Rough Sundays

While the past six days have been chaotic, violent and - at times - terrifying, yesterday saw thousands of residents of all shape, color and culture cleaning up what was burnt, looted and/or destroyed. And with that, a celebration of the country of South Africa — famously infamous if all you unfairly base your version on is what happened 30 years ago. But it's a handful of tracks, a few stories and even our favorite guide Lerato taking us to another spot in Soweto where an upbeat-yet-secretly-about-apartheid song was penned. Plus much more. Make coffee. Hit play. Sit back. And enjoy yet another episode from the magic of South Africa. 

Our second show from Joburg, South Africa and a star-studded one. No really. Famed travel writer Farirai Sanyika joins us to teach the proper way to pronounce those "Zulu clicks", tour guide Lerato takes us to the bottom of a mine where one of the world's most famous songs was composed (and later stolen), not to mention the Mahotella Queens, Elite Swingsters, Dolly Rathebe and a penny-whistle'r who would have been world famous if not for Bob Dylan... plus a whole lot more. So pour a big cup of coffee. Sit way back. And welcome to South Africa. 

Our first show from Africa — South Africa, to be exact — and what an incredible place to be. So incredible, that we've made THE FIRST SHOW FROM AFRICA YOU GUYS an entirely South African one. From the voices you know via Paul Simon to two songs dedicated to the neighborhood not far from me here in Johannesburg, to the bad girl of Afropop, some Pata Pata and even a track by Mama Africa herself. And while this show* was formed on moving slowly, this week it might make you do the exact opposite. Pour coffee. Hit play. And welcome to South Africa!  *Recorded in Africa, btw. 

The final show from Istanbul before a BIG NEW ADVENTURE and it's the Roughest Rough Sundays in a long while — much in part to a going-away party that ended in a near-scuffle with the police. Recorded in bed, we've got the Godfather of Rap and a story that can't be told, 22+1 skiddos, the Queen of Gospel, songs about wine and we dive back into the book Midnight at the Pera Palace for one final track from a 1930s Istanbul... plus a lot more that I've probably forgotten about. Oh yeah, a nice song heard here on the ferry from Asia to Europe and some sounds from the fish market.  Rough Sundays Vol. XXI - final show from Istanbul. Make coffee. Press play. Be happy-ish. And subscribe in Spotify.   

If it's music that'll make you pop out of bed, you've come to the wrong show. But if it's an easy, lazy Sunday morning mood you're after CONGRATULATIONS - you chose wisely. From the women who invented rock n' roll to one of the world's most-talented choirs, to France's most controversial export and ugly kids, plus how Easy-E got away with stealing one of soul's most catchy hooks. And we end it all with the sounds from a mystic Islamic sect here in Istanbul. Make coffee. Hit play. Move slowly. 

A moody, overcast and grey morning here in Istanbul sets the scene for a fantastic show — despite the hungover host's attempts. From Zamrock to Dinah Washington, a passage from a book that leads to the first recorded Turkish Tango, plus blind boys, some old school Jimmy Hughes and a conversation with my barber that leads to the most sampled track in musical history. It's Rough Sundays, okay great! 

Back from a week away and Good God! do we have some goodness to play you this week. From Louis Armstrong's questionable employment pre-trumpet to a Jesus-based funk album, to Django and his brother (plus story of the fire in his Romani camp), as well as a journey back to 1993, when an CD appeared at the mall in Tulsa, Oklahoma and ended up taking 4 teenagers' heads off... plus much more. Grab coffee. Press play. You know the drill. It's Rough Sundays! (Subscribe in Spotify) 

Probably the most upbeat show to date and rightfully so. We kick it off with some New Orleans goodness and then a roller-coaster of Partons and Wilsons, Cannonball and Dizzy, plus much, much more. Recorded in Istanbul and heard ALL AROUND the world - it's Rough Sundays!

All over the place in the most wonderful of ways, it's your totally favorite Sunday morning wake-me-up! We cover a James Brown cover, one of Little Britain's most powerful women, the magic of Michel Gondry and how he + Mos Def helped introduce a younger generation to the great Fats Waller, not to mention some Marion Williams goodness, some stories from life back in New York (and Shanghai), your (and our) new obsession doing her "organic moonshine roots music" ... and, most importantly, an update on last week's guest, Ben.  Make a cup of coffee (make it big, host Aric S. Queen is quite chatty this week, sit back, hit play and start your Sunday off in the most wonderful of ways. 

This is Ben. Ben is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, but now lives as a refugee with his wife and 3 children in South Africa. They're about to be evicted. And we want to pay his rent — a bit of an abrupt way to start the show, sure, but it's important that you know that above anything else. In the weeks we spent putting this show about Congolese music together, he was also being unlawfully kicked out of his apartment. This was a story host Aric S. Queen read from a friend of his on Facebook and so the idea was had to bring Ben - a musician himself - on to talk about old 1960s, 70s and 80s music from the D.R.C... and that's all we told him. But what we want to do, as stated, was raise enough so that Ben and his family can have a month or two to breathe. But don't be fooled into thinking that the setting for this show is the mood of this show - it's anything but! So grab your coffee, sit back, listen to the world's nicest guy (and the greatest laugh) teach us about Sunday morning music from o

If you think something like a three-week lockdown + police helicopters flying overhead in the background is going to keep all of us here at Rough Sundays from getting you your totally favorite podcast of all time, then think again! From a 1957 Newport Jazz Festival track to finding out why Sarah Vaughn isn't mentioned with the greats, to Ethiopian jazz from the 1970s, Count Basie doing his thing, some New England love - brought to you by RacePointSeltzer and even some 90s hip-hop... plus much more.  Make coffee. Hit play. Sit back. And start your Sunday off the 99.3% correct way. 

From a rainy and quiet Istanbul, it's the show scientifically designed to last the EXACT amount of time for you to have a cup of coffee, as well as getting you up and slowly moving on a Sunday morning. This week is just that, featuring 3 Mississippi Mamas, the 17-year-old who got his start with Coltrane (only to be gunned down in a club by his wife), as well as the Ethiopian Elvis, a conversation about whatever happened to Bill Withers plus the Queen of Disco. It's Rough Sundays! All you have to do is hit "play" ... and then talk about this show to like, everyone.

From a locked-down + Ramadan-ing Istanbul, it is PURE SUNDAY GOODNESS in aural form—featuring two old school gospel tracks, Ella + Ray, doo-wop and a new selection of old New England tracks brought to you by Race Point Seltzer. Plus much, much more. Click play, make coffee and enjoy your Sunday how they're supposed to be. 

From the greatest hotel in the world — the Grand Londres in Istanbul, it's 28 minutes guaranteed to wake up and get you moving in the most delicious of ways: gospel, funk, soul, more gospel, some Motown and a brand new section of New England tracks brought to you by Race Point Seltzer.  Make coffee. Click play. Clap your hands. And subscribe in Spotify! 

Despite occasionally veering off into doo-wop, hip-hop, surf rock and more, the basis of this show will always be old gospel tracks, so to celebrate Easter, we revisit those roots with nearly an hour of 80% live gospel music from way back, as well as a story (plus recordings) of being in the First African Baptist Church in Savannah a few years back for Easter. So put on the coffee. A big hat and handkerchief.  Because we taking you to church this Sunday. 

Our last show from Macedonia and our second-to-last show from the Balkans and it's probably the best one so far. We get back to our gospel roots with two old-time tracks, then go to Haiti for some feel-goodness, then to Mama Soul and a discussion as to if she was the greatest backup singer of all-time, a few other surprises and - most importantly - what will become (or already is) your Spring/Summer 2021 song.  All that and more! Hit play! And hooray for Rough Sundays! 

This week's episode shocks listeners by being both recorded in North Macedonia, but having absolutely nothing to do with North Macedonia! And that's not all. We start with a Donny Hathaway live track, move back-and-forth from gospel to New Orleans, back to Motown, some teenage Sam Cooke and then an absolute banger to get you moving... plus an accidental tea recipe.  It's Rough Sundays! Hit play and be joyous. 

The third and final show from Kosovo, featuring Voodoo priests, better covers of a famous track, some proper old-time gospel, Nigerian High Life music and a discussion about the newest film "The United States vs. Billie Holiday"... plus a lot more. Make coffee. Click "play". Be happy. 

Bit of a deviation from our normal show format, but well worth it. Five years ago, while host Aric S. Queen was living on his sailboat in the Bahamas, he and his editor Sun produced a pilot for an investigative NPR-like travel show called "Journey Cakes". In the first episode, he sailed around nearly all of the country's islands trying to track down the history, secrets, darkness and mystery of its national snack "Johnny Bread". 

The second show from Kosovo and probably the best podcast you've ever heard from Kosovo with the name "Rough Sundays". This week, we dive back into some old Cuban classics, Mr. and Mrs. Candi Staton, songs about crawfish and the Bahamas + stories about crawfish and the Bahamas, plus we pay tribute to a reggae legend we lost this week. AND we have fun. So sit back, sip that coffee, ignore the kids, pretend you haven't been sitting in that same chair for over a year and let us handle 33.28 minutes of your Rough Sunday(s).