Top 10 new albums of 2023

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, the time to find out who’s been naughty and who’s been nice. No, I’m not talking about the holiday season; I’m talking about when everyone’s Best Of The Year lists come out.

I’ll be rolling out my own lists over the next three weeks on Global A Go-Go. On this week’s program (Sunday December 10, 1:00-3:00 PM on WRIR, for two weeks afterwards at wrir.org/listen, check your local listings for airing on other radio stations, and any old time at my podcast site) I’ll present my top ten new albums of 2023 plus ten honorable mentions.

Next week on December 17 you’ll hear my favorite singles and EPs of the departing year. On Christmas Eve, once again it will be Global A Go-Go’s Irie Christmas Spectacular: all reggae, calypso and soca Christmas songs with myself and special guest selector Eric Walters (host of Wide Ear Folk, heard alternate Tuesdays at 5 PM on WRIR) at the controls. And then on New Year’s Eve it will be selections from my favorite compilations, reissues and historic recordings of 2023.

Without further ado, here are my favorite new albums of 2023:

Global A Go-Go’s top 20 new albums of 2023 are available as a Spotify playlist: bit.ly/3GUf1yt

Podcast: radio4all.net/program/116988
All the podcasts: radio4all.net/series/Global%20A%20Go-Go

Show Archive

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Playlist:

Oliver Lake, “Separation”

from Matador Of 1st & 1st

Passin Thru - 1996

USA

Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, “Global a Go-Go”

from Global A Go-Go

BMG Rights Management (US) LLC - 2001

England UK

Diepkloof United Voice, “Too Late for Mama”

from Harmonizing Soweto: Golden City Gospel & Kasi Soul from the new South Africa

Ostinato Records LLC - 2023

South Africa

Meral Polat Trio, “Diya (feat. Meral Polat, Chris Doyle & Frank Rosaly)”

from Ez Kî Me (feat. Meral Polat, Chris Doyle & Frank Rosaly)

Meral Polat Trio - 2022

Kurdistan Turkey-Netherlands-USA

Altin Gün, “Canım Oy”

from Aşk

ATO Records - 2023

Netherlands-Turkey

Shono, “Bridle ringing”

from Kolkhozoy Traktor

Nordic Notes - 2023

Buryatia Republic Russia

Larry & Joe, “La Tonada del Cabrestero”

from Nuevo South Train

SideHustle - 2023

Venezuela-USA

Grupo Kual?, “Satanas (feat Sonido Gallo Negro)”

from Konexiones

Discos Rolas - 2022

México

Son Rompe Pera, “Cumbia pa tu Madre (feat. Anarkia Tropikal)”

from Chimborazo

AYA Records - 2023

México-Chile

of Tropique, “Buster Goes East”

from Buster Goes West

Electric Cowbell Records - 2023

Japan

Bombino, “Ayes Sachen”

from Sahel

Partisan Records - 2023

Niger

Negarit band, “Filae Goferae (Oromo)”

from Origins (Ethiosonic)

Buda musique - 2023

Ethiopia

Fendika & K-Sanchis, “Restraint”

from Gojo

121234 - 2023

Ethiopia-Netherlands

Alogte Oho & His Sounds of Joy, “La Ka Ba'A”

from O Yinne!

Philophon - 2023

Ghana-Germany

Santrofi, “Cocoase (Live) [feat. Omniversal Earkestra]”

from Deep into Highlife (live) [feat. Omniversal Earkestra]

Out Here Records - 2023

Ghana-Germany

Gangbé Brass Band & Kala Jula, “An ka ke nyogon fè (feat. Fama Diabaté) [Live]”

from Asro (feat. Fama Diabaté) [Live]

Buda musique - 2023

Mali-Switzerland-Benin

Eparapo, “Black Lives Matter (feat. Dele Sosimi)”

from Take To the Streets

Wah Wah 45s - 2023

England UK-Nigeria

Alpacas Collective, “Boyoma”

from Big Words

Catalpas Records - 2023

Belgium

Mokoomba, “Kulindiswe”

from Tusona: Tracings in the Sand

Out Here Records - 2023

Zimbabwe

Monstruos Del Mañana, “Pensacola”

from Espejos

Independent - 2022

México

Jantra, “Khadija”

from Synthesized Sudan: Astro-Nubian Electronic Jaglara Dance Sounds from the Fashaga Underground

Ostinato Records LLC - 2023

Sudan