Uncle Bill's Melting Pot

20/08/2024

Uncle Bill's Melting Pot, September 21, 2024
Our special guest Julio Cesar Pereira, who has done the excellent Ginga Brasil! programme on shortwave in the past, will be with us to present the very distinctive music of the states of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sur n Brazil. This episode may surprise even regular followers of Brazilian music.
1700-1800 UTC 9670 kHz with beam E-F towards South Asia but very good in Eastern Europe and parts of Eurasia
1900-2000 UTC 3955 & 6070 kHz (omnidirectional for Europe and beyond)
2300-2400 UTC 9670 kHz with a special beam M-N towards South America for this episode. This might also be audible in parts of South Asia.
All transmissions from Channel 292, Rohrbach, Germany

01/08/2024

Uncle Bill's Melting Pot, August 17, 2024
(Note time/frequency adjustment)
Our special guest Daryana Antipova, a voting member of the Transglobal World Music and Balkan World Music Charts who curates the Russian World Music Chart, will give us a taste of world music bands in Russia and by Russian world music bands working in other countries.
1700-1800 UTC 9670 kHz with beam E-F towards South Asia but listenable in Eastern Europe and parts of Eurasia
1900-2000 UTC 3955 & 6070 kHz (omnidirectional for Europe and beyond)
2300-2400 UTC 9670 kHz with beam P towards the Caribbean (but listenable in other parts of the Americas)
All transmissions from Channel 292, Rohrbach, Germany

26/07/2024

SCHEDULE CHANGE FOR AUGUST 2024:
Starting August 2024, the 2300-2400 UTC transmission will change from 3955 kHz to 9670 kHz with beam P towards the Caribbean.
1700-1800 UTC 9670 kHz with beam E-F towards South Asia
1900-2000 UTC 3955 & 6070 kHz (omnidirectional for Europe and beyond)
2300-2400 UTC 9670 kHz with beam P towards the Caribbean
All transmissions from Channel 292, Rohrbach, Germany

Send a message to learn more

18/07/2024

Never fear, I won't be barraging you repeatedly here.
BUT,
For several years now, I have had two highly-respected radio programs in international broadcast shortwave radio, From the Isle of Music and Uncle Bill's Melting Pot. The former is probably the best program of Cuban music, especially new releases, produced outside of Cuba (and possibly the only one outside of Cuba that includes things like Cuban rock and other genres), and the latter covers literally the entire planet from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, specializing (with some exceptions) in what you are unlikely to hear on other "world music" programs.
In better times, I was broadcasting weekly from the US, Germany and Bulgaria, now each program is a monthly out of Germany for financial reasons.
If even a hundred of you subscribed to the show at the lowest level ($2 USD, that's right, two dollars US, per month), that would get me back to every other week for both shows. All of the money after Patreon's cut goes back into funding the programs. This is a labor of love, not of profit.
Thanks in advance for those who help, and please don't run from this page for having seen this here. It won't happen often, promise.
Each show has its own page by the way, so you can see what is being broadcast each month.

creating From The Isle of Music & Uncle Bill's Melting Pot

06/07/2024

Uncle Bill's Melting Pot, July 20, 2024
On July 20, 2024, we will feature various multiethnic music that blends musical styles from different cultures
Times & Frequencies (note new schedule) are:
1700-1800 UTC 9670 kHz with beam E-F towards South Asia
1900-2000 UTC 3955 & 6070 kHz (omnidirectional for Europe and beyond)
2300-2400 UTC 3955 kHz (omnidirectional for Europe and beyond)
All transmissions from Channel 292, Rohrbach, Germany

Even if you are listening on a remote websdr rather than a radio, we will still acknowledge reception reports with an eQSL IF:
1. The entire program is listened to and reported
2. which web SDR is clearly specified (that will be mentioned on the eQSL)
Shorter reports will be acknowledged with a brief note of thanks.

07/06/2024

Uncle Bill's Melting Pot, June 15, 2024
On June 15, 2024, we will feature music from Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Times & Frequencies (note new schedule) are:
1700-1800 UTC 9670 kHz with beam E-F towards South Asia
1900-2000 UTC 3955 & 6070 kHz (omnidirectional for Europe and beyond)
2300-2400 UTC 3955 kHz (omnidirectional for Europe and beyond)
All transmissions from Channel 292, Rohrbach, Germany
We will recognize listening on a websdr with an eQSL IF
1. The entire program is listened to and reported
2. which web SDR is clearly specified (that will be mentioned on the eQSL)
Shorter reports will be acknowledged with a brief note of thanks.

09/05/2024

Uncle Bill's Melting Pot, May 2024
This month, our guests are
1. Clay Ross, leader of the American Patchwork Quartet, an excellent multiethnic project (including Falu, a previous guest on this show) sharing some of their debut album by the same name.
2. Eugene Pao in Hong Kong, China's foremost jazz guitarist, with some of his most recent release which includes guest trumpeter Randy Brecker.
Times and frequencies for May 18, 2024 are
0900-1000 UTC 9670 kHz with beam D (Eastern Europe and Eurasia)
1900-2000 UTC 3955 and 6070 kHz (omnidirectional)
All on Channel 292 from Rohrbach, Germany.

Additionally, On May 18, 2300-2400 UTC, we are doing a test broadcast of the last From the Isle of Music on 3955 and 9670
On May 19, 2300-2400 UTC, we are doing a test repeat broadcast of the Uncle Bill's Melting Pot on 3955 and 9670

21/04/2024

Thanks to all who responded to our first new episode April 20. It is great to be reconnecting with listeners we had not heard from for a while and meeting some new ones.
We are going to keep the 3955 transmission as part of our final schedule.

Send a message to learn more

31/03/2024

Dear radio friends,
Beginning April 20, we begin monthly broadcasts on Radio Channel 292 from Rohrbach, Germany. It will be every third Saturday as follows:
0900-1000 UTC (1100-1200 CEST): 9670 kHz, optimized for Eastern Europe.
1900-2000 UTC (2100-2200 CEST): 6070 kHz
For April 20 specifically, we are adding a test simulcast :
1900-2000 UTC (2100-2200 CEST): 3955 kHz
If you are in Europe (including Western Russia), North Africa and parts of the Middle East, you should be able to get at least one of these on your shortwave radio. Everyone else might need to use a web sdr, but we do accept reception reports using those for EQSLs as long as you (a) report on the whole show and (b) specify which SDR you used.
Our April 20 broadcast will musically circumnavigate the globe.

Send a message to learn more

23/02/2024

Dear radio friends,
Our last broadcast on WBCQ The Planet 7490 kHz on the shortwave bands will be Sunday, March 17 from 6-7pm EST (2200-2300 UTC).
The program will also stream on wbcq.com (it is livestream ONLY, not available on demand).
This will touch on St. Patrick's Day, Daylight Savings Time, spring training in US baseball and some goodies from around the world.
In April the show will be migrating to Europe. More details in the coming weeks. This is not an easy decision - we were born on WBCQ, and it was very good to us over the years, but there isn't enough financial support to do both the Americas and Europe.

14/02/2024

Dear radio friends,
Our next broadcast will be on WBCQ The Planet 7490 kHz on the shortwave bands Sunday, February 18 from 6-7pm EST (2300-0000 UTC).
The program will also stream on wbcq.com (it is livestream ONLY, not available on demand).
The first half will feature our special guest Falu, a GRAMMY® winner with multiple nominations whose biography is as fascinating and impressive as her music, often referred to as "Indie Hindi". She will share some of her music and talk about projects past and present.
The second half will feature a tribute to the late Peter Schickele (aka P.D.Q. Bach), perhaps the most brilliant classical music parodist who ever lived and a serious composer in his own right, who passed away last month.

10/01/2024

Dear radio friends,
Our next broadcast will be on WBCQ The Planet 7490 kHz on the shortwave bands Sunday, January 21 from 6-7pm EST (2300-0000 UTC).
The program will also stream on wbcq.com (it is livestream ONLY, not available on demand).
This episode is fully sponsored (with our gratitude) by Doug Feldmann, and at his request we will feature both traditional and current music from Sweden.

01/01/2024

Happy 2024!

13/12/2023

Dear radio friends,
Our next broadcast will be on WBCQ The Planet 7490 kHz on the shortwave bands Sunday, December 17 from 6-7pm EST (2300-0000 UTC).
The program will also stream on wbcq.com (it is livestream ONLY, not available on demand).
Our first half will feature vintage Brazilian funk from the 1980s, the second half Greek laika cinematic classics, mostly from the 60s and 70s. Fast temporary relief from the holiday music coming at ya from all directions.

Dear radio friends,
Our next broadcast will be on WBCQ The Planet 7490 kHz on the shortwave bands Sunday, November 19 from 6-7pm EST (2300-0000 UTC).
The program will also stream on wbcq.com (it is livestream ONLY, not available on demand).
Our special guest is Madi Das, who has been with us before. This time he presents the followup album to last year's GRAMMY-nominated Mantra Americana, Mantra Americana II. We'll also have some musical surprises.

16/11/2023

Dear radio friends,
Our next broadcast will be on WBCQ The Planet 7490 kHz on the shortwave bands Sunday, November 19 from 6-7pm EST (2300-0000 UTC).
The program will also stream on wbcq.com (it is livestream ONLY, not available on demand).
Our special guest is Madi Das, who has been with us before. This time he presents the followup album to last year's GRAMMY-nominated Mantra Americana, Mantra Americana II. We'll also have some musical surprises.

02/11/2023

NOTICE TO LISTENERS:
When the time changes in the US on November 5, we will stay at 6-7pm ET (from EDT to EST), meaning our UTC will become 2300-0000 until the Spring.

11/10/2023

Dear radio friends,
Our next broadcast will be on WBCQ The Planet 7490 kHz on the shortwave bands Sunday, October 15 from 6pm-7pm ET (currently 2200-2300 UTC). This is a time share with our other program, From The Isle of Music (on the first Sunday of each month) and Julio Cesar Pereira's Ginga Brasil! (on the second and fourth Sundays). When there is a fifth Sunday (and there is this month), it will be Doug's Comedy Favorites.
In addition to some other odds and ends, we will have two special guests on the 15th:
In our first half-hour, Vanessa Thomas, a multi-genre vocalist with a 5-octave range who has toured with Doc Severinsen for many years and sung with various symphonies, will join us with her debut jazz album under her own name, Life Is Like A Song. In the second half hour, Eugene Rodriguez, leader of the prolific (over 30 recordings) Los Cenzontles, will present their brand new release Son Con Son, a tasty fusion of Mexican son jarocho and Cuban son cubano.
If you can't catch us with your shortwave radio (some parts of Europe may have interference from other stations), we are not available on demand, but you CAN catch a livestream DURING THE BROADCAST ONLY at the station's website (wbcq.com) or use a web sdr (we do honor reception reports using web sdrs if you listen to the whole show and let us know which one, we also respond to correspondence if you listened on line).

09/09/2023

Dear radio friends,
Our next broadcast will be on WBCQ The Planet 7490 kHz on the shortwave bands Sunday, September 17 from 6pm-7pm ET (currently 2200-2300 UTC). This is a time share with our other program, From The Isle of Music (on the first Sunday of each month) and Julio Cesar Pereira's Ginga Brasil! (on the second and fourth Sundays). When there is a fifth Sunday it will be Doug's Comedy Favorites.
We will have two special guests on the 17th. Our main feature will be Julien Poulson of The Cambodian Space Project, speaking to us from Australia, who will give us a sneak preview of their forthcoming album The Golden Phoenix. Later in the program, US-based Jazz composer/leader/drummer/radio-tv host/educator/chef Jae Sinnett will share a track from his wonderful new album Commitment.
If you can't catch us with your shortwave radio (some parts of Europe may have interference from other stations), we are not available on demand, but you CAN catch a livestream DURING THE BROADCAST ONLY at the station's website (wbcq.com) or use a web sdr (we do honor reception reports using web sdrs if you listen to the whole show and let us know which one, we also respond to correspondence if you listened on line).

14/08/2023

Dear radio friends,
We are coming back after a brief hiatus August 20 as a monthly on the third Sunday of each month on WBCQ The Planet 7490 kHz on the shortwave bands from 6pm-7pm ET (currently 2200-2300 UTC). This is a time share with our other program, From The Isle of Music (on the first Sunday of each month) and Julio Cesar Pereira's Ginga Brasil! (on the second and fourth Sunday). When there is a fifth Sunday it will be Doug's Comedy Favorites.
We will have two special guests on the 20th. Storms will be with us from India in the first half hour to present his new South Indian devotional music-jazz-fusion album by The Indica Project, Aum. Irina Sarbu will be with us from Romania in the second half hour to present her new jazz album At the End of July.
If you can't catch us with your shortwave radio (some parts of Europe may have interference from other stations), we are not available on demand, but you CAN catch a livestream DURING THE BROADCAST ONLY at wbcq.com or use a web sdr (we do honor reception reports using web sdrs if you listen to the whole show and let us know which one, we also respond to correspondence if you listened on line).

11/07/2023

https://swling.com/blog/2023/07/returning-to-shortwave-from-the-isle-of-music-uncle-bills-melting-pot-and-ginga-brasil/?fbclid=IwAR1KFLzUkkDivc3beZAp6QiSRLjKctmWSRIiazXhtLUk4WpA54OiemMX5SY

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bill Tilford, who shares the following announcement: From the Isle of Music, Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot and Ginga Brasil! Return To Shortwave On August 6…

30/05/2023

Dear listeners:
Uncle Bill's Melting Pot will be on hiatus throughout June, possibly longer. We will advise you of further developments in a few weeks.

18/05/2023

Uncle Bill's Melting Pot, May 21 world date:
This week, we feature authentic (and for most listeners, obscure) folk songs from Australia, mostly from the 1800s.
You can hear us:
1. Sunday 0300 UTC (11pm EDT Saturday night, May 20 in the Americas) on our 5130 kHz Radio Angela frequency. It is preceded at 0200 UTC by Julio Cesar Pereira's Ginga Brasil!, always the best music that Brazil has to offer, and before that at 0100 UTC , Harmony Barn Sessions.
2. Sunday 2200-2300 UTC (6pm-7pm EDT Sunday) on 7490 kHz, the hour before is the amazing Marion's Attic and the hour after is Harry Shearer's Le Show. A nice three hour block of entertainment!

13/05/2023

Uncle Bill's Melting Pot, May 14 world date:
This week, we feature Shishani & Namibian Tales.
You can hear us:
1. Sunday 0300 UTC (11pm EDT Saturday night, May 6) in the Americas) on our 5130 kHz Radio Angela frequency. It is preceded at 0200 UTC by Julio Cesar Pereira's Ginga Brasil!, always the best music that Brazil has to offer, and before that at 0100 UTC , Harmony Barn Sessions.
2. Sunday 2200-2300 UTC (6pm-7pm EDT Sunday) on 7490 kHz, the hour before is the amazing Marion's Attic and the hour after is Harry Shearer's Le Show. A nice three hour block of entertainment!

26/04/2023

Uncle Bill's Melting Pot, May 7 world date:
This week, we feature the multicultural Al Andaluz Project, a collaboration between German, Spanish and Moroccan musicians that explores the Moorish period of music in Spain.
You can hear us:
1. Sunday 0300 UTC (11pm EDT Saturday night, May 6) in the Americas) on our 5130 kHz Radio Angela frequency. It is preceded at 0200 UTC by Julio Cesar Pereira's Ginga Brasil!, always the best music that Brazil has to offer, and before that at 0100 UTC , Harmony Barn Sessions.
2. Sunday 2200-2300 UTC (6pm-7pm EDT Sunday) on 7490 kHz, the hour before is the amazing Marion's Attic and the hour after is Harry Shearer's Le Show. A nice three hour block of entertainment!

22/04/2023

Uncle Bill's Melting Pot, April 23 world date:
Repeat: This week, we focus on two candombe jazz-rock-fusion groups from Uruguay in the 1970s, Totem and Opa.
You can hear us:
Sunday 2200-2300 UTC (6pm-7pm EDT Sunday) on 7490 kHz, the hour before is the amazing Marion's Attic and the hour after is Harry Shearer's Le Show. A nice three hour block of entertainment!

No 5130 this week due to problems with the transmitter.

14/04/2023

Uncle Bill's Melting Pot, April 16 world date:
This week, we focus on two candombe jazz-rock-fusion groups from Uruguay in the 1970s, Totem and Opa.
You can hear us:
1. Sunday 0300 UTC (11pm ET Saturday night, April 15 in the Americas) on our 5130 kHz Radio Angela frequency. It is preceded at 0200 UTC by Julio Cesar Pereira's Ginga Brasil!, always the best music that Brazil has to offer, and before that at 0100 UTC , Harmony Barn Sessions.
2. Sunday 2200-2300 UTC (6pm-7pm EDT Sunday) on 7490 kHz, the hour before is the amazing Marion's Attic and the hour after is Harry Shearer's Le Show. A nice three hour block of entertainment!

05/04/2023

Uncle Bill's Melting Pot, April 9 world date:
This week, we honor Jazz Appreciation Month with an hour of early jazz by several of its early stars.
You can hear us:
1. Sunday 0300 UTC (11pm ET Saturday night, April 8 in the Americas) on our 5130 kHz Radio Angela frequency. It is preceded at 0200 UTC by Julio Cesar Pereira's Ginga Brasil!, always the best music that Brazil has to offer, and before that at 0100 UTC , Harmony Barn Sessions.
2. Sunday 2200-2300 UTC (6pm-7pm ET Sunday) on 7490 kHz, the hour before is the amazing Marion's Attic and the hour after is Harry Shearer's Le Show. A nice three hour block of entertainment!

28/03/2023

Uncle Bill's Melting Pot, April 2 world date:
This week, in honor of April Fools Day (April 1) in the US, we feature songs that have some relationship to the day or to April or to fools generally.
You can hear us:
1. Sunday 0300 UTC (11pm ET Saturday night, March 18 in the Americas) on our 5130 kHz Radio Angela frequency. It is preceded at 0200 UTC by Julio Cesar Pereira's Ginga Brasil!, always the best music that Brazil has to offer, and before that at 0100 UTC , Harmony Barn Sessions.
2. Sunday 2200-2300 UTC (6pm-7pm ET Sunday) on 7490 kHz, the hour before is the amazing Marion's Attic and the hour after is Harry Shearer's Le Show. A nice three hour block of entertainment!

23/03/2023

NEW UTC:
Uncle Bill's Melting Pot, March 26 world date:
This week, we present some musical "mutants", bands that mash up different styles.
You can hear us:
1. Sunday 0300 UTC (11pm ET Saturday night, March 18 in the Americas) on our 5130 kHz Radio Angela frequency. It is preceded at 0200 UTC by Julio Cesar Pereira's Ginga Brasil!, always the best music that Brazil has to offer, and before that at 0100 UTC , Harmony Barn Sessions.
2. Sunday 2200-2300 UTC (6pm-7pm ET Sunday) on 7490 kHz, the hour before is the amazing Marion's Attic and the hour after is Harry Shearer's Le Show. A nice three hour block of entertainment!