5 pm - 6 pm

5 P.M. Let's try another language. Swinging Addis, Volume 8, or Ethiopian Blues & Ballads, Volume 10, of the superb Éthiopiques series (Buda Musique), will transport you in time and space. We whine about whether our records are free enough, and dupe ourselves into thinking that piracy is a blow against the capitalist marauders, when we just want something for nothing. Here is a country that had a pop explosion in the brief window of opportunity between a feudal monarchy and the insane repression of distorted Marxism. Imagine that you dropped the greatest James Brown records into a 5,000-year-old well of deep lamentation and you will get the idea. Do you really want me to care about the nasty little Reagan's children of the Napster generation or which nitwit is running AOL Time Warner or Vivendi Universal this week? They all deserve one another

.Blasting out from the opposite coast, "Envy No Good" is a standout track from the Afro-Rock Volume 1 (Kona/DMI) collection. A young Englishman went to Ghana to seek out the last vinyl copies of this music. He made sure the musicians got their royalties. Any record that contains the work of K. Frimpong and His Cubano Fiestas can only improve your day.

1. Girma Bèyènè - Ene Negn Bay Manesh (4:02)
2. Ayalèw Mèsfin - Hasab (3:57)
3. Alèmayèhu Eshèté - Tchero Adari Negn (4:27)
4. Lèmma Dèmissèw - Lezelalem Nuri (2:29)
5. Gétatchèw Kassa - Betchayen Tekezi (2:59)
6. Alèmayèhu Eshèté - Eskegizew Bertchi (3:16)
7. Alèmayèhu Eshèté - Ayalqem Tedengo (3:20)
8. Tèsfa Maryam Kidan - Heywèté (5:18)
9. Eyetegnu Nequ - Frew Haylou (4:17)
10. Hedetch Alu - Muluqen Mellesse (5:17)
11. Teredtchewalehu - Alemayehu Eshete (5:35)
12. Mercury Dance Band - Envy No Good (4:54)
13  K. Frimpong and His Cubano Fiestas - Kyen Kyen Bi Adi M'awu (6:54)