Blogs

On Island Life on Sat 7th August we ran a story about Temo Van Tongeren, a Waiheke Islander running a competition to give away his house. You can hear  that interview here. Today Waiheke Radio  recieved the following statement from Department of Internal Affairs:

Internal Affairs’ Director of Gambling Compliance, Mike Hill, says the website competition offering a house, car and boat on Waiheke Island as the prize is illegal and the Department has told the organiser to stop the promotion.

Temo Van Tongeren of Surfdale, Waiheke Island, marketed his fundraiser as the ‘Win a Waiheke Island Lifestyle’ competition. The Department says this is “remote interactive gambling” under s 9(2) (b) of the Gambling Act 2003. Only the Lotteries Commission and the TAB are allowed to operate online gambling in New Zealand.

Mike Hill said Mr Van Tongeren took immediate steps to prevent people entering his competition after the Department contacted him and his willingness to cooperate was acknowledged.

“We warned Mr Van Tongeren that any future fund raising must be conducted within the law,” Mike Hill said.

Various Artists Afro-Beat Airways: West African Shock Waves – Ghana & Togo 1972-1978 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/dnhf

A resurgence of interest in Afrobeat, a 70s blend of traditional African music, jazz, highlife and American funk, has seen a very welcome string of reissues in recent times – not least the current airing of the entire 45-album run of the movement’s undisputed figurehead, Fela Kuti. Frankfurt label Analog Africa, however, are taking the path more seldom trod, focusing on some of the more obscure outfits and local scenes on compilations like 2009’s Legends of Benin and 2008’s rawer, psychedelic African Scream Contest.

That West African Shock Waves exists at all is testament to Analog Africa founder Samy Ben Redjeb’s diligent detective work. Finding himself in Accra, Ghana following a flight mix-up, he used the opportunity to meet up with producer Dick Essilfie-Bonzie, owner of the Ghanaian indie imprint Essiebons Records. Essilfie-Bonzie, it transpired, was in the process of blowing the dust off his back catalogue. So, the bulk of this compilation comes from a warehouse of reel-to-reel tapes recorded in the 70s in Ghana and Togo, supposedly owned by PolyGram West Africa but never claimed; the sort of blunder that, judged in these more enlightened times, is up there with the BBC recording over the master tapes of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.

Erika & Emigrante

Erika Serre is a Gypsy singer who was noticed quite a while ago by two film-makers, Tony Gatlif and Emir Kusturica. This Parisian of Hungarian origin,  knows how to surround herself with people : featured musicians on the Emigrante band include Gypsy and French musicians, a tabla player from  Rajhastan, a jazzman, a bass player from Cameroon and some off-the-wall musicians like the drummer Buj or the Syrian-Sicilian guitar player Serge Leonardi who seals the wholeness of these brilliant compositions.

King Midas Sound

King Midas Sound is formed from the collaboration of  Kevin "The Bug" Martin and Trinidadian poet and singer Roger Robinson. They produce a dub soul sound, the intelligent poetry is carried by Robinson's rich, atmospheric voice.

Manou Gallo

Manou N'Guessan Gallo is a singer who also plays the bass and percussion instruments. Born in the village of Divo and raised by her grandmother, she first tasted success at the age of 12 at a show put on by friends. The start of her career ensued at Abidjan, before moving to Europe to join up with Belgian group, Zap Mama. Nowadays, Manou Gallo records under her real name, producing songs in dida, french and english.

Comfusoes (Compilation)

"Comfusoes" is a project that takes Angolan pop from the 60's and 70's to Brazil’s most exciting producers of today. The result is a collection of fresh remixes of songs by legendary singers like Teta Lando, Bonga or Artur Nunes. This compilation is the result of the work of Mauricio Pacheco, a producer who worked with artists such as Fernando Abreu and the Capoeira Hip-Hop band Stereo Maracana, as well as Paulo Flores, Elias Diá Kimuezo (the king of Angolan Semba music) and Kuduro star Dog Murras.

Acquaragia Drom

The 'Acquaragia Drom' offers, on each of its apparition and each of its recording, a journey deep into the heart of the Italian gypsy culture and to a larger extent Mediterranean. This brass band not only plays tracks that are inspired by the tradition, the musicians also draw their inspiration from contemporary influences.

Mister Lastboat (formerly Whiskey Mac) made their Waiheke Winter Blues Festival debut last year as The B-Squared Blues Band to much popular acclaim. They return this year to represent the local scene with a high-energy blues-rock sound that includes some long awaited original tunes as well as some blistering cover versions of blues rock classics from Zeppelin, Hendrix, and more. Country Mike will take the reigns on the B-Squared Blues Show this Tuesday for a live-to-air Mister Lastboat set with both Ben and Ben weilding guitars rather than twiddling the knobs. Listen in at 8pm for news and updates about the Waiheke Winter Blues Festival and for a chance to win tickets to the event.

Podcast of show now available: http://www.waihekeradio.org.nz/node/879

 Our second week of puns, puns and more puns, with 40 Nights in the Wildebeest, on the comedy show this sunday 9pm. This week we’ve 'Hong Feng Shui' and 'Right said Freud'. What a mixture!