From the Isle of Music, August 13-19
More dance music this week…
This week, our special guest is Fernando Dewar, leader of Septeto Santiaguero, Cuba’s best working Septeto today and a winner of Cubadisco and Latin GRAMMY awards. He will be talking about their new album Raiz, and we will be listening to some of it. Also, some music from Andy Rubal, a nominee in the Popular Dance Music – Newer Artists category in Cubadisco 2017.
Four opportunities to listen on shortwave:
1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in all directions with 100Kw, Sunday 1500-1600 UTC on SpaceLine, 9400 KHz, from Kostinbrod, Bulgaria (1800-1900 MSK)
2. For the Americas and parts of Europe, Tuesday 0000-0100 UTC on WBCQ, 7490 KHz from Monticello, ME, USA (Monday 8-9PM EDT in the US)
3 & 4. For Europe and sometimes beyond, Tuesday 1900-2000 UTC and Saturday 1200-1300 UTC on Channel 292, 6070 KHz from Rohrbach, Germany.

Episode 25 of Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, a musical variety program that features a little bit of everything from around the planet, will air on WBCQ the Planet, 7490 KHz, Thursday, August 17 from 2300-2330 UTC (7:00pm-7:30pm EDT in the Americas). This week we spend some quality time roaming the Balkans with a little surf rock gibberish on the side.  This week’s episode includes a contest.
WBCQ’s signal has frequently been reaching the Americas, East to West, down at least as far as Sao Paolo, Brasil, and well into Central Europe of late.

From the Isle of Music, August 6-12:
Charanga, Charanga and Changüi……
This week is dedicated to Charanga and Changüi. Our guest is Abilio Betancourt, Director of Orquesta Sublime, a charanga with a lot of swing that is noticed less than it should be outside of Cuba. You’ll hear what we mean with some of their recordings. Also: Orquesta Estrellas Cubanas, another excellent charanga, and some seldom-heard Orquesta Reve from the 1960s. Be prepared to dance.
Four opportunities to listen on shortwave:
1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in all directions with 100Kw, Sunday 1500-1600 UTC on SpaceLine, 9400 KHz, from Kostinbrod, Bulgaria (1800-1900 MSK)
2. For the Americas and parts of Europe, Tuesday 0000-0100 UTC on WBCQ, 7490 KHz from Monticello, ME, USA (Monday 8-9PM EDT in the US)
3 & 4. For Europe and sometimes beyond, Tuesday 1900-2000 UTC and Saturday 1200-1300 UTC on Channel 292, 6070 KHz from Rohrbach, Germany.

Episode 24 of Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, a musical variety program that features a little bit of everything from around the planet, will air on WBCQ the Planet, 7490 KHz, Thursday, August 10 from 2300-2330 UTC (7:00pm-7:30pm EDT in the Americas). This week includes a wonderful new Tango recording, some progressive Folk music from Poland and what might be China’s answer to Lady Gaga (not sure whether that was the question though) among other things.

From the Isle of Music, July 30-August 5
Concert Hall #1
No interviews this week – This week we feature selections from the nominees and winner of the Concert Soloist (Solista Concertante) category of Cubadisco 2017. If you enjoy Classical music, this is an episode especially for you.
Four opportunities to listen on shortwave:
1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in all directions with 100Kw, Sunday 1500-1600 UTC on SpaceLine, 9400 KHz, from Kostinbrod, Bulgaria (1800-1900 MSK)
2. For the Americas and parts of Europe, Tuesday 0000-0100 UTC on WBCQ, 7490 KHz from Monticello, ME, USA (Monday 8-9PM EDT in the US)
3 & 4. For Europe and sometimes beyond, Tuesday 1900-2000 UTC and Saturday 1200-1300 UTC on Channel 292, 6070 KHz from Rohrbach, Germany.

Episode 23 of Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, a musical variety program that features a little bit of everything from around the planet, will air on WBCQ the Planet, 7490 KHz, Thursday, August 3 from 2300-2330 UTC (7:00pm-7:30pm EDT in the Americas). This week we go south to Brazil and Puerto Rico.

From the Isle of Music, July 16-22
This week, our special guest is Juan Carlos Bonet, director of Leyendas.com, one of Cuba’s most entertaining show bands and a nominee in Cubadisco 2017 for their album Sabroseando. Fans of groups like Rumbavana and artists like Juan Pablo Torres will especially appreciate this group. As always, we’ll have plenty of great music.
Four opportunities to listen on shortwave:
1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in all directions with 100Kw, Sunday 1500-1600 UTC on SpaceLine, 9400 KHz, from Kostinbrod, Bulgaria (1800-1900 MSK)
2. For the Americas and parts of Europe, Tuesday 0000-0100 UTC on WBCQ, 7490 KHz from Monticello, ME, USA (Monday 8-9PM EDT in the US)
3 & 4. For Europe and sometimes beyond, Tuesday 1900-2000 UTC and Saturday 1200-1300 on Channel 292, 6070 KHz from Rohrbach, Germany.
From the Isle of Music is not available for listening on demand but some broadcasts can be heard online during the time of the broadcast using Web SDRs or the WBCQ website (during their broadcast) if you are not receiving the radio signal.

Episode 21 of Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, a musical variety program that features everything from everywhere EXCEPT music that you are probably familiar with, will air on WBCQ the Planet, 7490 KHz, Thursday, July 20 from 2300-2330 UTC (7:00pm-7:30pm EDT in the Americas). This week, we’ll have some laughs, but we’ll also wander through Switzerland, Haiti and Argentina.

From the Isle of Music, July 9-15:
No interviews this week – rather, we wander through the Fusion category of Cubadisco 2017. The winner, Buena Fe, also won the Gran Premio (Grand Prize) and the technical category for Recording. The other nominees also recorded some excellent music.
Four opportunities to listen on shortwave:
1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in all directions with 100Kw, Sunday 1500-1600 UTC on SpaceLine, 9400 KHz, from Kostinbrod, Bulgaria (1800-1900 MSK)
2. For the Americas and parts of Europe, Tuesday 0000-0100 UTC on WBCQ, 7490 KHz from Monticello, ME, USA (Monday 8-9PM EDT in the US)
3 & 4. For Europe and sometimes beyond, Tuesday 1900-2000 UTC and Saturday 1200-1300 on Channel 292, 6070 KHz from Rohrbach, Germany.

Episode 20 of Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, a musical variety program that features everything from everywhere EXCEPT music that you are probably familiar with, will air on WBCQ the Planet, 7490 KHz, Thursday, July 13 from 2300-2330 UTC (7:00pm-7:30pm EDT in the Americas). This week, we’ll stick our toes in Benin, Romania and the US (but definitely NOT Top 40)

From the Isle of Music, July 2-8
This week, our special guest is bandleader and drummer Yissy García, whose Jazz/Fusion group Bandancha received two Cubadisco awards this year -Opera Prima (best new artist) and Diseño (design) for their exciting album Última Noticia. We’ll listen to some of that and some selections from the Música Urbana category of this year’s Cubadisco as well.
Four opportunities to listen on shortwave:
1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in all directions with 100Kw, Sunday 1500-1600 UTC on SpaceLine, 9400 KHz, from Kostinbrod, Bulgaria (1800-1900 MSK)
2. For the Americas and parts of Europe, Tuesday 0000-0100 UTC on WBCQ, 7490 KHz from Monticello, ME, USA (Monday 8-9PM EDT in the US)
3 & 4. For Europe and sometimes beyond, Tuesday 1900-2000 UTC and Saturday 1200-1300 on Channel 292, 6070 KHz from Rohrbach, Germany.
From the Isle of Music is not available for listening on demand but some broadcasts can be heard online during the time of the broadcast using Web SDRs or the WBCQ website (during their broadcast) if you are not receiving the radio signal.

Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, July 6
Episode 19 of Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, a musical variety program that features everything from everywhere EXCEPT music that you are probably familiar with, will air on WBCQ the Planet, 7490 KHz, Thursday, July 6 from 2300-2330 UTC (7:00pm-7:30pm EDT in the Americas). This coming right after July 4, we’ll have some music from the good old USA but also from France just because.