On this episode of Cafe International, we look at the role music played in Estonia's quest for independence from the Soviet Union, and its famous "Singing Revolution".

We'll speak with Piret Norhanny of Estonian Music Week in Toronto, Ingrid Kohtla Head of PR & Communications and programme curator at Tallinn Music Week in Estonia and singer/composer Kadri Voorand from the award winning group, Estonian Voices.

With host Dan Rosenberg

A Visit to the Hillside Festival, in Guelph, Ontario

We'll speak with the festival's artistic director, Samir Baijal as well as Ecuadoran-American singer Eljuri, hear music from many of the artists performing there including Femi Kuti, Vieux Farka Toure and Maryna Krut

With host Dan Rosenberg

Kobo Town joins us live in studio for a performance and interview about the history of calypso music.

Founded and fronted by émigré Trinidadian songwriter Drew Gonsalves, Kobo Town is named after the historic neighborhood in Port-of-Spain where calypso was born amid the boastful, humorous and militant chants of roaming stick-fighters. Situated near the fishermen's wharf, the area was a site of constant defiance and conflict, a place where sticks and stones, songs and verses clashed with the bayonets and batons of colonial rule. Gonsalves grew up in a middle class neighborhood in Diego Martin, a town just outside of Trinidad’s biggest city, Port of Spain.

With host Dan Rosenberg

On this week's episode of Cafe International: A samba workshop and interview with Grammy nominated guitarist Alfredo Del Penho - recorded live in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

With host Dan Rosenberg

A visit to the Forde Festival in Norway. We speak with this remarkable festival's director, Solvie Lien. It's held every summer in the Norwegian fjords, and features artists from across Norway, and around the world. We'll hear music on the show from Trio da Kali (Mali), Mahsa Vadat (Iran), Norwegian artists Kajsa Balto, Marja Morensson and Hekate.

With host Dan Rosenberg

In this week's episode of Cafe International, we visit the home of composer Subhira Rodrigo Cepeda in Santaigo, Chile. He's a pianist, human rights advocate, professor, radio host and director of the Mundovivo music festival. We will learn about all of this - and more

With host Dan Rosenberg

A special live session recorded at Met Radio in Toronto with the Ecuadoran ensemble, Chuskupura - who were in town as part of the 2025 International Indigenous Music Summit

Sara Curruchich joins us for a special live session recorded at Met Radio Studios in Toronto to talk about her album Mujer Indigena, the International Indigenous Music Summit, and - a special treat - she performs live on the show.

With host Dan Rosenberg

A special episode of Cafe International with legendary Malian guitarist, Samba Toure and his band performing live in studio: with Souleymane Kane on calabash and Djime Sissoko on ngoni (and talking drum).

With host Dan Rosenberg

On this week's episode of Cafe International, we revisit an interview with Leonard Nimoy from 1997 about how growing up Jewish shaped his famous Spock character on Star Trek

With host Dan Rosenberg

A visit to the Ethnoport Music Festival in Poznan, Poland. We'll speak with Artistic Director Bozena Szota about the history of Poznan, and hear music from some of the artists performing at Ethnoport this year, including Tęgie Chłopy, Abaim, BCUC and Trio Mandili.

With host Dan Rosenberg

An interview with Eve Sicular about music from the golden age of Yiddish cinema plus Chanukah music and more

With host Dan Rosenberg

This week on Cafe International, we feature an interview with producer Lucas Silva from Bogotá, Colombia about Nigerian highlife music and how it has influenced Champeta music in Colombia

On today’s show, we’ll learn about the ancient Persian instrument, the santur – a 72 stringed dulcimer that dates back to 500 BCE with one of its leading masters – Amir Amiri

His latest CD is called Ajdad – Ancestors, Echoes of Persia. One of the themes the album explores is the connection between Persian and Arabic culture.

Those connections between Persian and Arabic culture were severed in Iran in the 1980s because of the Iraq-Iran war.

This week on Cafe International: our guests are Fran & Flora. They’re a magnificent award-winning string duo (cello & violin) from England, dedicated to klezmer and East European folk music. We’ll hear about their new CD, “Precious Collection” and their trip to Romania to research music for the album.

With host Dan Rosenberg

On this week's program, an interview with Marousia Bouvery, from the group Abaim. They are from the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. On the show, we will learn about how Abaim is using music to fight to preserve the endangered Bhojpuri language, and their work to raise awareness about climate change.

Recorded at the Ethnoport Music Festival in Poznan, Poland

With host Dan Rosenberg

On this week’s Café International, we look back at the incredible career of Zimbabwe’s Oliver Mtukudzi, who passed away on January 23, 2019 at the age of 66 after being treated for a heart condition. Oliver Mtukudzi was born in 1952 in Harare, in the era of British colonial rule, when it was known as Salisbury, Rhodesia. His music played an important role in Zimbabwe’s fight for independence. In a career that spanned more than four decades, Mtukudzi recorded over 60 albums, and became a giant in the music world. On the program, we look back at how Mtukudzi used music to confront conspiracy theories and educate the public to protect themselves during a pandemic from a prior generation, HIV.

A special episode recorded in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with legendary sambista, Jorge Aragão

Jorge Aragão was the first composer to have his music played on Mars. Here on earth, he has created songs that have become anthems in Brazil, with lyrics that speak about human rights, Black identity and the horrific legacy of slavery

Special thanks to Alan Tigay from World Listening Post who translated this interview

On this week's Cafe International, our guest is Alan Tigay, from the website, World Listening Post. We'll speak about his new project: The 500 Greatest Global Songs of All Time, a remarkable list that he curated. We'll count down the top ten, which includes music from Aretha Franklin, Fela, Miriam Makeba, Juan Luis Guerra, and more!

On this week's episode of Cafe International, recorded in Bern, Switzerland, our guest is award winning singer and yodeler, Christine Lauterburg. In 1994, she became the first woman to win the Bäredräckpris from the City of Bern.

With host Dan Rosenberg