WBCR-LP 97.7FM, Great Barrington Community Radio
Celebrate Berkshares July 15th from 1:00 to 5:00 at Searles Castle with Bill McKibben.
Berkshares is projecting that 1,000,000 Berkshares will be in circulation by July and has planned a great celebration for July 15th, from 1 to 5 on the lawn at Searles Castle in Great Barrington. Bill McKibben, noted author and environmentalist will speak, and local musicians will perform.
The Berkshire Community Radio Alliance is a co-sponsor of the event. Drop by the WBCR Table and say hello. We proudly take Berkshares!
For more information go to http://www.berkshares.org
→ Posted on Thu. July 5th, 2007 by biotic.
Please join us in remembering the life of the late Rev. Esther Dozier. WBCR will broadcast the funeral service from June 18, 2007, The program was recorded by community-access cable, CTSB-TV as a community service, and is approximately two hours, thirty-five minutes in length.
You can hear it Sunday, June 24 at 9am and Monday, June 25 at 7pm. Our thanks to CTSB-TV for providing the audio portion of their broadcast.
→ Posted on Thu. June 21st, 2007 by biotic.
Jeremy Yudkin, Professor of musicology at Boston University and Visiting Professor of Music at Oxford University will appear on WBCR’s Can You Feel It, Friday June 15 from 8-9pm. Jeremy teaches a course at BU called “Music of the Beatles”. The course covers all 208 of their officially released songs in chronological order, analyzing the music itself and the social and cultural history of the times.
Jeremy’s appearance on WBCR will be in conjunction with the upcoming Beatles event at the Lenox Library on June 24th. During a 2pm symposium music experts will offer their insights and there will be open discussion of the music of the Beatles in the Lenox Library. There will also be a 7 pm concert of Beatles covers at the Lenox High School.
Jeremy also teaches medieval music, jazz, Beethoven, and popular music. He is the author of seven books, including the most recent The Lenox School of Jazz (2006) and Understanding Music (2007).
→ Posted on Tue. June 12th, 2007 by biotic.
After important feedback from our members, the community and our listenership, the WBCR-LP Programming Committee voted to air DN! weekdays at 5:30 pm instead of 11:00 am, beginning June 1. This move will allow more Berkshire County listeners to hear one of the most important journalists in America today, Amy Goodman.
Democracy Now! is a national, daily, independent, award-winning news program airing on over 450 stations in North America. Pioneering the largest public media collaboration in the U.S., Democracy Now! is broadcast on Pacifica, NPR, community, and college radio stations. Currently, WBCR-LP is the only station in the Berkshires that carries Democracy Now!
Democracy Now!’s War and Peace Report provides listeners with access to people and perspectives rarely heard in the U.S. corporate-sponsored media. The program includes independent and international journalists, ordinary people from around the world who are directly affected by U.S. foreign policy, grassroots leaders and peace activists, artists, academics and independent analysts.
WBCR-LP is a member-driven, all volunteer, community radio station. There is no paid staff and programming decisions are made by a Programming Committee that consists of interested members of the Berkshire Community Radio Alliance (BCRA). Participation in the Committee’s deliberations is open to any member of BCRA.
WBCR-LP 97.7 FM offers any Berkshire County resident access to the local airwaves. Community members are invited to join the station and produce radio programming after training in the station’s Great Barrington studio.
→ Posted on Thu. May 17th, 2007 by biotic.
Robert Pelliciotti will have the candidates for Selectmen on his radio show, Town Hall 101, on Tuesday, May 1 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on WBCR-LP 97.7 FM. Five people seek election to the two available seats—incumbent Margaret Beckwith and challengers Alan Inglis, Richard Coons, Bill Tyer, and Patrick Long.
→ Posted on Sun. April 29th, 2007 by biotic.
There will be a WBCR-LP General Membership Meeting Wednesday May 2 at 6:30 pm at the Granary Building (the old COOP space) at the end of Rossetter St. in Great Barrington. Topping the agenda will be a presentation about moving the studios of WBCR-LP to the space formerly occupied by the COOP. Also on the agenda is a discussion of the upcoming programmer/volunteer initiative, and the September elections for Board of Director seats.
Any other items or concerns of the membership can also be discussed.
→ Posted on Sat. April 21st, 2007 by biotic.
Three Board members’ terms will expire in September. Members will be asked to vote on candidates to fill these terms at BCRA’s annual meeting in September. The nominating committee is looking for members interested in developing a slate of candidates, as well as those interested in joining the WBCR-LP Board of Directors.
If you are interested in participating or being a candidate, please contact the chair of the nominating committee using the email address posted on the Nominating committee page. The review process will begin in May.
Candidate requirements include current BCRA membership; attendance of least two regularly scheduled board meetings in the 12 months prior to the annual meeting; endorsement of BCRA’s mission and the values that it represents; commitment of 10-15 hours of work per month for the BCRA board; the ability to communicate, listen and work toward group consensus in a way that is respectful of others.
→ Posted on Thu. April 19th, 2007 by biotic.
This Friday, March 23rd, The Splatto Festival welcomes singer and fiddler Elana James and the Continental Two playing live in the studio at 3PM before their gig at Helsinki that night. James, formerly of The Hot Club of Cowtown and Bob Dylan’s band, touring to support her brand new solo disk, will be joined by bassist Beau Sample and guitarist Whit Smith. Willie Nelson says “A beautiful voice, a fantastic musician, with the heart and soul of an angel.”
Splatto Festival host Paul says “the studio will be swingin’ like a pendulum do.” Tune in!
→ Posted on Sat. March 17th, 2007 by biotic.
Starting Monday, November 24th Democracy Now! will be moving to 5pm. Free Speech Radio News will be aired at 6pm as soon as the technical issues that the program is currently experiencing are resolved. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and are hoping that it will better serve our listeners by providing up-to-date news coverage from two independent news programs. This schedule change will correct many of the problems we have been having that result in out of date programs being aired. Hate it? Love it? Send us your thoughts here.
→ Posted on Wed. November 19th, 2008 by atimpane.
Laura Love will once again grace the WBCR-LP 97.7 studios. Three years ago, she sang that beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace that is on our Live at WBCR Volume 1 CD. In the Spirit of Play meets Live Earnest Hour this Sunday 11/23 at 4 p.m. when the very talented singer/songwriter electric bass player Laura Love and her accompanist country-blues guitarist, Orville Johnson join us live in our new home. Laura will be appearing that night at Club Helsinki.
→ Posted on Wed. November 19th, 2008 by biotic.
Some of you may have heard, this has been in the works for a while and now its official. Drum roll, please… A WBCR dream ever since we knew we’d be moving into our new home, Live Broadcast Events from Mixed Company Theatre upstairs, is coming true!!!
On Sunday December 7th, 5 p.m. Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams will lend their wildly musical, heartful, community-building energy to our station in our first of many more to come live events with a audience. Also, this is going to be a Live Radio Show, with yours truly as “moderator” - kind of like we’re in the studio, but in the theatre instead.
And, another drum roll… because we know we’re going to sell this out fast and its a fundraiser -the theatre only holds 60 - the Circus has agreed to do a second show, which will not be broadcast, but is guaranteed to be a great party, at 7:15 that same night.
We are definitely selling out these shows!!! Please email or call me (413) 528-5732 asap if you want a ticket(s), $20 each and for which show. You are even allowed to come to both, if you want. Did I mention this is a FUNdraiser?!?
The good news is that everyone will be able to hear the 5 p.m. show – because, yeah kids, its gonna be on the radio,
97.7 FM, streaming at http://www.berkshireradio.org !!!
→ Posted on Tue. November 18th, 2008 by atimpane.
WBCR-lp will air Democracy Now! live election coverage from 6:30pm-Midnight on Election Day. Through out the evening regular updates on local elections will be provided as well.
→ Posted on Sun. November 2nd, 2008 by atimpane.
Submit your program idea by December 1st to the Programming Committee for the Feb-June term. You can do that by clicking here or by downloading the application. Questions can be sent to . We accept program applications for one time and other special events at any time just fill out an application and send it in!
→ Posted on Thu. October 23rd, 2008 by atimpane.
Having allowed sufficient time for receipt of absentee ballots, the membership has decided to approve affiliation with the Pacifica Radio Network by a vote of 23 to 7.
→ Posted on Fri. September 26th, 2008 by wtolopf.
The last Fund Drive of 2008 is scheduled for October 11th through October 17th. As per usual, there will be all sorts of fun and excitment throughout the week. You never know who is going to pop up on the air. Plus, there is always the excitement of making daily and weekly goals.
A WBCR Fund Drive is anything but dull.
→ Posted on Tue. September 23rd, 2008 by biotic.
This next month is chock full of great guests on In the Spirit of Play. Please tune in!
Friday, 10/3 3-4 – Dar Williams, wonderful singer-songwriter at the Mahaiwe that night (thanks to Paul Rapp for sharing Splatto Fest once again!!!)
→ Posted on Wed. September 3rd, 2008 by atimpane.
BCRA’s annual membership meeting will be held Sunday, September 14, at 4:00 PM, at Friends Meeting House on Rt. 23. There will be a report from the board of directors, reports from active committees, and votes on candidates for the board of directors and a resolution for the station to become a member of the Pacifica Radio organization. Absentee ballots will be available this week online and at the station as well as emailed to the membership listserv.
→ Posted on Sun. August 31st, 2008 by paulrapp.
We are settling in to our BEAUTIFUL new studios in The Granary Building. We’re working on plans for a big ol’ community open house, so stay tuned!
→ Posted on Thu. August 28th, 2008 by paulrapp.
That’s right. WBCR-LP, the little station that can, is moving to our new digs this week.
The station is moving from its original location below the Pink Cloud Gallery on Main Street to the Granary Building, the former home of the Berkshire Co-Op Market on Rosseter Street. The move is being carried out by volunteers, and is expected to take a week. If you want to join us in the move, drop on by the station, either at the Pink Cloud or at the new digs. There will be activity all week.
The station will not be silent. Until the move is completed, we are running our giant “I-pod in the sky”. 97.7 FM will feature a random mix selected from some 11,000 tracks stored on our trusty automation computer. Also, Democracy Now! will continue as scheduled throughout the move. Many of our programs will run as recorded features, as well.
The return of the station’s usual live broadcasts is expected by July 28.
→ Posted on Tue. July 22nd, 2008 by biotic.
CONGRATULATIONS to the winners of the WBCR raffle for Falcon Ridge Festival 4-day passes:
Dave Simmons
Rick White
Kimberly Olsen
Leslie Gabriel
Isaac Bingham
Thanks so much to our winners for supporting WBCR, and thanks to all our supporters who contributed during our recent fund drive!
→ Posted on Thu. June 26th, 2008 by wbcr-web.
This coming Sunday, June 29, at 2 pm on WBCR, Across the Borderline with Phil Johnson will feature a multiplicity of noise and sound, and an interview with Tom Roe, program director of free103point9.
Free103point9 is a nonprofit arts organization that cultivates the transmission arts and promotes artists who explore transmission mediums for creative expression. They curate the week-long Noise Festival that the Ontological-Hysteric Incubator presents each year at St. Mark’s Church in the east village of Manhattan. They are co-presenting the Off the Grid event that features contemporary works that challenge conventional and commercial infrastructures, now showing at the Neuberger Museum of Art at SUNY Purchase College. Free103point9 is also producing the Radio Action III program for RWM, a radio-phonic project on the Barcelona Contemporary Museum of Art web site that explores the possibilities of the internet and radio as spaces of synthesis and exhibition.
And locally Tom Roe is DJ and presenter in the Port of City of Hudson Summer Concert Series, offering a range of music and sound for the community that runs through the summer to September.
To get an idea of the array of activities free103point9 is involved in, you can go to their web site: free103point9.org.
And listen this Sunday at 2 pm to Across the Borderline with Phil Johnson.
→ Posted on Tue. June 24th, 2008 by paulrapp.
Thanks to everybody who gave, volunteered, or just listened during the fund drive. We raised over $17,000, which insures our move to the new studios in July!
The cowbell was won by the Anti-Capitalist Cowbell Collective with a combined pledge of $500. And here it is, with a bonus official Buck Dharma guitar pick!!!!!
→ Posted on Tue. June 24th, 2008 by paulrapp.
Jeanne Bassis and In the Spirit of Play takes a leap and invites you to help spread the word and tune in! The legendary singer Judy Collins will be on-the-air doing a phone-in interview with Jeanne this coming Friday, 5/30 4 p.m. (or possibly a few minutes before). Judy Collins will be performing at the Mahaiwe Theatre, this Sunday June 1st.
→ Posted on Fri. May 30th, 2008 by atimpane.
Just before the Solid Gold Reunion Show at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center this coming Saturday night, Larry Chernicoff, host of WBCR’s Beauty and the Beat, will interview Bobby Jay, the bass singer in Frankie Lymon’s Legendary Teenagers. Beauty and the Beat is on every Thursday from 3 -5 pm. Bobby Jay will be joining Larry on the air at 4 pm this Thursday, April 10th.
The Teenagers first and biggest hit was “Why Do Fools Fall in Love”. They were known for both their harmony and choreography, also had hits with “I’m Not a Juvenile Delinquent” and “The ABCs of Love”.
BOBBY JAY was born and raised in Harlem, and was was bitten by the show business bug at the age of eleven after hearing Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. Bobby went on to become an award-winning radio personality, but eventually joined the group now known as Frankie Lymons ґLegendary Teenagers, the group that originally inspired him to get into the business. Being a member of this ғRock Nђ Roll Hall of Fame group was only a dream for Bobby Jay years ago, but today he can say ԓdreams really do come true.
→ Posted on Mon. April 7th, 2008 by biotic.
Note: The concert at the Mahawe has been postponed until Saturday October 25.
Graham and Barbara Dean will air their 40-minute interview with legendary British folk-rocker Richard Thompson on Common Sense Songs, beginning at 8 PM on Wednesday night, April 16th, three days prior to his solo appearance in our area at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Theatre.
Richard Thompson was one of the founders of Fairport Convention back in the late 60’s, and therefore one of the originators of the British folk-rock scene. Their 1969 recording Liege and Lief was voted the most important folk album of all time on BBC Radio 2. He was also voted one of the twenty greatest guitarists of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine. His influence on both sides of the Atlantic is gargantuan. He’s received many rewards for his songwriting, and his songs have been covered by artists such as Bonnie Raitt, Del McCoury Band, June Tabor, Sandy Denny, and so many others. He continues to innovate, surprise and delight his audiences around the world with his creativity and guitar mastery.
→ Posted on Mon. April 7th, 2008 by biotic.
There will be a BCR General Membership meeting : Wednesday, Feb. 6, 7:00 PM (note slightly earlier starting time) at the Berkshire South Community Center on Chrissy Rd. in Gt. Barrington. The agenda includes: A discussion on Programmer volunteer requirements with Volunteer Coordinator, Todd Lewis and an update on the new studio facility with Board member, Nick Ring.
→ Posted on Thu. January 24th, 2008 by biotic.
The BCRA Board of Directors meeting time has changed to 6:00 p.m. The monthly meeting is held the third Wednesday of each month, at Zenn New Media (pending our move to the new studio space on at the former COOP building). All are welcome!
Next meeting is Wednesday, January 16th.
→ Posted on Sat. January 12th, 2008 by biotic.
BCRA has successfully filed its application with the FCC for a full-power FM license. If granted, we’ll have a much stronger signal that will service all of South County, and a healthy chunk of Columbia County in New York, too. Watch this space, and we’ll keep you updated!
→ Posted on Sun. October 21st, 2007 by paulrapp.
Singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega will be interviewed by Phil Johnson in the WBCR studio on Across the Borderline this Sunday between 2 and 3 p.m. This edition of Across the Borderline is completely dedicated to Vega’s music.
Since her first self-titled album in 1985, Suzanne Vega has been recognized as a highly original, innovative songwriter performing her own songs. She is known for her striking, poetic lyrics and the variety of subjects her songs portray.
From the beginning her albums have featured songs that became distinctive singles. “Small Blue Thing” and “Marlene on the Wall” from her first album. “Tom’s Diner” and “Luka” from her album “Solitude
Standing.” Since then, “Left of Center,” “Tired of Sleeping,”
“Men in a War,” “Blood Makes Noise,” “99.9 Degrees F,”
“Book of Dreams,” “When Heroes Go Down,” “No Cheap Thrill,”
and the list goes on.
Early in her career, Vega was invited by composer Philip Glass to write the lyrics for two of his compositions in “Songs for Liquid Days.” Vega’s song “Woman on the Tier” was featured in the soundtrack of the film “Dead Man Walking.” Her career continues to be a rich and
diverse journey.
Suzanne Vega will be performing at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center this Sunday, September 16 at 7 p.m., singing selections from her newly released album “Beauty and Crime.”
→ Posted on Sat. September 15th, 2007 by biotic.
It’s once again time for the Annual Meeting! This year in addition to nominations for upcoming Board positions, we will be featuring a presentation on the possible station upgrade to FULL POWER RADIO. The meeting will be followed by a potluck - so, bring a dish, bring a date, bring the kids and don’t miss a great opportunity to participate in your community radio station. The meeting is open to all. Current members may vote in the Board elections.
Date: Sunday, September 16, 2007
Time: Meeting: 4-6 p.m.
*Potluck immediately following
Place: South Berkshire Friends Meetinghouse, 280 State Street, Great Barrington
*for Potluck please note there will be no oven or refrigeration services available, so plan on keeping your foods cold or hot as needed. Also, please plan to take home your pans and any left over food with you at the end of the evening.
Click here for an absentee ballot.
→ Posted on Fri. August 31st, 2007 by wbcr-web.
The following are bios of nominees to the Board of Directors. Board members are elected by the BCRA membership at the annual meeting in September. Click here for an absentee ballot.
Judy Eddy
P O Box 124, West Stockbridge, MA 01266
Cell: (413) 652-5387
Email:
Judy Eddy has worked in the non-profit field for over 20 years, primarily in fundraising, public relations and special events. She began her career with The Nature Conservancy in San Francisco, where she served as assistant to the Regional Director. She was later transferred to assist with the establishment of the new Idaho state program. Upon returning to the East Coast, she worked as Director of Development for the Girl Scouts of the USA, and as Fundraiser and Special Events Coordinator for Hudson Riverkeeper. In Massachusetts, she has worked in development and marketing at Berkshire South Regional Community Center. She is currently Director of Development and Marketing at CHP-Community Health Programs in Great Barrington, MA.
In addition to her non-profit experience, Judy has held corporate management positions in accounting and human resources, and she is a writer. As Staff Writer for S2N Media in Warwick, NY, she wrote Web content for such clients as the National Science Foundation, the Smithsonian Institution and the National Park Service.
Judy serves as a volunteer on numerous committees and has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Orange County Land Trust in NY. She produces and hosts the Audible Café radio show on WBCR-lp in Great Barrington. She received her B.A. in French Literature and Philosophy from Drew University in Madison, NJ.
Paul Rapp
348 Long Pond Road, Housatonic, MA 01236
MA Phone: 413.553.3189
Fax: 413.528.2079
Email:
Paul Rapp is an intellectual property attorney living and working in Housatonic. He has been BCRA board member for two years, and is the host of The Splatto Festival, which airs Friday afternoons on WBCR. Rapp writes the columns “Wherefore Thou Art” for The Artful Mind and “Rapp On This” for Metroland.
Frank Tolopko
P O Box 1312, Otis, MA 01253
Home: 413-269-0220
Cell: 914-391-1309
Email:
I am hereby announcing my candidacy for election to the Board of Directors, WBCR-LP FM, Great Barrington, MA.
The following is a bullet point biographical sketch of my qualifications:
Personal
-BA plus graduate work in linguistics
-MBA in Information Management
-Course work in electrical engineering
-Currently retired
-Prior to retirement employed as a systems/business analyst at a major power generation organization
-Berkshire resident (Otis) for 18 years
Community/Nonprofit
-Have played a founding/leadership role (Bylaws, Treasurer, President, etc.) in a number of nonprofit organizations.
-Obtained 501(c) (3) status for a nonprofit organization.
-Have attended non-profit related seminars and training sessions.
WBCR-LP FM
-Producing “The 911 Report” show on WBCR for over 1-_ years.
-Active member of the WBCR Programming Committee for almost 2 years.
-Participate in WBCR-related fund-raising efforts.
-Believe that “all politics is local” and that WBCR is fulfilling that credo.
-Very interested in the potential for WBCR increasing its signal power and outreach. Would volunteer to help make both a reality.
→ Posted on Fri. August 3rd, 2007 by wbcr-web.
The WBCR Programming Committee has announced the deadline for new program applications. Anyone interested in applying for the Fall/Winter program schedule should submit an application by August 1.
Have you ever listened to Berkshire Community Radio and said to yourself, “hey, I can do that!” Well, all it takes is a good program idea, a solid application and a few training sessions with our volunteer trainers and you too, can be doing community radio.
Our schedule has a little of everything: music, talk, news, community affairs. Our listeners and members are invited to join the mix. Applications are due on Wednesday, August 1 for consideration by our Programming Committee for the October 2007 – January 2008 Program Schedule.
Applications are available at berkshireradio.org or visit the station under the Pink Cloud Gallery next to Brooks Pharmacy on Main Street in Great Barrington. Completed applications can be dropped off at the station or mailed in to WBCR, PO Box 152, Great Barrington, MA 01230.
→ Posted on Thu. July 5th, 2007 by biotic.
Berkshire Community Radio Alliance, Inc. (BCRA) is thrilled to announce that it has signed a lease with Joan Ackerman for the basement level of the Granary Building on Rosseter Street in Great Barrington. Formerly the home of the Berkshire Food Co-op, the 1800 square foot space with be the new home of WBCR-LP 97.7 FM, an all-volunteer community radio station serving south Berkshire County. The new space will feature full handicap accessibility and a high-efficiency heating system.
“We can’t wait to move in” said Jan Seward, president of the board of BCRA and host of the “Radio 2 Women” program, “we’ll now have totally accessible space for studios, a meeting room and a media library, as well as access to the Mixed Company theater upstairs for broadcast events.”
Build-out of the space by station volunteers and tradespeople will start immediately, and an October 1 move-in is anticipated.
→ Posted on Fri. June 29th, 2007 by biotic.
There is a busy weekend on tap with a WBCR Info table at both the Great Barrington Farmers’ Market and at the Berkshire CO-OP’s first Solstice Festival. Come and visit us this weekend.
The GB Farmers’ Market is at the old GB Train Station. The Market is held from 9:00 am until 1:00 pm.
The CO-OP is holding their event at Memorial Field next to their store. It is scheduled to run from 9 am until 6:00 pm.
WBCR will have information about our programs and tickets to Howard Zinn’s July 2 lecture...not to mention smiling, happy people.
→ Posted on Fri. June 22nd, 2007 by biotic.
Come down and join us at the Great Barrington Farmers’ Market every Saturday through September.
We will have a table with information and folks from the only community station we know of in the Southern Berkshires. Let us know what you are thinking. Become a member.
We will be broadcasting live from the Farmers’ Market from 11 until Noon. Our microphones will be open to the community for one hour every Saturday all summer long.
Everybody into the pool!
→ Posted on Tue. June 12th, 2007 by biotic.
Get your program map today. WBCR is “Destination Radio” and you’re going to need a map.
We have just released our Summer program guide. The Program map will help you find and mark your favorite shows from around our schedule. We are community radio and have over 60 programs and programmers...something for everyone’s taste. Use our new map to navigate our airwaves.
You can find a map at locations around town, here in our studios (located under the Pink Cloud Gallery on Main Street in Great Barrington) or at our weekly table at the Great Barrington Farmers’ Market. Or, give us a call at (413) 644-9797 and let us send you one.
Find your way to 97.7 FM.
→ Posted on Thu. June 7th, 2007 by biotic.
Get ready for a double-barreled WBCR event with Cuban composer and pianist Omar Sosa and his music:
• On Saturday, April 21, from 7 to 9 p.m. on WBCR, the Bahia Sonora show will feature a retrospective of the music of Omar Sosa from his earliest albums to his new CD release “Promises” with the Afreecanos Quartet. The show will be co-hosted by Orlando Vargas and Phil Johnson.
• And on Sunday, April 22, from 12 to 12:30 p.m., Orlando and Phil will interview Omar Sosa in the WBCR studio, prior to his performance with the Afreecanos Quartet at Club Helsinki later that same day, Sunday, April 22, at 8 p.m.
Omar Sosa brings his unique style of Afro-Cuban jazz to Club Helsinki on Sunday, April 22, 2007. On his first tour in the United States with his new Afreecanos Quartet, Sosa continues to explore the African roots of traditional music throughout the Diaspora, using modern jazz harmonies and the latest technology.
Sosa’s new ensemble features Cuban drummer Julio Barreto, Mozambican electric bassist Childo Tomas, and Senegalese vocalist Mola Sylla. The ensemble fuses the folkloric with the contemporary, the tribal with the urban-all with a Latin jazz heart.
Downbeat Magazine recently commented, “Sosa stokes the African and Cuban fires: Each burns distinctly from the other while illuminating the place between them. This is where Sosa pitches his musical camp and works his magic” (January 2007).
Accompanying the Afreecanos tour is a new live CD release entitled “Promise.” Recorded in front of a live audience at the NDR radio studios in Hamburg, Germany, the CD features the Afreecanos Quartet, plus noted Italian trumpet player Paolo Fresu, and Cuban flute player Leandro Saint-Hill. This live recording anticipates the release in October 2007 of Omar Sosa’s next studio album, entitled “Afreecanos.”
→ Posted on Tue. April 17th, 2007 by biotic.
This Friday afternoon at 3:00 pm The Splatto Festival will get a visit from Haale and her band for an interview and live performance. Haale, an Iranian-American singer-songwriter combines traditional Persian devotional music and psychedelic rock, has recently received rave reviews in the New York Times (for a February performance at Carnegie Hall) and the Washington Post.
She’s playing Helsinki Friday night, but Friday afternoon she’ll be in the WBCR-LP studios and on The Splatto Festival! Tune in!
→ Posted on Wed. April 11th, 2007 by biotic.
Across the Borderline with host Phil Johnson will feature a special program this Sunday, March 25 at 2 p.m.
Maxine Hong Kingston will be here from the San Francisco Bay Area, participating in the WBCR studio along with other writers of the recently published book Veterans of War, Veterans of Peace (edited by Kingston). Phil will interview Kingston and writer Fred Marchant of Boston, and they will all read selections from this collection of creative, redemptive storytelling spanning five wars and written by those most profoundly affected by war.
For more than 12 years, National Book Award-winning author Maxine Hong Kingston has led writing-and-meditation workshops for veterans and their families. The contributors to this volume--combat veterans, medics, and others who served in war as well as draft resisters, deserters, and peace activists--are part of this community of writers working together to heal the trauma of war through art.
Maxine Hong Kingston’s books--The Woman Warrior, China Men, Tripmaster Monkey, The Fifth Book of Peace--have won critical praise and national awards. President Bill Clinton presented her with a National Humanities Medal in 1997.
Fred Marchant enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1968 so that he could go to Viet Nam and be a writer witness to that war. Two years later, Marchant formally declared his conscientious objection to the war in Viet Nam and to all wars. He became one of the first Marine officers ever to be discharged as a conscientious objector. He has since published three books of poetry, and he is a Professor of English at Suffolk University in Boston where he directs the Creative Writing Program and the Poetry Center.
→ Posted on Mon. March 19th, 2007 by biotic.
Town Hall 101, hosted by I-Bob is a new program on WBCR with an eye on Great Barrington, its history and politics. Join guest host, Andy Potter on Tuesday, March 20th for a look at an upcoming town meeting warrant that has the Town of Great Barrington join the national Mayor’s Petition in support of the Kyoto Protocol which mandates the reduction of greenhouse gases worldwide.
Great Barrington Selectman Peter Fish and climate change activist Raya Ariella will be in the studio to discuss this effort. Raya will also be talking about the upcoming national action day on climate change, Step It Up 2007.
Town Hall 101 is on at 5:00 pm alternating Tuesday’s.
→ Posted on Sat. March 17th, 2007 by biotic.
This week on the Audible Cafe host, Judy Eddy will air her recent interview with Tim Gray, Executive Director of the Housatonic River Initiative and the Housatonic Riverkeeper, discussing the current status of the GE/EPA cleanup of PCB’s in the Housatonic River.
He’s one of the most important players in ongoing effort, and a really dynamic and interesting person. This is extremely timely, as we are in the middle of the public comment period for one of the most important steps in the long EPA process, and the comment period expires at the end of March.
You can hear the interview on Friday, March 16 at noon.
→ Posted on Thu. March 15th, 2007 by biotic.
We are pleased to announce the bi-annual On-air Fundrive to be held Monday March 5 thru Sunday March 11. Our theme for the drive is ‘Sustainable Radio for a Sustainable World’. The station is proud to be part of a community where sustainability begins locally with Community Supported Agriculture, Berkshire Grown, Berkshire Coop, E.F. Schumacher Society, Berkshares and many others to provide local resources that are healthy for us and the planet and invites these initiatives and organizations to join us on-air during the Fundrive to talk about applications of sustainability.
As the only local media outlet directly controlled by its members and volunteers WBCR believes passionately that a locally grown, healthy media is also good for us all. Mega corporate control and centralization has reduced access for local communities in addressing the huge issues of global and local sustainability in the modern world.
Supporting locally controlled radio is a small step in restoring access.
The On-Air drive will run daily from 8AM to Midnight. Community listeners are invited and encouraged to volunteer help for a shift or two, or stop by the station under the Pink Cloud, 195 Main St.
Our On-Air Fund Drives are our most important fundraising effort. We need and appreciate your support in maintaining community access to the airwaves.
→ Posted on Sat. February 24th, 2007 by biotic.
Eddie O’Toole is a local man who is very involved in helping the Honduran town of Guaimaca. For almost 30 years he as been working to raise the quality of life and self-reliance of the town’s residents. One of the key aspects of his work is salvaging materials here in the Berkshires and getting them shipped to Honduras so that our material waste can have a second life.
One of the brilliant concepts that Eddie has developed is using Chiquita Banana containers to ship materials south. After they are emptied of the company’s cargo, normally they would return empty. Now, Eddie and friends fill them before they leave for Honduras.
Currently, they are preparing for another container load that should leave in early March:
“I am deconstructing another building in West Stockbidge MA and should be ready to ship by early March. I am looking for computers for schools in Guaimaca, riding lawn mowers for wheel chair bound people (electric wheel chairs and scooters are too complicated for Guaimaca, and don’t provide the possibility of generating a way to make money for fuel), sports equipment and soccer uniforms, tools and equipment.”
You can contact Eddie if you have donations for this shipment or want to help load the container by calling 413.637.2169 or cell 413.358.1891.
Eddie gave a talk at the South Berkshire Unitarian Speaker series on Wednesday, February 21 and you can hear the talk in it’s entirety on Locally Grown, Friday, February 23 at 5:30 pm and again Saturday, February 24 at noon right here on your community station, WBCR-LP, 97.7 FM. Find out more about this fascinating project and hear some of the unforgettable stories that Eddie has to tell about his nearly 30 years of involvement with the country of Honduras.
→ Posted on Thu. February 22nd, 2007 by biotic.
Singer Nicole Peyrafitte and poet Pierre Joris will be appearing live in the WBCR studio this Sunday, February 11th at 2:00 pm, accompanied by guitarist Mitch Elrod, performing pieces from their latest CDs: Bi-Continental Chowder (Peyrafitte) and Routes, Not Routes (Joris). This will be a preview of their upcoming multimedia performance at the Linda Norris Auditorium in Albany on Friday, February 16.
Pierre Joris is co-editor with Jerome Rothenberg of the classic anthology on modern and postmodern poetry, Poems for the Millennium, Volumes 1 and 2, published by University of California Press. He has translated numerous works by ground-breaking 20th century authors, including four books by Paul Celan. His translation of Celan’s Lightduress won him the 2005 PEN Award for Poetry in Translation.
Joris has published over 20 books and chapbooks of his poetry, including Breccia, Selected Poems 1974-1986, and Poasis: Selected Poems 1986-1999 (Wesleyan University Press).
Nicole Peyrafitte is a performance artist, singer, and painter. Born in the Pyrenees, bilingual in French and English, Peyrafitte draws on her eclectic heritage to perform songs ranging from French cabaret to jazz standards and contemporary poetry. She has performed with Joris in New York City, Luxembourg, and Toulouse, France. Most recently they toured Europe and the U.S. with their multimedia show SumericaBachbones.
→ Posted on Thu. February 8th, 2007 by biotic.
From now on, WBCR-LP members and programmers, Serene Mastrianni and Dr. Jan Stefanacci Seward can add the words “Award-Winning” when they talk about their weekly program, Radio2Women. The pair has won a pair of Communicator Awards of Distinction for two of their broadcasts: Sizzling in the Studio, in the category of General Interest Talk Show, and Emergency Contraception, in the category of Special Interest Talk Show.
According to the 13th Annual Communicator Awards, ”the Award of Distinction is awarded for projects that exceed industry standards in production or communication skills...”.
Winners of The Communicator Awards come from radio stations, production facilities, advertising and public relations agencies, corporate communications departments, government entities, technicians, narrators, writers and other professionals associated with the production of audio broadcasts and materials.
Radio2Women focuses on real issues facing women everyday, from our children’s health and education to the environment, our aging parents, and long term financial family planning. You can hear Radio2Women on WBCR-LP Thursdays at 3:00 pm with a replay on Saturday at 1:00 pm.
→ Posted on Tue. January 23rd, 2007 by biotic.
We received this heads up from Todd:
I have an interview with Great Barrington Planning Board vice-chairman Jonathan Hankin airing on Locally Grown (Friday at noon and again Saturday at noon), Monday’s AM show and Sunday morning at 10am. It is regarding Cumberland Farm’s application to tear down two buildings adjacent to their lot and increase the size of their lot and pump capacity. The issue will be decided by the Great Barrington Select Board this Monday, January 8th at 7pm.
Secondly I’ve put a lot of time and editing effort into a James Brown tribute that will air tonight on Can You Feel It. I’ve scoured up interviews with the likes of Al Sharpton, rappers Chuck D, Afrika Bambaata & Wycliffe Jean, Former managers and his former Musical director Fred Wesley. I will also read some passages from Stanley Booth’s book Rythm (sic) Oil.
→ Posted on Fri. January 5th, 2007 by biotic.
This coming Sunday (December 31) at 2 pm (east coast time) Across the Borderline will present part one in a bilingual, bicultural program of Cuban, Afro Cuban, and Cubop (Cuban + bebop) music of the 1930s and 1940s, featuring such artists and composers as:
Ernesto Lecuona
Orquesta Casino de la Playa
Miguelito Valdes
Cachao
Celia Cruz
La Sonora Matancera
Noro Morales
Machito with Howard McGhee and Brew Moore at the Royal Roost
Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra
Phil Johnson and Orlando Vargas will co-host.
→ Posted on Thu. December 28th, 2006 by biotic.
On Friday December 22nd from 4:00 until 9:00, come to the studio and enjoy some Holiday Cheer, meet the Board and fellow members, and join programmers live onair. It promises to be a great gathering.
→ Posted on Wed. December 6th, 2006 by wbcr-web.
Last year, Can You Feel It host, Todd Lewis, aired a two hour artist retrospective on Memphis singer/songwriter Jesse Winchester. With Jesse set to appear here in Great Barrington next week, Todd has re-tooled the show and will air it on WBCR-LP this Friday, November 17 at 8 pm.
Jesse Winchester was the music world’s most prominent Vietnam War draft-evader, though his renown came from a body of wry, closely observed songs. After growing up in Memphis he attended Williams College and in 1967 Jesse received his draft notice in 1967 and moved to Montreal, Canada, rather than serve in the military. Jesse’s exile lent real-life poignancy to songs like “Yankee Lady,” which appeared on his self-titled debut album in 1970. He became a Canadian citizen in 1973. Despite critical acclaim, his inability to tour in the U.S. prevented him from taking his place among the major singer/songwriters of the early ‘70s, but he made a series of impressive albums before President Jimmy Carter instituted an amnesty that finally allowed him to play in his homeland.
Jesse returned to Memphis for good in 2003 and now tours as a solo performer. His songs and performances are intimate, often humorous glimpses into life, love and the human condition. Jesse is one of the most covered songwriters active today. His work has been recorded by the likes of Emmylou Harris, Jimmy Buffett, Joan Biaz, New Grass Revival, Jerry Jeff Walker and Wilson Pickett just to name a few.
Jesse enjoys a large following in the Berkshires and with good reason. You won’t want to miss this special show!
→ Posted on Wed. November 15th, 2006 by biotic.
Have you listened to Berkshire Community Radio (WBCR-LP) and said to yourself, “hey, that would be a blast”? Well, all it takes is a good program idea, a solid application and a few training sessions with our volunteer trainers. You, too, can be doing community radio.
Our schedule has a little of everything: music, talk, news, community affairs. Our listeners and members are invited to join the mix. Applications are due on Sunday, April 15 for consideration by our Programming Committee for the June 2007 - September 2007 Program Schedule.
You can get the application here at berkshireradio.org or visit the station under the Pink Cloud Gallery next to Brooks Pharmacy on Main Street in Great Barrington. We have an Open House every Saturday from noon until 4 pm.
→ Posted on Wed. November 15th, 2006 by biotic.