Opening with the beautiful Song For Elijah (Wrap Our Arms Around You), dedicated to the memory of a young life tragically lost in Australia, and also a call for all to help the family in difficult times. La Danza Poetica #58 is “A Call To Arms”. As it’s the end of a tumultuous year, I’ve created a tumultuous mix featuring some favourite tracks of 2017 that I haven’t been able to include in the radio show so far. Covering a lot of ground, from wild upbeat global bass to Latin hip hop, Los Angeles and New York City poetry and rap, Native American fire, French orchestral beats, very intelligent downbeat soul, and songs for the end of everything.

This month’s mix opens with One Sixth’s fierce poem ‘Labyrinth’ - in which he calls for compassion, for understanding, and above all, for listening. So we listen. Hip hop is the voice as music, poetry as rhythm, storytelling with the drum beats of the heart. In the hands of these artists, hip hop gets closest to the truth. Featuring Xolisa (Canada), Akua Naru (USA), Omar Musa (Australia), A Tribe Called Red (Canada), Brandon Wint (Canada), FOKN Bois (Ghana), Mateo Kingman (Ecuador), Aja Monet (USA), GANGAMix (France), One Sixth (Australia).

The sixth dance for Radio Groovalizacion covers a bit of ground in the great northern american landmass we know as Canada. Français Canadien, Québécois, Acadien, English, Inuit, Huron, Algonquin, Métis, Cree ... the French and English heritage, the African heritage, the Inuit and the First Nations heritage - this is the rich turmoil of Canadian cultures.