreuzberg bar, the eve of the referendum of 5 July. 

Eclectic electronic, folk and poetic wavelengths from Greece. Featuring electronica pioneers Lena Platonos and Stereo Nova, fascinating composers and bands Carte Postale, Imam Baildi, ION, Anna Stereopoulou, and May Roosevelt (mixing the poetry of Dinos Christianopoulos), hip hop / low bap from Active Member with Luka Lesson, and Poetic [Low Bap], a new album from Savina Yannatou, postcards from the multicultural history of Thessaloniki, and honoured ghosts, rebetika singers Stella Haskil and Sotiria Bellou, who are the waves beneath all of our boats. 

Australia is, on the ground and in the streets, a place of amazing diversity. We celebrate the multitude of voices speaking up. Two new spoken word LPs from Joel McKerrow and Adam Gibson, and a new compilation from Melbourne Spoken Word. Poets Sean M Whelan, Andrew Galan, Randall Stephens, Eleanor Jackson, Sista Zai, Ebony MonCrief, Jacky T, Common Ground Collective (L-Fresh the Lion, Nayana Bhandari), REMI, NYUON, Cazeaux O.S.L.O. Diverse musical threads woven into the fabric of a still-evolving Australian identity - from Iran to Oz, Amin Payne; from Punjab to Caribbean to Oz, Sikander; from soul to Oz soul, Hiatus Kaiyote; from Tatarstan-Udmurtia to the Universe, Starship Z! And from the absolute heart, Jimblah re-calls Yothu Yindi’s anthem for Aboriginal sovereignty. This is Australia, a land of many cultures, beholden to one.

From the 15th until the 21st of December 2014 a series of events were held in various spaces and venues in the city of Athens, beginning with the release on 15th December of the album 'Vuelo Libre' - a “family work” album of nine tracks composed by sound artists and musicians from ten countries. This edition of the podcast is the one-hour mix I made of the album for this exhibition. Modern electronic classical music, organic sounds and poetics in six languages.

Following on from the 1st, and the 15th edition of the podcast, we return to Italy’s songs and stories. From north to south, from folk to modern electronic dance. All rooted in the varied storytelling and dance traditions of the peninsula.