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<rss xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:podcast="https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" version="2.0"><channel><title>The Gold Transmission</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-gold-transmission--7033683</link><description><![CDATA[a behind-the-scenes look at how orchestra GOLD (OG) songs are made, and the world they come from. OG blends psychedelic rock with the music and traditions of mali. this series starts with the songs: demos, grooves, and stories from the studio, tracing the path from first sketch to finished track. from there, it opens outward into the people, places, and traditions that shape the band. it’s a living series, and it will evolve as it goes. for deeper cuts, demos, and unreleased music, visit the vault at orchestragold.com. this is an open conversation. feedback is always welcome.]]></description><atom:link href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/7033683/episodes/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><language>en</language><category>Music Commentary</category><copyright>Orchestra GOLD</copyright><image><url>https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/14b01f42d7683507666a75dc394693ab.jpg</url><title>The Gold Transmission</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-gold-transmission--7033683</link></image><lastBuildDate>Wed, 26 Aug 2026 13:10:03 +0000</lastBuildDate><itunes:author>Erich Huffaker</itunes:author><itunes:owner><itunes:name>Orchestra GOLD</itunes:name><itunes:email>orchestragold@gmail.com</itunes:email></itunes:owner><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/14b01f42d7683507666a75dc394693ab.jpg"/><itunes:subtitle>a behind-the-scenes look at how orchestra GOLD (OG) songs are made, and the world they come from.
OG blends psychedelic rock with the music and traditions of mali. this series starts with the songs: demos, grooves, and stories from the studio, tracing...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[a behind-the-scenes look at how orchestra GOLD (OG) songs are made, and the world they come from. OG blends psychedelic rock with the music and traditions of mali. this series starts with the songs: demos, grooves, and stories from the studio, tracing the path from first sketch to finished track. from there, it opens outward into the people, places, and traditions that shape the band. it’s a living series, and it will evolve as it goes. for deeper cuts, demos, and unreleased music, visit the vault at orchestragold.com. this is an open conversation. feedback is always welcome.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:category text="Music"><itunes:category text="Music Commentary"/></itunes:category><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><podcast:guid>46008109-a290-5767-bed3-1271f54d139d</podcast:guid><itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type><item><title>malian music, cosmology and the word that unites w/ yacine kouyaté</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/malian-music-cosmology-and-the-word-that-unites-w-yacine-kouyate--74689121</link><description><![CDATA[if lobi traoré and zani diabaté got you leaning into malian music, this episode goes inside the marrow of it. this one is a conversation with yacine kouyaté, a dear friend, recorded in his courtyard in bamako back in 2022, originally shot for youtube and repurposed here for the podcast.<br /><br />yacine goes deep into how malians actually think about and categorize (or don't!) their own music, highlighting the importance of instrument, region, and ethnic tradition. he explains the bamana word for music and the word for speaking, and why they're the same word. he talks about the donso people, the hunters' tradition that came up in our zani diabaté episode, in much more depth here. and he walks through what he calls mali's second independence, the push to get out of the french monetary system, the roots of the tuareg crisis in gaddafi's fall in libya, and what it actually looks like to try to build something clean out of all of it.<br /><br />before the interview, erich shares some personal reflections on privilege, racial hierarchy, and why this is everyone's work, not just the work of people directly targeted by it.<br /><br />the audio is a little rough, recorded outdoors, but the information is worth it.<br /><br />want to go deeper? the vault is where we keep the good stuff. podcasts (ad-free!), demos, unreleased recordings, behind-the-scenes music and more. starts at $4 a month.<br />orchestragold.com/vault<br />.<br />and if you want to take a piece of us home, our music really comes alive on wax:<br />orchestragold.com/store]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74689121</guid><pubDate>Wed, 02 Sep 2026 12:55:02 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74689121/yacine_mali_now_remix.mp3" length="103322853" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/c022cf48-f77e-4c62-802c-1da855e5cf2b/c022cf48-f77e-4c62-802c-1da855e5cf2b.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/c022cf48-f77e-4c62-802c-1da855e5cf2b/c022cf48-f77e-4c62-802c-1da855e5cf2b.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/c022cf48-f77e-4c62-802c-1da855e5cf2b/c022cf48-f77e-4c62-802c-1da855e5cf2b.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Erich Huffaker</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>if lobi traoré and zani diabaté got you leaning into malian music, this episode goes inside the marrow of it. this one is a conversation with yacine kouyaté, a dear friend, recorded in his courtyard in bamako back in 2022, originally shot for youtube...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[if lobi traoré and zani diabaté got you leaning into malian music, this episode goes inside the marrow of it. this one is a conversation with yacine kouyaté, a dear friend, recorded in his courtyard in bamako back in 2022, originally shot for youtube and repurposed here for the podcast.<br /><br />yacine goes deep into how malians actually think about and categorize (or don't!) their own music, highlighting the importance of instrument, region, and ethnic tradition. he explains the bamana word for music and the word for speaking, and why they're the same word. he talks about the donso people, the hunters' tradition that came up in our zani diabaté episode, in much more depth here. and he walks through what he calls mali's second independence, the push to get out of the french monetary system, the roots of the tuareg crisis in gaddafi's fall in libya, and what it actually looks like to try to build something clean out of all of it.<br /><br />before the interview, erich shares some personal reflections on privilege, racial hierarchy, and why this is everyone's work, not just the work of people directly targeted by it.<br /><br />the audio is a little rough, recorded outdoors, but the information is worth it.<br /><br />want to go deeper? the vault is where we keep the good stuff. podcasts (ad-free!), demos, unreleased recordings, behind-the-scenes music and more. starts at $4 a month.<br />orchestragold.com/vault<br />.<br />and if you want to take a piece of us home, our music really comes alive on wax:<br />orchestragold.com/store]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>3229</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>african cosmology,afro-psychedelic rock,bamako mali,bambara language,donso hunters society,griot jeli culture,malian musical traditions,mali music,mande music,music and colonialism,music education,orchestra gold,psychedelic africa,salif keita,songwriting and oral tradition,west africa independence,west african music,world music podcast,yacine kouyate</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/14b01f42d7683507666a75dc394693ab.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>zani diabaté &amp; super djata band: a guitar hero and his wah pedal</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/zani-diabate-super-djata-band-a-guitar-hero-and-his-wah-pedal--73830721</link><description><![CDATA[this episode is about super djata band and zani diabaté, one of the most important guitar players you've probably never heard of, and why the through line from muddy waters to jane's addiction to bambara music is not a coincidence. zani diabaté was one of mali's most extraordinary guitarists, and few outside mali knows his name. he founded super djata band in bamako, built one of the fiercest orchestras west africa ever produced, and somewhere along the way mastered a wah pedal. <br /><br />this episode goes inside his playing. the accompaniment work that shifts behind a singer to bring out a different side of a song. the way structure in this music isn't absent, it's just different, built on repetition and vibe instead of verse and chorus, and why that reminds erich so much of jane's addiction. the delay on the vocals that shows up at malian street ceremonies and in orchestra gold both. the donso hunters' tradition running underneath all of it.<br /><br />we also get into where super djata's living legacy is today, from les héritiers, the descendants who carried zani's sound forward after he died in 2011, to bamba wassoulou groove, still touring today and built by super djata's own former conga player.<br /><br />this is the gold transmission.<br /><br />want to go deeper? the vault is where we keep the good stuff. podcasts (ad-free!), demos, unreleased recordings, behind-the-scenes music and more. starts at $4 a month.<br />orchestragold.com/vault<br />.<br />and if you want to take a piece of us home, our music really comes alive on wax:<br />orchestragold.com/store]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73830721</guid><pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 2026 12:55:03 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73830721/2026_08_11_zani_diabate_and_super_djata.mp3" length="56745481" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/c37951cb-5f0f-4c18-87d8-bfcea34634aa/c37951cb-5f0f-4c18-87d8-bfcea34634aa.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/c37951cb-5f0f-4c18-87d8-bfcea34634aa/c37951cb-5f0f-4c18-87d8-bfcea34634aa.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/c37951cb-5f0f-4c18-87d8-bfcea34634aa/c37951cb-5f0f-4c18-87d8-bfcea34634aa.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Erich Huffaker</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>this episode is about super djata band and zani diabaté, one of the most important guitar players you've probably never heard of, and why the through line from muddy waters to jane's addiction to bambara music is not a coincidence. zani diabaté was...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[this episode is about super djata band and zani diabaté, one of the most important guitar players you've probably never heard of, and why the through line from muddy waters to jane's addiction to bambara music is not a coincidence. zani diabaté was one of mali's most extraordinary guitarists, and few outside mali knows his name. he founded super djata band in bamako, built one of the fiercest orchestras west africa ever produced, and somewhere along the way mastered a wah pedal. <br /><br />this episode goes inside his playing. the accompaniment work that shifts behind a singer to bring out a different side of a song. the way structure in this music isn't absent, it's just different, built on repetition and vibe instead of verse and chorus, and why that reminds erich so much of jane's addiction. the delay on the vocals that shows up at malian street ceremonies and in orchestra gold both. the donso hunters' tradition running underneath all of it.<br /><br />we also get into where super djata's living legacy is today, from les héritiers, the descendants who carried zani's sound forward after he died in 2011, to bamba wassoulou groove, still touring today and built by super djata's own former conga player.<br /><br />this is the gold transmission.<br /><br />want to go deeper? the vault is where we keep the good stuff. podcasts (ad-free!), demos, unreleased recordings, behind-the-scenes music and more. starts at $4 a month.<br />orchestragold.com/vault<br />.<br />and if you want to take a piece of us home, our music really comes alive on wax:<br />orchestragold.com/store]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1774</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>african psychedelic,afrobeat,bambara music,cultural lineage,dave navarro,donso tradition,gold transmission,jane's addiction,mali music,music production,oakland music,orchestra gold,psychedelic rock,songwriting process,super data band,super djata,wah pedal,west african guitar,world music podcast,zani diabate</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/14b01f42d7683507666a75dc394693ab.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>recommendation: reissued - african vinyl in the 21st century, afropop worldwide</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/recommendation-reissued-african-vinyl-in-the-21st-century-afropop-worldwide--73320290</link><description><![CDATA[this is an investigative piece on the vinyl reissue market, and it might be some of the best reporting I've heard in this space. Afropop Worldwide's Morgan Greenstreet lets label owners, DJs, and artists speak for themselves, and the nuances of the story come through because of it. I've seen artists recorded in Mali who didn't get their fair shake, and this episode sits inside that complexity instead of flattening it. if you collect African vinyl, or you care about how power and colonialism show up inside the music industry, this one's worth your time.<br />●<br />⋄ original show notes ⋄ <br /><br />— from Afropop Worldwide<br /><br />The golden age of vinyl records is long past in Africa, but the market for rare and reissued African vinyl outside the continent has been growing steadily since the early 2000s. DJs and collectors have turned an obsession with rare records and forgotten gems from Cape Town to Tangiers into an international reissue and compilation industry, led by record labels such as Soundway, Strut and Analog Africa. This program explores some of the complex and shifting dynamics of neocolonialism, cultural ownership and audience in the African vinyl market. We’ll hear stories from label owners, DJs and artists, touching on controversies around Nigerian disco funk reissues, new career opportunities for sometimes-obscure African artists, the unique vinyl culture in South Africa, and much more. <br /><br />Produced by Morgan Greenstreet and Alejandro Van Zandt-Escobar, with Nenim Iwebuke.<br />APWW #749<br /><br />want to go deeper? the vault is where we keep the good stuff. podcasts (ad-free!), demos, unreleased recordings, behind-the-scenes music and more. starts at $4 a month.<br />orchestragold.com/vault<br />.<br />and if you want to take a piece of us home, our music really comes alive on wax:<br />orchestragold.com/store]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73320290</guid><pubDate>Wed, 12 Aug 2026 12:55:02 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73320290/feed_1000778075205.mp3" length="56705027" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Erich Huffaker</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>this is an investigative piece on the vinyl reissue market, and it might be some of the best reporting I've heard in this space. Afropop Worldwide's Morgan Greenstreet lets label owners, DJs, and artists speak for themselves, and the nuances of the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[this is an investigative piece on the vinyl reissue market, and it might be some of the best reporting I've heard in this space. Afropop Worldwide's Morgan Greenstreet lets label owners, DJs, and artists speak for themselves, and the nuances of the story come through because of it. I've seen artists recorded in Mali who didn't get their fair shake, and this episode sits inside that complexity instead of flattening it. if you collect African vinyl, or you care about how power and colonialism show up inside the music industry, this one's worth your time.<br />●<br />⋄ original show notes ⋄ <br /><br />— from Afropop Worldwide<br /><br />The golden age of vinyl records is long past in Africa, but the market for rare and reissued African vinyl outside the continent has been growing steadily since the early 2000s. DJs and collectors have turned an obsession with rare records and forgotten gems from Cape Town to Tangiers into an international reissue and compilation industry, led by record labels such as Soundway, Strut and Analog Africa. This program explores some of the complex and shifting dynamics of neocolonialism, cultural ownership and audience in the African vinyl market. We’ll hear stories from label owners, DJs and artists, touching on controversies around Nigerian disco funk reissues, new career opportunities for sometimes-obscure African artists, the unique vinyl culture in South Africa, and much more. <br /><br />Produced by Morgan Greenstreet and Alejandro Van Zandt-Escobar, with Nenim Iwebuke.<br />APWW #749<br /><br />want to go deeper? the vault is where we keep the good stuff. podcasts (ad-free!), demos, unreleased recordings, behind-the-scenes music and more. starts at $4 a month.<br />orchestragold.com/vault<br />.<br />and if you want to take a piece of us home, our music really comes alive on wax:<br />orchestragold.com/store]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>3545</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>african vinyl,afrobeat,afropop worldwide,analog africa,bambara,cape town music,crate digging,cultural ownership,mali music,music production,music reissues,neocolonialism,nigerian funk,psychedelic rock,record collecting,songwriting process,south africa music,vinyl culture,west african music,world music podcast</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/15e82f649bbcbbd34ec1e27f7c7a8f71.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>recommendation (erich's intro): reissued - african vinyl in the 21st century, afropop worldwide</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/recommendation-erich-s-intro-reissued-african-vinyl-in-the-21st-century-afropop-worldwide--73320075</link><description><![CDATA[this is an investigative piece on the vinyl reissue market, and it might be some of the best reporting I've heard in this space. Afropop Worldwide's Morgan Greenstreet lets label owners, DJs, and artists speak for themselves, and the nuances of the story come through because of it. I've seen artists recorded in Mali who didn't get their fair shake, and this episode sits inside that complexity instead of flattening it. if you collect African vinyl, or you care about how power and colonialism show up inside the music industry, this one's worth your time.<br /><br />http://whitepeopleblackmusic.com/<br /><br />want to go deeper? the vault is where we keep the good stuff. podcasts (ad-free!), demos, unreleased recordings, behind-the-scenes music and more. starts at $4 a month.<br />orchestragold.com/vault<br />.<br />and if you want to take a piece of us home, our music really comes alive on wax:<br />orchestragold.com/store]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73320075</guid><pubDate>Wed, 12 Aug 2026 12:55:02 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73320075/2026_08_01_vinyl_reissue_feedrop.mp3" length="9967489" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/bbb5ec95-87e2-429f-a79d-7f0d9fab5b6d/bbb5ec95-87e2-429f-a79d-7f0d9fab5b6d.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/bbb5ec95-87e2-429f-a79d-7f0d9fab5b6d/bbb5ec95-87e2-429f-a79d-7f0d9fab5b6d.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/bbb5ec95-87e2-429f-a79d-7f0d9fab5b6d/bbb5ec95-87e2-429f-a79d-7f0d9fab5b6d.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Erich Huffaker</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>this is an investigative piece on the vinyl reissue market, and it might be some of the best reporting I've heard in this space. Afropop Worldwide's Morgan Greenstreet lets label owners, DJs, and artists speak for themselves, and the nuances of the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[this is an investigative piece on the vinyl reissue market, and it might be some of the best reporting I've heard in this space. Afropop Worldwide's Morgan Greenstreet lets label owners, DJs, and artists speak for themselves, and the nuances of the story come through because of it. I've seen artists recorded in Mali who didn't get their fair shake, and this episode sits inside that complexity instead of flattening it. if you collect African vinyl, or you care about how power and colonialism show up inside the music industry, this one's worth your time.<br /><br />http://whitepeopleblackmusic.com/<br /><br />want to go deeper? the vault is where we keep the good stuff. podcasts (ad-free!), demos, unreleased recordings, behind-the-scenes music and more. starts at $4 a month.<br />orchestragold.com/vault<br />.<br />and if you want to take a piece of us home, our music really comes alive on wax:<br />orchestragold.com/store]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>312</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>african music,afrobeat,afro pop worldwide,colonialism and music,crate digging,cultural appropriation,hailu,malian artists,mali music,mergia,music ethics,music industry,music justice,orchestra gold,power dynamics,psychedelic africa,record collecting,vinyl reissue,west african music,world music podcast</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/14b01f42d7683507666a75dc394693ab.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>please don't call it desert blues: lobi traoré, life outside the genre</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/please-don-t-call-it-desert-blues-lobi-traore-life-outside-the-genre--73218697</link><description><![CDATA[lobi traoré was one of the most extraordinary guitarists mali ever produced. he called his own songs "chants orphelins, mélancoliques." orphaned, melancholic songs. he died in 2010 at 49, leaving a legacy of beautiful music that sits outside of any one genre.<br />this episode is about him. and about the album that finally captured (in my humble opinion) the beautiful complexity of what he actually sounded like.<br />bwati kono in the club, released on kanaga system krush in 2010, was recorded live in two sessions at bamako nightclubs. produced by aja salvatore, mixed and mastered by oz fritz. it's raw and fat and alive. guitar player magazine called it lobi's best album ever.<br /><br />this episode also gets into something that's been on my mind. the phrase "desert blues" and why it doesn't exist as a genre in mali. we talk about how malians actually talk about music, the lomaxes, andrew hickey, and what happens when people outside a culture decide what the music means and who it's for.<br /><br />and a personal note. it’s me trying to reconcile the very last conversation I had with Lobi back in 2008.<br />this is the gold transmission. we go behind the curtain so you can hear how the music actually gets made.<br /><br />THE ALBUM <br /><a href="https://kskrecords.bandcamp.com/album/bwati-kono" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bwati Kono — Lobi Traoré</a> — stream or buy on Bandcamp individual tracks:<br /><a href="https://kskrecords.bandcamp.com/track/makono" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Makono</a> · <a href="https://kskrecords.bandcamp.com/track/banan-ni" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Banan Ni</a> · <a href="https://kskrecords.bandcamp.com/track/jama" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jama</a> · <a href="https://kskrecords.bandcamp.com/track/mali-ba" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mali Ba</a><br />FEED DROP — THIS WEEK <br /><a href="https://500songs.com/podcast/mama-he-treats-your-daughter-mean-by-ruth-brown/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs — Episode 13</a> Andrew Hickey on the Lomaxes and what happens when white collectors shape how white audiences hear Black music. essential listening alongside this episode.<br />LOBI TRAORÉ<br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV8mQqYft29IEL_pTzGyZ7w" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lobi Traoré on YouTube</a> <a href="http://www.maliweb.net/category.php?NID=61412&amp;intr=" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Maliweb obituary — "le précurseur du bamanan blues n'est plus"</a><br />BASSEKOU KOUYATÉ<br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOjG5UMkHwANRcYkmb9BeNg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bassekou Kouyaté on YouTube</a> — the ngoni / jeli side of the ségou bambara tradition<br />MOHAMMED DIAWARA — ERICH'S TEACHER FROM SÉGOU <br />two episodes from the orchestra gold youtube channel: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keppixiL8Ow" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">episode 1</a> · <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icth60LiUrI" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">episode 2</a><br />OZ FRITZ — ENGINEER <br /><a href="https://www.ozfritz.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ozfritz.com</a><br />BAMBARA LANGUAGE <br /><a href="http://bambara.org/lexique/lexicon/main.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bambara.org lexicon</a> — reference for bambara words and spellings<br />ORCHESTRA GOLD <br /><a href="https://orchestragold.com/vault" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vault</a> · <a href="https://orchestragold.com/store" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">store</a> · <a href="https://instagram.com/orchestragold" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@orchestragold</a> · orchestragold@gmail.com<br /><br />want to go deeper? the vault is where we keep the good stuff. podcasts (ad-free!), demos, unreleased recordings, behind-the-scenes music and more. starts at $4 a month.<br />orchestragold.com/vault<br />.<br />and if you want to take a piece of us home, our music really comes alive on wax:<br />orchestragold.com/store]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73218697</guid><pubDate>Wed, 05 Aug 2026 12:55:03 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73218697/2026_07_28_lobi_traore_v2.mp3" length="52882702" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/6110f7d3-085f-49f1-bc6e-ee48dcd9bd6f/6110f7d3-085f-49f1-bc6e-ee48dcd9bd6f.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/6110f7d3-085f-49f1-bc6e-ee48dcd9bd6f/6110f7d3-085f-49f1-bc6e-ee48dcd9bd6f.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/6110f7d3-085f-49f1-bc6e-ee48dcd9bd6f/6110f7d3-085f-49f1-bc6e-ee48dcd9bd6f.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Erich Huffaker</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>lobi traoré was one of the most extraordinary guitarists mali ever produced. he called his own songs "chants orphelins, mélancoliques." orphaned, melancholic songs. he died in 2010 at 49, leaving a legacy of beautiful music that sits outside of any...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[lobi traoré was one of the most extraordinary guitarists mali ever produced. he called his own songs "chants orphelins, mélancoliques." orphaned, melancholic songs. he died in 2010 at 49, leaving a legacy of beautiful music that sits outside of any one genre.<br />this episode is about him. and about the album that finally captured (in my humble opinion) the beautiful complexity of what he actually sounded like.<br />bwati kono in the club, released on kanaga system krush in 2010, was recorded live in two sessions at bamako nightclubs. produced by aja salvatore, mixed and mastered by oz fritz. it's raw and fat and alive. guitar player magazine called it lobi's best album ever.<br /><br />this episode also gets into something that's been on my mind. the phrase "desert blues" and why it doesn't exist as a genre in mali. we talk about how malians actually talk about music, the lomaxes, andrew hickey, and what happens when people outside a culture decide what the music means and who it's for.<br /><br />and a personal note. it’s me trying to reconcile the very last conversation I had with Lobi back in 2008.<br />this is the gold transmission. we go behind the curtain so you can hear how the music actually gets made.<br /><br />THE ALBUM <br /><a href="https://kskrecords.bandcamp.com/album/bwati-kono" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bwati Kono — Lobi Traoré</a> — stream or buy on Bandcamp individual tracks:<br /><a href="https://kskrecords.bandcamp.com/track/makono" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Makono</a> · <a href="https://kskrecords.bandcamp.com/track/banan-ni" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Banan Ni</a> · <a href="https://kskrecords.bandcamp.com/track/jama" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jama</a> · <a href="https://kskrecords.bandcamp.com/track/mali-ba" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mali Ba</a><br />FEED DROP — THIS WEEK <br /><a href="https://500songs.com/podcast/mama-he-treats-your-daughter-mean-by-ruth-brown/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs — Episode 13</a> Andrew Hickey on the Lomaxes and what happens when white collectors shape how white audiences hear Black music. essential listening alongside this episode.<br />LOBI TRAORÉ<br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV8mQqYft29IEL_pTzGyZ7w" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lobi Traoré on YouTube</a> <a href="http://www.maliweb.net/category.php?NID=61412&amp;intr=" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Maliweb obituary — "le précurseur du bamanan blues n'est plus"</a><br />BASSEKOU KOUYATÉ<br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOjG5UMkHwANRcYkmb9BeNg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bassekou Kouyaté on YouTube</a> — the ngoni / jeli side of the ségou bambara tradition<br />MOHAMMED DIAWARA — ERICH'S TEACHER FROM SÉGOU <br />two episodes from the orchestra gold youtube channel: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keppixiL8Ow" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">episode 1</a> · <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icth60LiUrI" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">episode 2</a><br />OZ FRITZ — ENGINEER <br /><a href="https://www.ozfritz.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ozfritz.com</a><br />BAMBARA LANGUAGE <br /><a href="http://bambara.org/lexique/lexicon/main.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bambara.org lexicon</a> — reference for bambara words and spellings<br />ORCHESTRA GOLD <br /><a href="https://orchestragold.com/vault" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vault</a> · <a href="https://orchestragold.com/store" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">store</a> · <a href="https://instagram.com/orchestragold" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@orchestragold</a> · orchestragold@gmail.com<br /><br />want to go deeper? the vault is where we keep the good stuff. podcasts (ad-free!), demos, unreleased recordings, behind-the-scenes music and more. starts at $4 a month.<br...]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1653</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>african guitar,afrobeat,bambara music,cultural framing,desert blues,gold transmission,lobi traore,malian guitar,mali music,music history,music production,oral tradition,orchestra gold,psychedelic africa,segu,songwriting process,west africa,west african music,world music podcast</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/14b01f42d7683507666a75dc394693ab.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>maribayassa: mali folklore, doubled guitars, and the heaviest demo we ever made</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/maribayassa-mali-folklore-doubled-guitars-and-the-heaviest-demo-we-ever-made--72982552</link><description><![CDATA[maribayassa is a spirit in malian folklore with the power to grant wishes. and around that spirit there is a story.<br />this episode opens with a reflection on belonging, supremacy, and what it actually means to use privilege in service of a more inclusive world. it connects directly to what maribayassa is about at its core: responsibility, consequences, and the things we owe to each other.<br />you'll hear the previously unreleased demo, the doubled guitar and bass that gave it that heft, and the full studio version recorded on tape at guerilla studios in east oakland with engineer myles boisen.<br />this is the gold transmission. we go behind the curtain so you can hear how the music actually gets made.<br /><br /><br />REFERENCE TRACKS <br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skaBM3tUIAM" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Maribayassa — Rail Band featuring Mory Kante</a> <br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zot1aKjSUbc" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Abdoulaye Diakite — djembe album, Tambacounda, Senegal</a><br /><br />ENGINEER <br /><a href="https://mylesboisen.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Myles Boisen</a> — Guerilla Studios, East Oakland <br /><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/working-class-audio/id919266944" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Myles Boisen — Working Class Audio interview</a> <br /><br />OG <br /><a href="https://orchestragold.com/vault" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vault</a> · <a href="https://orchestragold.com/store" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">store</a> · <br /><a href="https://instagram.com/orchestragold" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@orchestragold</a> · <br />orchestragold@gmail.com<br /><br /><br />want to go deeper? the vault is where we keep the good stuff. podcasts (ad-free!), demos, unreleased recordings, behind-the-scenes music and more. starts at $4 a month.<br />orchestragold.com/vault<br />.<br />and if you want to take a piece of us home, our music really comes alive on wax:<br />orchestragold.com/store]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72982552</guid><pubDate>Wed, 22 Jul 2026 12:55:02 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72982552/2026_07_14_maribayassa.mp3" length="37067963" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/f7bd9f6d-9c9d-4d7f-875f-d1c848658452/f7bd9f6d-9c9d-4d7f-875f-d1c848658452.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/f7bd9f6d-9c9d-4d7f-875f-d1c848658452/f7bd9f6d-9c9d-4d7f-875f-d1c848658452.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/f7bd9f6d-9c9d-4d7f-875f-d1c848658452/f7bd9f6d-9c9d-4d7f-875f-d1c848658452.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Erich Huffaker</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>maribayassa is a spirit in malian folklore with the power to grant wishes. and around that spirit there is a story.
this episode opens with a reflection on belonging, supremacy, and what it actually means to use privilege in service of a more...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[maribayassa is a spirit in malian folklore with the power to grant wishes. and around that spirit there is a story.<br />this episode opens with a reflection on belonging, supremacy, and what it actually means to use privilege in service of a more inclusive world. it connects directly to what maribayassa is about at its core: responsibility, consequences, and the things we owe to each other.<br />you'll hear the previously unreleased demo, the doubled guitar and bass that gave it that heft, and the full studio version recorded on tape at guerilla studios in east oakland with engineer myles boisen.<br />this is the gold transmission. we go behind the curtain so you can hear how the music actually gets made.<br /><br /><br />REFERENCE TRACKS <br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skaBM3tUIAM" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Maribayassa — Rail Band featuring Mory Kante</a> <br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zot1aKjSUbc" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Abdoulaye Diakite — djembe album, Tambacounda, Senegal</a><br /><br />ENGINEER <br /><a href="https://mylesboisen.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Myles Boisen</a> — Guerilla Studios, East Oakland <br /><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/working-class-audio/id919266944" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Myles Boisen — Working Class Audio interview</a> <br /><br />OG <br /><a href="https://orchestragold.com/vault" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vault</a> · <a href="https://orchestragold.com/store" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">store</a> · <br /><a href="https://instagram.com/orchestragold" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@orchestragold</a> · <br />orchestragold@gmail.com<br /><br /><br />want to go deeper? the vault is where we keep the good stuff. podcasts (ad-free!), demos, unreleased recordings, behind-the-scenes music and more. starts at $4 a month.<br />orchestragold.com/vault<br />.<br />and if you want to take a piece of us home, our music really comes alive on wax:<br />orchestragold.com/store]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1159</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>african psychedelic rock,afrobeat,bambara,belonging,cosmic guitar,demo recording,gold transmission,griot,malian folklore,mali music,mariama diakite,maribayasa,mori kante,music production,oakland music,orchestra gold,psychedelic rock,songwriting process,west african music,world music podcast</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/14b01f42d7683507666a75dc394693ab.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>djama: mali meets rage against the machine, and the song that started it all</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/djama-mali-meets-rage-against-the-machine-and-the-song-that-started-it-all--72763497</link><description><![CDATA[djama means people in bambara. it's the first song orchestra gold ever finished and in many ways it's still the blueprint.<br />the guitar riff is what happens when malian folklore meets bulls on parade by rage against the machine. erich grew up on 90s guitar rock, tom morello, pantera, dave navarro, and somehow that world collided with the music of mali and became this.<br />this episode opens with a personal reflection on colorblindness, the narrative that says we shouldn't see race, and why erich has come to see that as a form of denial rather than progress. it connects directly to what djama is actually about: belonging, community, and what it means to build spaces where everyone can show up fully.<br />plus, you'll hear two iterations of the demo, the story of how the song came together in segu before mariama came to the us, and the full album version recorded at coyote hearing with luke bace engineering while simultaneously playing bass.<br /><br />this is the gold transmission. we go behind the curtain so you can hear how the music actually gets made.<br /><br />show notes links<br /><br />REFERENCE TRACKS<br />Karasho (Karamo Keita) — the malian folkloric tradition the song draws from<br />youtube.com/watch?v=fCCnRoLDFCw<br /><br />Bulls on Parade — Rage Against the Machine — the guitar riff inspiration<br />youtube.com/watch?v=3L4YrGaR8E4<br /><br />MALIAN RHYTHMS<br />N'gri — the djembe line Leila plays in the conga solo (Seydou Balo on djembe)<br />youtu.be/yRj3ZnMz4HA<br /><br />Sunu — the drum pattern in the ending donso section (Drissa Kone Quartett)<br />youtu.be/6ZZIZJeib88<br /><br />COLLABORATORS<br />Luke Bace — first bass player, engineer on this session and Dakan<br />lukebace.com<br />instagram.com/lakecube<br /><br />Orchestra GOLD:<br />• vault: orchestragold.com/vault<br />• store: orchestragold.com/store<br />• instagram: @orchestragold<br />• email: orchestragold@gmail.com<br /><br />want to go deeper? the vault is where we keep the good stuff. podcasts (ad-free!), demos, unreleased recordings, behind-the-scenes music and more. starts at $4 a month.<br />orchestragold.com/vault<br />.<br />and if you want to take a piece of us home, our music really comes alive on wax:<br />orchestragold.com/store]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72763497</guid><pubDate>Wed, 08 Jul 2026 12:55:02 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72763497/2026_06_06_djama.mp3" length="46792201" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/d2d63cb5-6244-4ae4-88a2-379291362c3f/d2d63cb5-6244-4ae4-88a2-379291362c3f.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/d2d63cb5-6244-4ae4-88a2-379291362c3f/d2d63cb5-6244-4ae4-88a2-379291362c3f.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/d2d63cb5-6244-4ae4-88a2-379291362c3f/d2d63cb5-6244-4ae4-88a2-379291362c3f.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Erich Huffaker</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>djama means people in bambara. it's the first song orchestra gold ever finished and in many ways it's still the blueprint.
the guitar riff is what happens when malian folklore meets bulls on parade by rage against the machine. erich grew up on 90s...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[djama means people in bambara. it's the first song orchestra gold ever finished and in many ways it's still the blueprint.<br />the guitar riff is what happens when malian folklore meets bulls on parade by rage against the machine. erich grew up on 90s guitar rock, tom morello, pantera, dave navarro, and somehow that world collided with the music of mali and became this.<br />this episode opens with a personal reflection on colorblindness, the narrative that says we shouldn't see race, and why erich has come to see that as a form of denial rather than progress. it connects directly to what djama is actually about: belonging, community, and what it means to build spaces where everyone can show up fully.<br />plus, you'll hear two iterations of the demo, the story of how the song came together in segu before mariama came to the us, and the full album version recorded at coyote hearing with luke bace engineering while simultaneously playing bass.<br /><br />this is the gold transmission. we go behind the curtain so you can hear how the music actually gets made.<br /><br />show notes links<br /><br />REFERENCE TRACKS<br />Karasho (Karamo Keita) — the malian folkloric tradition the song draws from<br />youtube.com/watch?v=fCCnRoLDFCw<br /><br />Bulls on Parade — Rage Against the Machine — the guitar riff inspiration<br />youtube.com/watch?v=3L4YrGaR8E4<br /><br />MALIAN RHYTHMS<br />N'gri — the djembe line Leila plays in the conga solo (Seydou Balo on djembe)<br />youtu.be/yRj3ZnMz4HA<br /><br />Sunu — the drum pattern in the ending donso section (Drissa Kone Quartett)<br />youtu.be/6ZZIZJeib88<br /><br />COLLABORATORS<br />Luke Bace — first bass player, engineer on this session and Dakan<br />lukebace.com<br />instagram.com/lakecube<br /><br />Orchestra GOLD:<br />• vault: orchestragold.com/vault<br />• store: orchestragold.com/store<br />• instagram: @orchestragold<br />• email: orchestragold@gmail.com<br /><br />want to go deeper? the vault is where we keep the good stuff. podcasts (ad-free!), demos, unreleased recordings, behind-the-scenes music and more. starts at $4 a month.<br />orchestragold.com/vault<br />.<br />and if you want to take a piece of us home, our music really comes alive on wax:<br />orchestragold.com/store]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1463</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>afrobeat,ali farka toure,bambara,belonging,colorblindness,community,donzo hunters music,electric guitar,golden era mali,mali music,mande music,music production,oakland music,orchestra gold,psychedelic rock,songwriting process,tom morello,west african music,world music podcast</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/14b01f42d7683507666a75dc394693ab.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>diyanye ko te sa: not everything you want is good for you</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/diyanye-ko-te-sa-not-everything-you-want-is-good-for-you--72541849</link><description><![CDATA[diyanye ko te sa means insatiable desires in bambara. it's the other side of the coin from diyanye ko, the first track on the album. where that one is about passion and love and community, this one is a gentle reminder: not all of your desires come from your higher self ☀<br /><br />this episode opens with a personal reflection on supremacy, who benefits from whose music, and what it means to actually live your values rather than just claim them. it's the kind of thing that doesn't always make it into a song but lives underneath all of them.<br /><br />the song itself has roots in a standard from the music of segu, mali. mariama built her own version from the ground up. the bass line and drum groove came fully formed from her head, sparked by a moment she heard erich playing guitar from across the house while she was watching a nigerian movie. the second half draws from a deep cut from the new york salsa scene of the 60s and 70s: anabacoa by grupo folklorico y experimental nuevayorquino. there's also a hard rock dimension, a real guitar solo, and a shout out to luke bacé who engineered the sessions.<br /><br /><br />mariama explains the song's message in her own words. including one of the best analogies we've heard involving ice cream. this is the gold transmission. we go behind the curtain so you can hear how the music actually gets made.<br /><br />1. anabacoa — grupo folklorico y experimental nuevayorquino<br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhbtvm72d04<br />(from the 1975 album concepts in unity on salsoul records) <br /><br />2. luke bacé — instagram<br />https://www.instagram.com/lakecube <br /><br />3. a history of music in 500 songs<br />https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-history-of-music-in-500-songs/id1437402802 <br /><br /><br /><br />want to go deeper? the vault is where we keep the good stuff. podcasts (ad-free!), demos, unreleased recordings, behind-the-scenes music and more. starts at $4 a month.<br />orchestragold.com/vault<br />.<br />and if you want to take a piece of us home, our music really comes alive on wax:<br />orchestragold.com/store]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72541849</guid><pubDate>Wed, 24 Jun 2026 12:55:02 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72541849/2026_06_15_diyanye_ko_te_sa_v3.mp3" length="57349850" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FVwzwd9En-DkXIfMlN4nhkZEOb7YAjkn4mLTkeRJRT8/edit?tab=t.0" type="text/plain" language="en"/><itunes:author>Erich Huffaker</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>diyanye ko te sa means insatiable desires in bambara. it's the other side of the coin from diyanye ko, the first track on the album. where that one is about passion and love and community, this one is a gentle reminder: not all of your desires come...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[diyanye ko te sa means insatiable desires in bambara. it's the other side of the coin from diyanye ko, the first track on the album. where that one is about passion and love and community, this one is a gentle reminder: not all of your desires come from your higher self ☀<br /><br />this episode opens with a personal reflection on supremacy, who benefits from whose music, and what it means to actually live your values rather than just claim them. it's the kind of thing that doesn't always make it into a song but lives underneath all of them.<br /><br />the song itself has roots in a standard from the music of segu, mali. mariama built her own version from the ground up. the bass line and drum groove came fully formed from her head, sparked by a moment she heard erich playing guitar from across the house while she was watching a nigerian movie. the second half draws from a deep cut from the new york salsa scene of the 60s and 70s: anabacoa by grupo folklorico y experimental nuevayorquino. there's also a hard rock dimension, a real guitar solo, and a shout out to luke bacé who engineered the sessions.<br /><br /><br />mariama explains the song's message in her own words. including one of the best analogies we've heard involving ice cream. this is the gold transmission. we go behind the curtain so you can hear how the music actually gets made.<br /><br />1. anabacoa — grupo folklorico y experimental nuevayorquino<br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhbtvm72d04<br />(from the 1975 album concepts in unity on salsoul records) <br /><br />2. luke bacé — instagram<br />https://www.instagram.com/lakecube <br /><br />3. a history of music in 500 songs<br />https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-history-of-music-in-500-songs/id1437402802 <br /><br /><br /><br />want to go deeper? the vault is where we keep the good stuff. podcasts (ad-free!), demos, unreleased recordings, behind-the-scenes music and more. starts at $4 a month.<br />orchestragold.com/vault<br />.<br />and if you want to take a piece of us home, our music really comes alive on wax:<br />orchestragold.com/store]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1793</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>african,afrobeat,bambara,dakan,demo,desires,discernment,groove,guitar,indie,mali,malian,oakland,psychedelic,roots,salsa,segu,spiritual,sufism,worldmusic</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/14b01f42d7683507666a75dc394693ab.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>baye ass n'diaye: how a sufi prayer becomes a psychedelic rock song</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/baye-ass-n-diaye-how-a-sufi-prayer-becomes-a-psychedelic-rock-song--72189718</link><description><![CDATA[baye ass n'diaye is the name of mariama's spiritual teacher in the baye fall tradition. baye fall is a mystical branch of west african sufism that centers on the direct experience of the divine over any letter of the law. this song is a praise song for him.in this episode mariama talks about what baye fall means to her and why she wanted to write a song for her teacher. then we go inside the making of the song itself.you'll hear the guitar riff that started it all, a raw 2021 recording session at santo recording studio that didn't quite nail it, and two separate demo iterations before the arrangement finally came together in 2022. the song evolved slowly over the pandemic and took years to find its final shape.this is the gold transmission. we go behind the curtain so you can hear how the stew actually gets made.<br /><br />want to go deeper? the vault is where we keep the good stuff. podcasts (ad-free!), demos, unreleased recordings, behind-the-scenes music and more. starts at $4 a month.<br />orchestragold.com/vault<br />.<br />and if you want to take a piece of us home, our music really comes alive on wax:<br />orchestragold.com/store]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72189718</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 12:55:02 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72189718/episode_4_baye_v2.mp3" length="20844922" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-4YfZjfRebN7YupkyMA4oCCLZ1EhmHS4o6AcrTQQI8M/edit?usp=sharing" type="text/plain" language="en"/><itunes:author>Erich Huffaker</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>baye ass n'diaye is the name of mariama's spiritual teacher in the baye fall tradition. baye fall is a mystical branch of west african sufism that centers on the direct experience of the divine over any letter of the law. this song is a praise song...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[baye ass n'diaye is the name of mariama's spiritual teacher in the baye fall tradition. baye fall is a mystical branch of west african sufism that centers on the direct experience of the divine over any letter of the law. this song is a praise song for him.in this episode mariama talks about what baye fall means to her and why she wanted to write a song for her teacher. then we go inside the making of the song itself.you'll hear the guitar riff that started it all, a raw 2021 recording session at santo recording studio that didn't quite nail it, and two separate demo iterations before the arrangement finally came together in 2022. the song evolved slowly over the pandemic and took years to find its final shape.this is the gold transmission. we go behind the curtain so you can hear how the stew actually gets made.<br /><br />want to go deeper? the vault is where we keep the good stuff. podcasts (ad-free!), demos, unreleased recordings, behind-the-scenes music and more. starts at $4 a month.<br />orchestragold.com/vault<br />.<br />and if you want to take a piece of us home, our music really comes alive on wax:<br />orchestragold.com/store]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1303</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>african,afrobeat,bambara,dakan,demo,devotional,groove,guitar,indie,islam,mali,malian,music,oakland,podcast,psychedelic,spiritual,sufism,transmission,world</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/14b01f42d7683507666a75dc394693ab.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>djama ko: the pandemic commission that almost never happened</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/djama-ko-the-pandemic-commission-that-almost-never-happened--72189136</link><description><![CDATA[djama ko means people in bambara, the language of mali. and this episode is dedicated to someone who helped make the song possible. in 2020, arts consultant preston justice nominated orchestra gold for a yerba buena gardens festival mini commission, a program supporting 20 bay area artists around the themes of endurance, hope and community. marcelo aviles, director of programming at ybg festival, made sure it all came together. the commission paid the players and supported the video. without them this song might have stayed on the shelf. marcelo passed earlier this year. this one is for him. in this episode you'll hear the guitar lick inspired by norman greenbaum's spirit in the sky, the home studio demo recorded entirely during the pandemic, mariama talking about what djama ko really means, and a studio version featuring martin perna of antibalas on flute and kevin goldberg on bass. this is the gold transmission. we go behind the curtain so you can hear how the music actually gets made.<br />9poFEyrocff4P25xeEHW<br /><br />want to go deeper? the vault is where we keep the good stuff. podcasts (ad-free!), demos, unreleased recordings, behind-the-scenes music and more. starts at $4 a month.<br />orchestragold.com/vault<br />.<br />and if you want to take a piece of us home, our music really comes alive on wax:<br />orchestragold.com/store]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">thegoldtransmission.podbean.com/8405f432-b422-3619-b703-c0249f4d014f</guid><pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2026 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72189136/episode_3_djama_ko6uham.mp3" length="62963460" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/qgvnhgxiu9fj9rqt/04fab785-1baf-3312-a8fd-dc9a6586dec1.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><itunes:author>Erich Huffaker</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>djama ko means people in bambara, the language of mali. and this episode is dedicated to someone who helped make the song possible. in 2020, arts consultant preston justice nominated orchestra gold for a yerba buena gardens festival mini commission, a...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[djama ko means people in bambara, the language of mali. and this episode is dedicated to someone who helped make the song possible. in 2020, arts consultant preston justice nominated orchestra gold for a yerba buena gardens festival mini commission, a program supporting 20 bay area artists around the themes of endurance, hope and community. marcelo aviles, director of programming at ybg festival, made sure it all came together. the commission paid the players and supported the video. without them this song might have stayed on the shelf. marcelo passed earlier this year. this one is for him. in this episode you'll hear the guitar lick inspired by norman greenbaum's spirit in the sky, the home studio demo recorded entirely during the pandemic, mariama talking about what djama ko really means, and a studio version featuring martin perna of antibalas on flute and kevin goldberg on bass. this is the gold transmission. we go behind the curtain so you can hear how the music actually gets made.<br />9poFEyrocff4P25xeEHW<br /><br />want to go deeper? the vault is where we keep the good stuff. podcasts (ad-free!), demos, unreleased recordings, behind-the-scenes music and more. starts at $4 a month.<br />orchestragold.com/vault<br />.<br />and if you want to take a piece of us home, our music really comes alive on wax:<br />orchestragold.com/store]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1575</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/14b01f42d7683507666a75dc394693ab.jpg"/><itunes:episode>4</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>nema:  a 1960s mali orchestra, a love song and a word with no english translation</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/nema-a-1960s-mali-orchestra-a-love-song-and-a-word-with-no-english-translation--72009970</link><description><![CDATA[nema is a word in bambara that doesn't translate directly into english. it means something like freshness, the feeling after rain, the warmth of having someone you love next to you. mariama says love and nema work together but they're not the same thing. english doesn't quite have it. in this episode mariama explains what nema means and why it became a love song. then we go inside the making of it. the song was inspired by a track called tasi doni by super biton de segou, one of the great malian orchestras of the 1960s and 1970s. erich has had the privilege of meeting some of the members on visits back to segou. the vibe of that track, not any specific element, became the seed of nema. you'll hear the initial guitar loop, a lead guitar part that got so hot it ended up becoming the horn lines, and the full demo before the album version. this is the gold transmission. we go behind the curtain so you can hear how the music actually gets made.<br /><br />want to go deeper? the vault is where we keep the good stuff. podcasts (ad-free!), demos, unreleased recordings, behind-the-scenes music and more. starts at $4 a month.<br />orchestragold.com/vault<br />.<br />and if you want to take a piece of us home, our music really comes alive on wax:<br />orchestragold.com/store]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">thegoldtransmission.podbean.com/ae3d614e-6111-3655-8084-b9843df1459a</guid><pubDate>Wed, 13 May 2026 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72009970/episode_2_nema79xey.mp3" length="50800848" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/giu62jgfyp36rhav/0f1495aa-1074-3d68-a431-8f81ee7cce7a.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><itunes:author>Erich Huffaker</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>nema is a word in bambara that doesn't translate directly into english. it means something like freshness, the feeling after rain, the warmth of having someone you love next to you. mariama says love and nema work together but they're not the same...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[nema is a word in bambara that doesn't translate directly into english. it means something like freshness, the feeling after rain, the warmth of having someone you love next to you. mariama says love and nema work together but they're not the same thing. english doesn't quite have it. in this episode mariama explains what nema means and why it became a love song. then we go inside the making of it. the song was inspired by a track called tasi doni by super biton de segou, one of the great malian orchestras of the 1960s and 1970s. erich has had the privilege of meeting some of the members on visits back to segou. the vibe of that track, not any specific element, became the seed of nema. you'll hear the initial guitar loop, a lead guitar part that got so hot it ended up becoming the horn lines, and the full demo before the album version. this is the gold transmission. we go behind the curtain so you can hear how the music actually gets made.<br /><br />want to go deeper? the vault is where we keep the good stuff. podcasts (ad-free!), demos, unreleased recordings, behind-the-scenes music and more. starts at $4 a month.<br />orchestragold.com/vault<br />.<br />and if you want to take a piece of us home, our music really comes alive on wax:<br />orchestragold.com/store]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1270</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/14b01f42d7683507666a75dc394693ab.jpg"/><itunes:episode>3</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>dakan, a song about destiny</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/dakan-a-song-about-destiny--72009972</link><description><![CDATA[dakan means destiny in bambara, the language of mali. it's also the title of one of our favorite tracks on the new record. in this episode we go inside the song. you'll hear the guitar lick that started it all, the drum groove we borrowed from rail band's classic track nanthan, and the full demo version before it became what you hear on the album. mariama also sits down with us to talk about what dakan means to her. how destiny shows up in the big things and the small ones. singing, dancing, sewing clothes, braiding hair, coming to america. all of it woven together. we also give a shout out to sergio rios, who mixed the record and brought something really special to mariama's vocals. this is the gold transmission. we go behind the curtain so you can hear how the music actually gets made.<br /><br />want to go deeper? the vault is where we keep the good stuff. podcasts (ad-free!), demos, unreleased recordings, behind-the-scenes music and more. starts at $4 a month.<br />orchestragold.com/vault<br />.<br />and if you want to take a piece of us home, our music really comes alive on wax:<br />orchestragold.com/store]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">thegoldtransmission.podbean.com/2f7ea9fe-11a9-3993-addb-5ed07456f797</guid><pubDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:44:00 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72009972/episode_1_dakan_v38qt2e.mp3" length="71871215" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/vg8zj2t6wsqz6g4y/1c55dcb5-9bbf-3ba1-a79d-50307333d8c5.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><itunes:author>Erich Huffaker</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>dakan means destiny in bambara, the language of mali. it's also the title of one of our favorite tracks on the new record. in this episode we go inside the song. you'll hear the guitar lick that started it all, the drum groove we borrowed from rail...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[dakan means destiny in bambara, the language of mali. it's also the title of one of our favorite tracks on the new record. in this episode we go inside the song. you'll hear the guitar lick that started it all, the drum groove we borrowed from rail band's classic track nanthan, and the full demo version before it became what you hear on the album. mariama also sits down with us to talk about what dakan means to her. how destiny shows up in the big things and the small ones. singing, dancing, sewing clothes, braiding hair, coming to america. all of it woven together. we also give a shout out to sergio rios, who mixed the record and brought something really special to mariama's vocals. this is the gold transmission. we go behind the curtain so you can hear how the music actually gets made.<br /><br />want to go deeper? the vault is where we keep the good stuff. podcasts (ad-free!), demos, unreleased recordings, behind-the-scenes music and more. starts at $4 a month.<br />orchestragold.com/vault<br />.<br />and if you want to take a piece of us home, our music really comes alive on wax:<br />orchestragold.com/store]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1797</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/14b01f42d7683507666a75dc394693ab.jpg"/><itunes:episode>2</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>introducing the gold transmission</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/introducing-the-gold-transmission--72009973</link><description><![CDATA[we don't entirely know what this podcast is yet. we know where it's starting. we just don't know where it's going. that's the honest intro to the gold transmission, a new podcast from orchestra gold where we take you behind the curtain. the songs, the demos, the stories, the stuff that never makes it out of the studio. orchestra gold is a band co-founded by erich huffaker and mariama diakite, a singer and artist originally from mali, west africa. together we make psychedelic rock rooted in the music and traditions of mali. this podcast is our attempt to share more of that world with you. we're starting with the songs. after that, who knows.<br /><br />want to go deeper? the vault is where we keep the good stuff. podcasts (ad-free!), demos, unreleased recordings, behind-the-scenes music and more. starts at $4 a month.<br />orchestragold.com/vault<br />.<br />and if you want to take a piece of us home, our music really comes alive on wax:<br />orchestragold.com/store]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">thegoldtransmission.podbean.com/3e6d86ca-1773-34b7-9e45-c0c54404e165</guid><pubDate>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 16:37:08 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72009973/episode_0_introducing_the_gold_transmissiona593f.mp3" length="6592260" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/eshitgkmzyifbjpu/18aca661-b08b-304c-8391-d68239987534.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><itunes:author>Erich Huffaker</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>we don't entirely know what this podcast is yet. we know where it's starting. we just don't know where it's going. that's the honest intro to the gold transmission, a new podcast from orchestra gold where we take you behind the curtain. the songs, the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[we don't entirely know what this podcast is yet. we know where it's starting. we just don't know where it's going. that's the honest intro to the gold transmission, a new podcast from orchestra gold where we take you behind the curtain. the songs, the demos, the stories, the stuff that never makes it out of the studio. orchestra gold is a band co-founded by erich huffaker and mariama diakite, a singer and artist originally from mali, west africa. together we make psychedelic rock rooted in the music and traditions of mali. this podcast is our attempt to share more of that world with you. we're starting with the songs. after that, who knows.<br /><br />want to go deeper? the vault is where we keep the good stuff. podcasts (ad-free!), demos, unreleased recordings, behind-the-scenes music and more. starts at $4 a month.<br />orchestragold.com/vault<br />.<br />and if you want to take a piece of us home, our music really comes alive on wax:<br />orchestragold.com/store]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>165</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/14b01f42d7683507666a75dc394693ab.jpg"/><itunes:episode>1</itunes:episode><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item></channel></rss>
