Global Hit

Before we go to today’s Global Hit, a quick follow up on yesterday’s: Buika from Spain as we told you were nominated for best album at this year’s Latin Grammys. And though we love Buika’s music, she didn’t get the award last night.

That prize, along with several other awards, went to Colombian rocker Juanes. Here’s Juanes’ award winning song “Me Enamora” from his award winning album “La vida es un Ratico…” life is but a moment.
Latin Grammy Award Winners
And though Buika didn’t win, she told us she was just overwhelmed even to be nominated. After all, three years ago, she was singing part time in a Spanish jazz club.

�I was working for fifty dollars every weekend, and it was really fun, it was the jazz world, and now we are here, it’s like crazy. I don’t know (LAUGHS), I don’t know. Sometimes I open my eyes and for a moment, I think I have to go back to the club.�

Spanish vocalist Buika there. And we’ve got the full list of Latin Grammy winners at the world dot org. Now, we began this week with the sad news of South African singer Miriam Makeba’s passing.

She was crucial in bringing sounds from out there, in here, in the early 60s, a time when American folk music sounded exotic to a lot of people.

In the decades since then, others have taken what Makeba started and delivered different but equally compelling music to these shores.

Younger artists like Youssou N’dour from Senegal, Manu Chao from Spain, and Colombian pop sensation Shakira.

We’re going to introduce you today to a woman who is of Makeba’s generation: 68 year old Calypso Rose from Tobago.

That’s “Back to Africa,” from Calypso Rose’s just released self-titled album. She was actually friends with Miriam Makeba.

Calypso Rose did with Caribbean sounds what Makeba did with South African township sounds: make them more widely accessible.

You’re going to be hearing more about Calypso Rose in the coming months on our show.

She’s got a new album coming out next year.

But we’re going to leave you this week with a taste of Calypso Rose a song she recently covered and we dedicate it to the memory of Miriam Makeba.