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Welcome to the audio home page for CONFERENCE of the BIRDS, a weekly radio program/podcast featuring a heterogeneous, intra-continental mix of music, poetry, speech, and song. Released from the wan perniciousness of the ’global village’, the birds are assembled in concert/consort here for a free recital of juxtaposed, contrastive, intermingled musics, and for phases, forms, and statements of musical redress, recalcitrance, recumbence, renewal, revolt, repair, revolution...and more. Listen weekly for a new ensemble of classical, folk, ritual, spiritual, avant-garde, experimental, religious, popular, poetic, political, party-able, danceable sounds and songs, in various genres, forms, formats, and styles, ranging from free-jazz, flamenco, and Javanese gamelan to field recordings, folk songs, and Indian film music, to salsa, samba, disco, Raï, Algerian cha’abi and be-bop. Conference Of the Birds (COB) airs LIVE, Friday evenings, 9:00 - 12:00 midnight, Eastern USA time, on WRFI and WINO (Ithaca/Odessa), community radio for Central New York and the Finger Lakes. Broadcasting to the world on the net via www.wrfi.org and Radio Garden: https://radio.garden/listen/wrfi-ithaca-community-radio/0N0fROGD#google_vignette. Episodes are available 24/7 online. Always free, commercial free, and free of commercial, corporate, or capitalist intent.
Episodes

Monday Mar 17, 2025
Conference of the Birds, 3-14-25
Monday Mar 17, 2025
Monday Mar 17, 2025
THIS WEEK's BIRDS: Malian vocalist Coumba Sibide; vintage congolese pop from Mpongo Love; soukous from Josky Kiambukuta & Madilu System; rumba congoliase from Emeneya & Victoria Eleison; cante jondo from Jose Mercé, Fernanda de Utrera, Potito (erstwhile flamenco nuevo vocalist) & others; samba from Noite Ilustrada, Maysa, Jorge Ben Jor & MPB from Nara Leão & others; border corrido from Las Madrugadres; Giorgio Gallini performed by Tiziana Ghiglioni & (of course) Giorgio Gallini; Vera Bila & Kale (Czech Roma song); New etude for solo saxoophone from Ben Solomon; and, as always, so much, much more.
Catch the BIRDS live on Friday nights, 9:00pm-MIDNIGHT (EST), in Central New York on WRFI, 88.1 FM Ithaca/ 88.5 FM Odessa;. and WORLDWIDE online via our MUSIC PLAYER at WRFI.ORG. 24/7 via PODBEAN:
https://conferenceofthebirds.podbean.com/
via iTUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conference-of-the-birds-podcast/id478688580
Also available at podomatic, Internet Archive, podtail, iheart Radio, and elsewhere.
Always FREE of charge to listen to the radio program and free also to stream, download, and subscribe to the podcast online:
PLAYLIST at SPINITRON:
https://spinitron.com/WRFI/pl/20294697/Conference-of-the-Birds
and via the Conference of the Birds page at www.WRFI.ORG
https://www.wrfi.org/wrfiprograms/conferenceofthebirds/
Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/conferenceofthebirds/?ref=bookmarks
Find WRFI on Radio Garden:

Saturday Mar 01, 2025
Conference of the Birds, 2-28-25
Saturday Mar 01, 2025
Saturday Mar 01, 2025
THIS WEEK's BIRDS: cante jondo (pop) from Love y Manuel as well as Naike Ponce and pianist Melodie Gimard w. El Chozas de Jerez (vocalist) Abdel Karim Alkabli from Sudan; Maryam Saleh, Maurice Louca & Tamer Abu Ghazaleh; Jason Moran (piano) w. Milford Graves (percussion); Patricia Brennan Sextet; Nicole Mitchell w. Ballaké Sissoko; from Mali: Papa & Kandia Kouyaté; Hawa Dramé; Warda in duet w. Abade al Johar; Fado from Carlos do Carmo, Lucilia do Carmo, Amalia Rodrigues; Sally Gates w. Steve Hirsch & Daniel Carter; from Côte d'Ivoire: Pierre Sandwidi; Philly Joe Jones reprises Gershwin; vintage Congolese music from Kwamy et son Orchestre; Petranka Kostadinova, as well as Ilieva Glogovac Vaska (Roma song); of course, so much, much more...
Catch the BIRDS live on Friday nights, 9:00pm-MIDNIGHT (EST), in Central New York on WRFI, 88.1 FM Ithaca/ 88.5 FM Odessa;. and WORLDWIDE online via our MUSIC PLAYER at WRFI.ORG. 24/7 via PODBEAN:
https://conferenceofthebirds.podbean.com/
via iTUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conference-of-the-birds-podcast/id478688580
Also available at podomatic, Internet Archive, podtail, iheart Radio, and elsewhere.
Always FREE of charge to listen to the radio program and free also to stream, download, and subscribe to the podcast online:
PLAYLIST at SPINITRON:
https://spinitron.com/WRFI/pl/20294697/Conference-of-the-Birds
and via the Conference of the Birds page at www.WRFI.ORG
https://www.wrfi.org/wrfiprograms/conferenceofthebirds/
Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/conferenceofthebirds/?ref=bookmarks
Find WRFI on Radio Garden:

Saturday Feb 22, 2025
Conference of the Birds, 2-21-25
Saturday Feb 22, 2025
Saturday Feb 22, 2025
THIS WEEK's BIRDS: vintage Roy Haynes (revisted); Sun Ra w. Walt Dickerson (piano/vibes duo); new jazz from Jesica Jones Quartet; Tajik Disco from Khurmo Shirinova; experimental electric(ish) jazz from Janel Leptin as well as Mendoza Hoff Revels and Drazek Fuscaldo (erstwhile Moca Sica, w. Hamid Drake, Tatsu Aoki, Thymme Jones, and Joshua Abrams); new Pakistani vocal raga from Ustad Saami; Uzbek song from K. Khadzhiev; experimental pop from Asa Horvitz, Carmen Quill, Ariadne Randall & Wayne Horvitz; vintage North African music/songs, including L'Orchestre National Mauritanien, Salim Halal (in Morocco). Dahmane el Harrache (Algerian cha'abi); Chef Nasro (Algerian Rai via French cabaret); Cheikh Sabah (Arabo-Andalusian classical music from Morocco); new directions in Gnawa from Asma Hamzaoui & Bnat Tombouctou as well as Maalem Abdenbi El Meknassi; and of course, so much, much more...
Catch the BIRDS live on Friday nights, 9:00pm-MIDNIGHT (EST), in Central New York on WRFI, 88.1 FM Ithaca/ 88.5 FM Odessa;. and WORLDWIDE online via our MUSIC PLAYER at WRFI.ORG. 24/7 via PODBEAN:
https://conferenceofthebirds.podbean.com/
via iTUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conference-of-the-birds-podcast/id478688580
Also available at podomatic, Internet Archive, podtail, iheart Radio, and elsewhere.
Always FREE of charge to listen to the radio program and free also to stream, download, and subscribe to the podcast online:
PLAYLIST at SPINITRON:
https://spinitron.com/WRFI/pl/20260345/Conference-of-the-Birds
and via the Conference of the Birds page at www.WRFI.ORG
https://www.wrfi.org/wrfiprograms/conferenceofthebirds/
Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/conferenceofthebirds/?ref=bookmarks
Find WRFI on Radio Garden:

Tuesday Feb 11, 2025
Conference of the Birds, 2-7-25
Tuesday Feb 11, 2025
Tuesday Feb 11, 2025
THIS WEEK's BIRDS: Congolese rumba from Moutouari Côme Kosmos; Youlou Mabiala; salsa from Raphy Leavitt; from Haiti: Ti Band L'avenir; new jazz from Kevin Sun; Ben Solomon; Dennis Gonzalez Legacy Band; Beth Custer; vintage bop/rumba from Sabu Martinez & Sahib Shihab; Roma song from Pitsa Negri, Shrepsa Berisha, Bajrami Selime; raga from Nirmala Rajesekar; new music from Michael Bisio; Edobayashi music from Hozonkai; poetry & song from Sara Serpa; and of course, so much, much more...
Catch the BIRDS live on Friday nights, 9:00pm-MIDNIGHT (EST), in Central New York on WRFI, 88.1 FM Ithaca/ 88.5 FM Odessa;. and WORLDWIDE online via our MUSIC PLAYER at WRFI.ORG. 24/7 via PODBEAN:
https://conferenceofthebirds.podbean.com/
via iTUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conference-of-the-birds-podcast/id478688580
Also available at podomatic, Internet Archive, podtail, iheart Radio, and elsewhere.
Always FREE of charge to listen to the radio program and free also to stream, download, and subscribe to the podcast online:
PLAYLIST at SPINITRON:
https://spinitron.com/WRFI/pl/20190487/Conference-of-the-Birds
and via the Conference of the Birds page at www.WRFI.ORG
https://www.wrfi.org/wrfiprograms/conferenceofthebirds/
Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/conferenceofthebirds/?ref=bookmarks
FIND WRFI on Radio Garden:

Saturday Feb 01, 2025
Conference of the Birds, 1-31-25
Saturday Feb 01, 2025
Saturday Feb 01, 2025
THIS WEEK's BIRDS: Positive Knowledge; Sara Serpa w. Onisephone Nembe; James Brandon Lewis; Booker Ervin; Manzanita; el Lebrijano; Orquesta Aragon; Orquesta Ymbo; Finaçon; Chaou Abdelkader; Roberto Anglero; Kerfala Kante; and of course, so much, much more...
Episode culled from earlier programs ca. 2021.***
Catch the BIRDS live on Friday nights, 9:00pm-MIDNIGHT (EST), in Central New York on WRFI, 88.1 FM Ithaca/ 88.5 FM Odessa;. and WORLDWIDE online via our MUSIC PLAYER at WRFI.ORG. 24/7 via PODBEAN:
https://conferenceofthebirds.podbean.com/
via iTUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conference-of-the-birds-podcast/id478688580
Also available at podomatic, Internet Archive, podtail, iheart Radio, and elsewhere.
Always FREE of charge to listen to the radio program and free also to stream, download, and subscribe to the podcast online:
PLAYLIST at SPINITRON:
https://spinitron.com/m/playlist/view/20156163https://spinitron.com/m/playlist/view/20156163
and via the Conference of the Birds page at www.WRFI.ORG
https://www.wrfi.org/wrfiprograms/conferenceofthebirds/
Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/conferenceofthebirds/?ref=bookmarks
FIND WRFI on Radio Garden:

Friday Jan 17, 2025
Conference of the Birds, 1-3-25
Friday Jan 17, 2025
Friday Jan 17, 2025
THIS WEEK's BIRDS: new/recent creative/improvised music from Henry Taylor; Kim Cass; Matt Mitchell w. Kate Gentile; Joel Ross;; Linda Sikhaklhane; as well as Joy Guidry; vintage music from Michael Cosmic, Phil. Musra, World's Experience Orchestra; vintage samba from Paulinho da Viola; Elton Medeiros; Aliade Costa; Moroccan melhûn (sung poetry) from Cheikh Mwijo; new Arabic song from SHIRAN (w/ El Khat); raga (vocal) Fateh Ali Khan; new music from Chad Fowler, George Cartwright, Kelley Hurt, Christopher Parker, Luke Stewart, Steve Hirsch, Zoh Ambah; oud solo from Iran (Mohammadreza Ebrahimi); Tuti Island Band (from Sudan); and of course, so much, much more...
Catch the BIRDS live on Friday nights, 9:00pm-MIDNIGHT (EST), in Central New York on WRFI, 88.1 FM Ithaca/ 88.5 FM Odessa;. and WORLDWIDE online via our MUSIC PLAYER at WRFI.ORG. 24/7 via PODBEAN:
https://conferenceofthebirds.podbean.com/
via iTUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conference-of-the-birds-podcast/id478688580
Also available at podomatic, Internet Archive, podtail, iheart Radio, and elsewhere.
Always FREE of charge to listen to the radio program and free also to stream, download, and subscribe to the podcast online:
PLAYLIST at SPINITRON:
https://spinitron.com/WRFI/pl/20027606/Conference-of-the-Birds
and via the Conference of the Birds page at www.WRFI.ORG
https://www.wrfi.org/wrfiprograms/conferenceofthebirds/
Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/conferenceofthebirds/?ref=bookmarks
FIND WRFI on Radio Garden:

Saturday Jan 11, 2025
Conference of the Birds, 12-27-24
Saturday Jan 11, 2025
Saturday Jan 11, 2025
THIS WEEK's BIRDS: poetry & music from Sara Serpa; Oum Koulsum; Xmas redux from, Roland Kirk; Max Roach x 2 (w. Rev. Jeremiah Wright); Horoya Band National (from Guinea); salsa from. Adalberto Santiago & Orquesta Cimarrón; Karl Evangelista's Apura; Sababa 5 w. Yureka; Steve Lacy Sextet; Lucas Niggli Zoom Ensemble; and of course, so much, much more...
Catch the BIRDS live on Friday nights, 9:00pm-MIDNIGHT (EST), in Central New York on WRFI, 88.1 FM Ithaca/ 88.5 FM Odessa;. and WORLDWIDE online via our MUSIC PLAYER at WRFI.ORG. 24/7 via PODBEAN:
https://conferenceofthebirds.podbean.com/
via iTUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conference-of-the-birds-podcast/id478688580
Also available at podomatic, Internet Archive, podtail, iheart Radio, and elsewhere.
Always FREE of charge to listen to the radio program and free also to stream, download, and subscribe to the podcast online:
PLAYLIST at SPINITRON:
https://spinitron.com/WRFI/pl/19997572/Conference-of-the-Birds
and via the Conference of the Birds page at www.WRFI.ORG
https://www.wrfi.org/wrfiprograms/conferenceofthebirds/
Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/conferenceofthebirds/?ref=bookmarks
FIND WRFI on Radio Garden:

Friday Jan 03, 2025
Conference of the Birds, 12-20-24
Friday Jan 03, 2025
Friday Jan 03, 2025
THIS WEEK's BIRDS: Afghani legend Nashenas; Baul singer Arati Biswas; Shatr Collective (from Lebanon); Moroccan pop group Raja; Hüseyin Ertunç; Booker T. ; poetry & music from Fred Moten/Brandon Lopez/Gerald Cleaver; Alexis Cuadrado; Roma singer Ljiljana Buttler; Eva Ayllón & Diego El Cigala; Ana Firmino; Coltrane Quartet; McCoy Tyner w/ Joe Henderson (from the archives); Simaro Ndomanueno Lutumba; Franco; and of course, so much, much more...
Catch the BIRDS live on Friday nights, 9:00pm-MIDNIGHT (EST), in Central New York on WRFI, 88.1 FM Ithaca/ 88.5 FM Odessa;. and WORLDWIDE online via our MUSIC PLAYER at WRFI.ORG. 24/7 via PODBEAN:
https://conferenceofthebirds.podbean.com/
via iTUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conference-of-the-birds-podcast/id478688580
Also available at podomatic, Internet Archive, podtail, iheart Radio, and elsewhere.
Always FREE of charge to listen to the radio program and free also to stream, download, and subscribe to the podcast online:
PLAYLIST at SPINITRON:
https://spinitron.com/WRFI/pl/19966540/Conference-of-the-Birds
and via the Conference of the Birds page at www.WRFI.ORG
https://www.wrfi.org/wrfiprograms/conferenceofthebirds/
Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/conferenceofthebirds/?ref=bookmarks
FIND WRFI on Radio Garden:

Saturday Dec 28, 2024
Conference of the Birds, 11-29-24
Saturday Dec 28, 2024
Saturday Dec 28, 2024
THIS WEEK's BIRDS: music from Gaza: Henna Haj Hassan, Ensemble musical de Palestine,Saied Silbak w. Rola Azar; from Lebannon: Fairouz and Fouad al Hakim; salsa from Ray Peréz & Impacto Crea; poet/ scriptwriter/bolero exponent Sylvia Rexach (from Puerto Rico); Kaiti Grey reprises Tsitsanis; new poetry/music/word from Irreversible Entanglments and Cleaver, Lopez, Moten; Albanian song reprised by Savina Yannatou, Floros Floridis & Barry Guy w. Ramón Lopez; pianist Aruán Ortiz; Lusofonia: new Elza Soares (Brazil), from Cabo Verde: Rosa Mestra (also new), Nancy Vieira (also new); choral bop from Andrew Hill; more hard bop from Odean Pope and Louie Smith; vocalist Jitendra Abhisheki (w. Harihar Rao) salutes Krisha; dhruopad from Nirmalya Dey; music from Nepal (nagara bana horn ensemble); bass x 4: Barre Phillips, Joëlle Léandre, William Parker & Tetsu Saitoh; and of course, so much, much more...
Catch the BIRDS live on Friday nights, 9:00pm-MIDNIGHT (EST), in Central New York on WRFI, 88.1 FM Ithaca/ 88.5 FM Odessa;. and WORLDWIDE online via our MUSIC PLAYER at WRFI.ORG. 24/7 via PODBEAN:
https://conferenceofthebirds.podbean.com/
via iTUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conference-of-the-birds-podcast/id478688580
Also available at podomatic, Internet Archive, podtail, iheart Radio, and elsewhere.
Always FREE of charge to listen to the radio program and free also to stream, download, and subscribe to the podcast online:
PLAYLIST at SPINITRON:
https://spinitron.com/WRFI/pl/19868432/Conference-of-the-Birds
and via the Conference of the Birds page at www.WRFI.ORG
https://www.wrfi.org/wrfiprograms/conferenceofthebirds/
Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/conferenceofthebirds/?ref=bookmarks
FIND WRFI on Radio Garden:

Saturday Nov 30, 2024
Conference of the Birds, 11-22-24
Saturday Nov 30, 2024
Saturday Nov 30, 2024
THIS WEEK's BIRDS: new music from Jenny Schienman (jazz) Ahmed Monica (Algerian pop), Zy the Way (poetry/song from Taiwan); Archie Sheep w. Jeanne Lee; Balkan Song from Zajazi Trio; Dragica Radosavljevic; hard bop from Leo Wright, Charlie Persip; Egyptian vocalist Maryem Saleh; Greek song (Laikos) from Kalafatis Kostas, Antzela Grekal; Experimental Perisan music from Shawn Tavakkol; Mat Maneri, Gordon Grdina, Marco Colonna, Giulia Cianca & Mario Cianca collaborate; extended Anthony Braxton composition; Pipet L.(from Java); experiemtnal pop from Etienne de la Sayette, Wild Horses Orchestra & Mrs Kang; drummer Whit Dickey w. Quartet; much, much more...
Catch the BIRDS live on Friday nights, 9:00pm-MIDNIGHT (EST), in Central New York on WRFI, 88.1 FM Ithaca/ 88.5 FM Odessa;. and WORLDWIDE online via our MUSIC PLAYER at WRFI.ORG. 24/7 via PODBEAN:
https://conferenceofthebirds.podbean.com/
via iTUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conference-of-the-birds-podcast/id478688580
Also available at podomatic, Internet Archive, podtail, iheart Radio, and elsewhere.
Always FREE of charge to listen to the radio program and free also to stream, download, and subscribe to the podcast online:
PLAYLIST at SPINITRON:
https://spinitron.com/WRFI/pl/19838277/Conference-of-the-Birdshttps://spinitron.com/WRFI/pl/19838277/Conference-of-the-Birds
and via the Conference of the Birds page at www.WRFI.ORG
https://www.wrfi.org/wrfiprograms/conferenceofthebirds/
Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/conferenceofthebirds/?ref=bookmarks
FIND WRFI on Radio Garden: