Music Planet: Road Trip

Indigenous Voices of the Americas Oct 21, 2024

Betto Arcos reports from the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington DC

Flamenco Sep 21, 2024

Betto Arcos is in Madrid, Spain exploring the rich and diverse world of Flamenco.

Yiddish Tango Aug 01, 2024

Polish singer Olga Avigail Mieleszczuk is our guide to the lost world of pre-WW2 Yiddish Tango. She explores its origins as it arrived from Argentina in the 1920s, to its then beating heart in Warsaw - and the many famous Jewish composers, who perished during the Holocaust. And we hear how Olga and others have been working to revive the music over the last 20 years and more.

New Orleans Jul 08, 2024

Betto Arcos takes us to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival for a celebration of cajun and zydeco music

India: Goa Jun 01, 2024

Sigmund de Souza is our guide to the Portuguese-influenced mando tradition of Goa

Peru May 18, 2024

Betto Arcos on the playing styles and instruments of Lima's Afro-Peruvian tradition

Argentina: Cosquín Festival Feb 17, 2024

Betto Arcos reports from the Cosquín Folk Festival in Argentina

Finland:Sámi yoiking Jan 13, 2024

Sebastian Bergholm takes us to the far north exploring the rich tradition of Sámi yoiking

Colombia: Petronio Alvarez Festival Sep 30, 2023

Betto Arcos reports from Cali's Petronio Alvarez Festival (of Afro-Colombian music)

Ansonia Records Aug 25, 2023

Betto Arcos is our guide to the classic American Latin label Ansonia Records

Brazil: Choro Jun 28, 2023

Brazilian guitarist Fabricio Mattos is our guide to the country's Choro music

Syria Jun 23, 2023

Damascus-born qanun player Maya Youssef takes us on a journey around the music of Syria

Sri Lanka Jun 19, 2023

Colombo-based percussionist Sumudi Suraweera is our guide to the music of Sri Lanka

India: Bengal Mar 09, 2023

Dipannita Acharya takes us on a journey through the music of the Bauls

Mexico - US: Fandango Fronterizo Nov 05, 2022

Every year since 2008, musicians, singers and dancers gather on both sides of the fence of the US-Mexico border between San Diego and Tijuana. They get together to celebrate life, unity and brotherhood through the music and dance of Son Jarocho, a traditional music style from Veracruz. Betto Arcos reports from last month's event for our latest Road Trip.

Colombia: Festival Internacional de Cuerdas Pulsadas Sep 29, 2022

Betto Arcos takes us on a sonic tour of Colombia's Festival Internacional de Cuerdas Pulsadas

Mexico: Son Para Milo Jul 26, 2022

Betto Arcos reports from the Son Para Milo Festival in Mexico City, with a special focus on Son Huasteco, a traditional style from the north eastern part of the country.

Barbados Mar 04, 2022

From Calypso to Ska - DJ Alex Jordan explores the glorious music of Barbados, with music from Eddie Grant and interviews from Barbadian musicians Nikita Brown and the Mighty Gabby

China: Hubei Feb 10, 2022

Musicologist Mu Qian takes us on a Road Trip to Hubei province in central China

China: Sichuan and Yunnan Jan 13, 2022

Yijia Tu is our guide to the music of the Yi People of China (in Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces)

Venezuela and Colombia: Cuatro Dec 27, 2021

Betto Arcos takes us to Venezuela and Colombia with a focus on the cuatro instrument

Brazil's Carimbó Music Oct 12, 2021

Guitarist Fabricio Mattos takes us on a journey through the Carimbó music of Brazil.

Colombia: Andes Jun 12, 2021

Betto Arcos takes us on a journey through the music of the Colombian Andes

Colombia: Vallenato May 01, 2021

Betto Arcos reports from Valledupar, home to Vallenato, a folk style popularised in the 1990s by Carlos Vives and celebrated in the city's annual Vallenato Legend Festival.

Argentina Mar 06, 2021

Betto Arcos celebrates the rich and diverse folk music scene in Argentina with a focus on female artists from Mercedes Sosa and Teresa Parodi to Nadia Larcher and La Charo

Russia Jan 29, 2021

Alexander Kan guides us through the revival of Russian folk music across the last century

Uruguay Jan 12, 2021

Betto Arcos explores the varied and exciting folk scene of Uruguay

Mexico: La Trova Suriana Oct 31, 2020

Betto Arcos is our guide to the Trova Suriana music tradition of southern Mexico

Italy: Salento Oct 15, 2020

Mauro Durante is our guide to the music of Salento, southern Italy

Colombia: Carranga Music Sep 12, 2020

Betto Arcos reports from Boyacá in Colombia, home to the traditional style of Carranga

Democratic Republic of the Congo Jul 11, 2020

Jean-Marc Matwaki takes us on a journey through the music of the DRC

Armenia Jun 11, 2020

Armen Manukyan takes us on a journey through the music of Armenia

Paraguay - Guarania May 27, 2020

Betto Arcos returns to Paraguay for this Road Trip, with a focus on Guaraní music

Lockdown Road Trip May 05, 2020

Due to the current global pandemic, most venues and performances spaces are closed and festivals cancelled. But musicians are still making music from their homes. Our intrepid guide Betto Arcos takes us on a guide to music from around Latin America that has been made during the lockdown.

Mozambique Apr 29, 2020

Ivan Larenjeira, in this second Road Trip, takes us on a journey through Mozambique.

Uruguay Feb 15, 2020

Betto Arcos guides us around Montevideo, Uruguay, as it prepares for Carnival

Serbia Jan 11, 2020

Marija Vitas takes us on a Road Trip through the music of Serbia

Lithuania Nov 18, 2019

Indrė Jurgelevičiūtė takes us on a journey over the last century of Lithuanian music

Argentina Oct 26, 2019

Betto Arcos travels across northeast Argentina in search of Chamamé music; a genre of rural dance music absorbing Spanish, Guarani and African influences

South Africa Sep 20, 2019

Bill Odidi guides us through some of the greatest South African musicians, including Solomon Linda who wrote one of the most famous songs to come out of the region; 'Mbube'

Cuba Sep 13, 2019

In the second of two reports from Havana, Betto Arcos looks at the revival of Cuban son music; a direct result of the release of Buena Vista Social Club's first album in 1997

South Korea Sep 06, 2019

Chris Ryu takes us on a Road Trip to South Korea where we discover the interesting ways in which performance genre 'Pansori' is evolving

Kazakhstan Aug 30, 2019

Zhadyra Zhumakulbay reports from the rich and varied musical heritage of Kazakhstan; a country landlocked between Russia and China

Mozambique Aug 16, 2019

Ivan Larenjeira takes us on a Road Trip through Mafala in Maputo Mozambique.

Portugal Aug 09, 2019

Betto Arcos takes us to the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, where he explores the world of the Portuguese Guitar.

Cuba Jul 19, 2019

Betto Arcos reports from Havana in the first of two road trips from Cuba. This week explores the emergence of new dance music and the fusion of rumba with jazz and funk

Réunion Jul 12, 2019

Jérôme Galabert, manager of Sakifo Records, reports from the small volcanic island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean; home to traditional Maloya and Sega music

South India Jul 05, 2019

Chirag Jain reports from India with music from the regions of Tamil Nadu and Kerala on the Arabian Sea. Also, music from the doyenne of Carnatic music, M. S. Subbulakshmi

Guizhou (China) Jun 28, 2019

Ethnomusicologist Mu Qian takes us on a Road Trip to Guizhou province of China

Ecuador Jun 21, 2019

Betto Arcos is in Quito exploring music rich in Andean traditions, including sounds of the traditional charango guitar, quena flute and music from the Quechua people

Czech Republic Jun 15, 2019

From the bagpipes of the south west to the village tunes of Moravia in the east. Broadcaster Petr Doruzka guides us through the melting pot of influences that make up the music of the Czech Republic.

Lebanon Jun 07, 2019

Artistic Director of Beirut and Beyond festival, Amani Semaan, reports from Beirut with music from Lebanese artists such as Fairuz, Wadih El Safi and Marcel Khalife - some of the most influential musicians in the Arab world.

Tanzania May 24, 2019

Bill Odidi reports on the varied musical traditions of Tanzania; from the Chaga communities on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, to the taarab music of Zanzibar

Algeria May 17, 2019

A mountain welcome dance and processional wedding music of the Kabyle people; dancer Amel Tafsout introduces the amazingly varied and rich musical traditions of Algeria

North India May 10, 2019

Reporting from Bangalore, arts curator Chirag Jain presents some of the most beautiful music from northern India; from the flatlands of Gujarat through to hills of Bengal

Philippines May 03, 2019

José Buenconsejo introduces us to the music of the Philippines

Panama Apr 26, 2019

In this week's Road Trip Betto Arcos transports us to the Festival de la Mejorana in Panama, one of the oldest traditional music festivals in Latin America.

Cartagena (Colombia) Apr 19, 2019

Betto Arcos reports from Cartagena; one of the most musically diverse cities on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. This episode comes with addictive Latin beats.

Latvia Apr 12, 2019

Infectious bagpipe dances, multipart singing and the mesmerising sound of the Latvian zither or 'kokle'. Lauma Berza is our guide through the villages of Latvia.

Slovakia Apr 05, 2019

A giant shepherd's flute, multi-part singing, and field recordings from Béla Bartok; Vladimír Potančok takes us through Slovakia's UNESCO-preserved music

Uganda Mar 22, 2019

James Isabiyre reports from Uganda, and explores musical traditions from indigenous communities before the country's political upheaval in the late 1960's

Kenya Mar 15, 2019

Traditional benga music to Afro-fusion, plus legend Ayub Ogada plays the nyatiti (Kenyan harp); broadcaster Bill Odidi reports from Nairobi in this week's road trip

Iran Mar 08, 2019

February marked the 40th anniversary of the Iranian revolution, a time of fundamental change for Iran. Women had played a significant role in the revolution but in the aftermath and the ensuing years, they saw their rights and position in society restricted. In a special episode for International Women’s Day, this week’s Music Planet Road Trip comes via Persian singer and advocate for freedom of musical expression, Mahsa Vahdat. Get ready for soaring voices and century-old archive recordings from pre-revolution Tehran as Mahsa takes us on an inspirational musical journey with the women of Iran.

Denmark Mar 01, 2019

A fierce fiddle jam in southern Denmark, tragic ballads about Nordic kings, and an old 1916 archive recording from the island of Fanø

Cyprus Feb 22, 2019

From ancient choral motets to antagonistic rhyming couplets; Nicoletta Demetriou reports from an island at the crossroads between Asia, Africa and Europe

Estonia Feb 15, 2019

Reporting from snowy Raugu, musician Mari Kalkun takes on a journey through 4000 years of Estonian music. This road trip comes complete with birdsong, bagpipes and great tunes.

South Texas Feb 08, 2019

Betto Arcos is in South Texas this week exploring the rich musical tradition of the Conjunto ensemble - music reflecting Cuban, Mexican and German influences.

Camino de Santiago Jan 04, 2019

We're off on a musical pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago or 'Way of Saint James' in northern Spain, with journalist Betto Arcos

Mexico - Narcocorrido music Dec 14, 2018

Journalist Betto Arcos reports from Mexico in this guide through the controversial and often graphic song form of Narcocorrido (drug ballad) music

North Carolina Dec 07, 2018

Old-style traditional musician Riley Baugus reports from the Blue Ridge Mountains with a banjo-fuelled, foot-stomping road trip through the Appalachians

Mali Nov 30, 2018

Producer Paul Chandler reports from Bamako, exploring the rich musical culture of Mali including interviews and music from Malian singer-songwriter Rokia Traore

Xinjiang (China) Nov 23, 2018

Ethnomusicologist Mu Qian reports on the music of the autonomous Xinjiang region, including recordings from the oasis town of Hotan to Xinjiang's first hip-hop band.

Peru Nov 09, 2018

Broadcaster Betto Arcos reports from Lima, including music from inside a traditional Peña bar, the amazing sounds of Afro-Peruvian music 'Música Criolla', Cumbia music and beyond.

Canary Islands Nov 02, 2018

This week, Lopa whizzes around Gran Canaria in a taxi and finds some beautiful island melodies, plus a surprise arrangement of Michael Jackson on tiny Canarian guitars.

Bulgaria Oct 26, 2018

Singer Eugenia Georgieva takes us on a Road Trip to Bulgaria to see how music was used to keep a sense of national identity in the face of centuries of repression, from Bulgarian traditional folk to the famous female choirs.

Listen to the world - Music Planet, Radio 3's new world music show presented by Lopa Kothari and Kathryn Tickell, brings us the best roots-based music from across the globe - with live sessions from the biggest international names and the freshest emerging talent; classic tracks and new release, and every week a bespoke Road Trip from a different corner of the globe, taking us to the heart of its music and culture. Plus special guest Mixtapes and gems from the BBC archives. Whether it's traditional Indian ragas, Malian funk, UK folk or Cuban jazz, you'll hear it on Music Planet.

Canada Oct 19, 2018

CBC's Wendy Bergfeldt takes us on a Road Trip to Cape Breton Island in Eastern Canada.

Listen to the world - Music Planet, Radio 3's new world music show presented by Lopa Kothari and Kathryn Tickell, brings us the best roots-based music from across the globe - with live sessions from the biggest international names and the freshest emerging talent; classic tracks and new releases, and every week a bespoke Road Trip from a different corner of the globe, taking us to the heart of its music and culture. Plus special guest Mixtapes and gems from the BBC archives. Whether it's traditional Indian ragas, Malian funk, UK folk or Cuban jazz, you'll hear it on Music Planet.

Turkey Oct 12, 2018

Istanbul-born singer Cigdem Aslan guides us through the Alevi music of Turkey

Paraguay Oct 05, 2018

Betto Arcos takes on a virtual musical journey to Paraguay, in which we encounter vintage Paraguayan harp recordings of Félix Pérez Cardozo, the virtuosic electric bass of Paula Rodriguez and The Recycled Orchestra of Cateura.

Greenland Sep 28, 2018

Join us for a musical journey through Greenland – taking in Inuit singing, drunken sailor shanties and the accidental discovery of the Hawaiian guitar.

Argentina Sep 21, 2018

Artist manager Allie Silver reports from the Argentine capital Buenos Aires

Mexico Sep 14, 2018

Music journalist Betto Arcos takes us on a trip to Veracruz in Mexico.

Tuva Sep 07, 2018

Guitarist and throat singer Albert Kuvezin takes us to Tuva in southern Siberia.

Senegal Sep 02, 2018

Producer and radio host Maimouna Dembélé takes us on a road trip to Senegal

UK (British Asian) Aug 24, 2018

Broadcaster Ashanti Omkar from the BBC Asian Network takes us on a Road Trip around the UK to explore British Asian music

Madagascar Aug 17, 2018

Tsapiky, Salegy and the Valiha - Odilon Ranaivoson with a Road Trip to Madagascar

Portugal Aug 10, 2018

Our Road Trip takes us to Festival Med in the South of Portugal where singer Sara Tavares was performing in June - her recommendations include some of the best in fado - from the historic recordings of Amalia Rodrigues to the contemporary sounds of Carminho - as well as local hip-hop artist Carlao who samples the funana bands of his parents' homeland of Cape Verde, an ancestry shared by Tavares herself.

Albania Aug 03, 2018

Artist and music promoter Edit Pula takes us on a road trip through Albania's rich musical heritage

Jamaica Jul 20, 2018

DJ and broadcaster Alex Jordan reports from Kingston, Jamaica for this week's Road Trip with music ranging from classic ska and rocksteady to contemporary dancehall.

Shetland Jul 13, 2018

Singer and multi-instrumentalist Inge Thomson takes us on a Road Trip to Shetland

Spain Jul 06, 2018

This week's Road Trip takes us to Spain in the company of Max Moya, a percussion player formerly with the band Ojos de Brujo.

Palestine Jun 29, 2018

British-Palestinian singer Reem Kelani explores the traditional music of Palestine from before and after 1948, including 1920s singer Thourayya Kaddoura and a field recording made at the Ein al-Hilweh refugee camp in Lebanon.

Finland Jun 22, 2018

Amanda Kauranne takes us on a road trip to Finland.

Ghana Jun 18, 2018

Rita Ray takes us on a journey through the music of Ghana

Russia Jun 08, 2018

As excitement mounts for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, for this week's Road Trip Nataliya Myazina explores the rich culture of Russian folk and roots music.

Colombia Jun 01, 2018

Luisa Pineros takes us on a Road Trip to Colombia

Belize May 25, 2018

Record producer Ivan Duran with a Road Trip to Belize

Israel May 11, 2018

This May marks 70 years since the declaration of the State of Israel, so for this week's Road Trip, the composer and oud player Yair Dalal talks to us from his home town, the ancient port city of Jaffa, about the rich and complex musical heritage of the communities within Israel.

Greece May 04, 2018

Giorgos Markakis reports from Athens for this week's Road Trip

Japan Apr 27, 2018

We take a Roadtrip to Tokyo in the company of DJ and journalist Peter Barakan - he'll be giving us a flavour of where traditional Japanese roots music meets the alternative fringe across Japan.

Rio de Janeiro Apr 20, 2018

Music journalist and author Silvio Essinger reports from Rio de Janeiro.

Norway Apr 13, 2018

Arne Berg is in Tromso in northern Norway for this week's Road Trip, reflecting both the country's mainstream roots-based music, and the songs of the Sami people.

Zimbabwe Apr 06, 2018

In this episode, as Zimbabwe emerges from its years under Robert Mugabe and Zimbabwe's exiled musicians start returning to their homeland, the singer and traditional mbira player Hope Masike introduces tracks that reflect Zimbabwe's rich heritage – and its lively present.

All aboard for a Music Planet Road Trip Apr 05, 2018

The team behind World on 3 are excited to introduce a new world music podcast, Music Planet: Road Trip. In each episode, a local expert transports us to a different part of the world, taking us in to the heart of its culture via its music. There’s no passport required; just headphones. Join us for a new episode every week.

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