With roots in African gospel music, Luka Guindo has spent his life making spirited music. Even when he’s crafting heavy thump for Bamako’s Balani Show street parties, he laces transcendent tones into his melodic compositions. His output as Luka Productions on the Sahel Sounds label has even expanded into Malian new age — fantasy-laced balafon dreams that are as otherworldy as they are rooted in African tradition. Luka’s mission of sharing Malian music with the world is coming to fruition through his nonstop work ethic — the Luka Productions studio hosts dozens of guest artists each week who come to cut vocals atop Luka’s buoyant beats. He beams in from his bustling Bamako studio to share unreleased tunes and talk about his sonic viewpoint. Frosty rounds out the episode with choice selections from Turkey, Colombia, Finland, Greece and beyond, plus a world premiere of rare Australian synth-pop from Arvo.
