The Chiofta
A Weekly Podcast by Haji Mike - everyday stories of life on the road by a global citizen who makes music, radio and teaches. Where memories explore culture as a spoken lived experience.
Episodes
43 episodes
The Chiofta Episode 44 - Zorba The Greek
The Chiofta Episode 44 - Zorba The Greek - the final instalment in the current Chiofta series, a podcast about songs, takes us back to a night in the 1980s and DJing at an event in the Isle of Dogs in deepest East London. That night, was a life...
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13:30
The Chiofta Episode 43 - Tzatziki
The Chiofta Podcast with Haji Mike - a podcast series about songs - Episode 43 - Tzatziki is a song written by the Kenyan artist
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12:13
The Chiofta Episode 42 - Joy & Pain
The Chiofta Podcast with Haji Mike - a podcast series about songs - Episode 42 - Joy & Pain - one of the finest soul songs ever written by Maze featuring Frankie Beverly. His recent passing is very sad...
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18:32
The Chiofta Episode 41 - Wise Men - San Ton Tobo Sou Den Esshi
The Chiofta Podcast with Haji Mike - a podcast series about songs - Episode 41 – Wise Men – San Ton Tobo Sou Den Esshi – That's right, you hear a brand-new Haji Mike song on The Chiofta before ...
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19:26
The Chiofta Episode 40 - Samba Pa Ti
The Chiofta Podcast with Haji Mike - a podcast series about songs - Episode 40 - Samba Pa Ti, one of Santana's finest songs has no words but his guitar speaks volumes. How do we talk about a song with no lyrics? Easy, just sit back, enjoy and t...
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17:54
The Chiofta Episode 39 - Vrakaman
The Chiofta Podcast with Haji Mike - a podcast series about songs - Episode 39 - Vrakaman - the most celebrated Haji Mike song finally becomes a Chiofta. A song that combines where we come from with where it's at. Uniquely London and Cypriot at...
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19:14
The Chiofta Episode 38 - Stavroulla
The Chiofta Podcast with Haji Mike - a podcast series about songs - Episode 38 - Stavroulla - the story of Stavroulla retraces the origins of one of Haji Mike's most famous songs back to 1992 in Haringey, where the musician was inspired by the ...
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17:37
The Chiofta Episode 37 - Golden Brown
The Chiofta Podcast with Haji Mike - Golden Brown is one of my favourite driving songs, although the meaning of this uncoventional 1982 hit from The Stranglers was more about heroin and/or love. As Punk morphed into New Wave, by the late 70's a...
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14:47
The Chiofta Episode 36 - Eucalyptus Tree
The Chiofta Podcast with Haji Mike - Eucalyptus Tree is about the very public killing of Savvas Menikos in Lefkoniko on 23rd May 1958. Exploring deas of mob rule and who feeds the mob with lies, parallels are drawn with recent tragic even...
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18:29
The Chiofta Podcast Episode 35 Reggaezekiko
The Chiofta Podcast with Haji Mike explores songs and their inspirations. A new Reggae Zebekiko called 'Reggaezekiko' honours my parents. Grief is painful, but recalling my parents' wisdom and teachings and incorporating them into this song hel...
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15:23
The Chiofta Episode 34 - London Town
The Chiofta Podcast with Haji Mike - ‘London Town’ is in the air and Light of The World’s song takes me back to a teenage past and the vibe of the city I will always long for. Big bassline, drum grooves, nice vibes and great memories, from past...
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13:52
The Chiofta Episode 33 - Stay
The Chiofta Podcast with Haji Mike - Martha Lewis and Eve Polycarpou are two gifted artists who I have known and played with since the 1990s. Their song, 'Stay' is inspiring...they are simply my long lost soul sisters packed with a wicked sense...
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17:03
The Chiofta Episode 32 - To Klaman Tou Voskou - The Cry of The Shepherd
The Chiofta Podcast with Haji Mike - To Klaman Tou Voskou - The Cry of The Shepherd - an instrumental song by my dear friend and mentor Zacharias Hajishacalli aka Sugar, I got to hear this song just after it was mixed, it made a lasting i...
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14:08
The Chiofta Episode 31 - Let's Get It On
The Chiofta Podcast with Haji Mike - 'Let's Get It On' by Marvin Gaye is the sexiest song of all time. Ever since I started going to parties in the 1970s and became a DJ from then on, its a tune that got played and played, but it had to be drop...
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14:43
The Chiofta Episode 30 - Libertango
The Chiofta Podcast with Haji Mike - whenever I'm getting ready to play music for a DJ gig, I always play the same song, 'Libertango' by Grace Jones, to get the vibe right. It was originally written in 1974 by the Argentinian composer Astor Pia...
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19:32
The Chiofta Episode 29 Koinonia - Society
The Chiofta Podcast with Haji Mike focuses on Stelios Kazantzidis, one of the best voices to have ever come out of Greece, who released a song called "Koinonia" in 1955. The title translates as "Society." Surprisingly, for an ...
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15:52
The Chiofta Episode 28 African Children Parts 1 & 2
The Chiofta Podcast with Haji Mike - 'African Children' by Aswad from 'The Live & Direct' LP and 'African Children Part 2' are two special songs in Reggae that move mountains every time, and for totally different reasons....
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19:37
The Chiofta Episode 27 - The Ghetto Of The City
The Chiofta Podcast with Haji Mike - 'The Ghetto of the City' by Misty In Roots from LP 'Live At The CounterEurovision' (1979) made me view Eurovision specifically and music in general, in a different light. Misty are a band rooted in struggle....
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Season 2
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Episode 27
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18:09
The Chiofta Episode 26 - A Poem For Jose Campos Torres
The Chiofta Podcast with Haji Mike - A Poem for Jose Campos Torres by Gil Scott-Heron is one of the most inspirational songs ever created on the brutality and brainlessness of racism. Some people today accuse others of being 'woke' - it s...
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15:05
The Chiofta Episode 25 - Mind Blowing Decisions
The Chiofta Podcast with Haji Mike - Mind Blowing Decisions by Heatwave is one of the finest love songs ever written from 1979. Despite its romantic theme, it will always remind me about the censorship of music.
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19:09
The Chiofta Episode 24 - Father & Son
The Chiofta Podcast with Haji Mike explores the meaning of 'Father & Son' Yusuf/Cat Stevens and how important it was to a British Cypriot teenager growing up in an age of proxenia/ arranged marria...
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16:40
The Chiofta Episode 23 - Waikiki Welcome
The Chiofta Podcast with Haji Mike - looking for a song from childhood has been a mission. 'Waikiki Welcome' was origrinally a traditional song from Hawaii in the 1860s which ended up going around the world in many different versions, including...
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Season 2
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Episode 23
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17:07
The Chiofta Episode 22 - London Calling - Liverpool Burning
The Chiofta Podcast with Haji Mike memories of The Clash, 'London Calling' and Liverpool burning in the riots of 1981.
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17:39