World on 3, broadcast on BBC Radio 3, 14 August 2009, featuring the performance by 17 Hippies at WOMAD Charlton Park, July 26

If you ask me to name my favourite band in the world at the moment, it would be a tie, between Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba, from Mali, and the 17 Hippies, from Berlin.

It was only as they finished their set, playing five songs instead of just the three they had prepared, that I realised another reason why I have liked 17 Hippies so much for the past ten years. There is no drummer in the line-up. I have nothing against drummers, some of my best friends are drummers. But they do tend to impose a more rigid structure to the rhythms and arrangements of songs. No such anchors weigh down the songs of 17 Hippies, which ebb and flow as the players of double bass and banjo lock into each other's pulses.

The name of the band has probably been a hindrance, implying a casual, dilettante approach that does not do justice to their disciplined commitment. Their annual touring itinerary is so congested, the wonder is that they ever find time to write and record enough new songs for another album. But those albums keep on coming, and their last two have been their best so far, Heimlich being probably slightly stronger than the new one, El Dorado, if only because it includes their masterly 'Son Mystère'.

The members of the band were so friendly, there was no sign that any of them have any reservations about the particular focus of my enthusiasm, which is so clearly biased towards the songs that are written and sung by their female vocalist, Kiki Sauer. She sings with equal conviction in French and German, while the men sing mostly in German but can cope with English too.

Their music defies classification, and steers clear of any obvious categories, hinting at jazz one moment, and flitting across Cajun, Klezmer and folk while suggesting night club ballads every now and then. The perfect group for a music festival, you might think, but it has taken WOMAD an awfully long time to invite them. The consolation for me was that they were featured on Sunday and therefore available to play during my allocated set that evening. What a pity it was raining. The band were impressed at the audience's fortitude - "in any other country, everybody would have gone inside, and we'd have had no audience", one of the band observed. Of the 13 members of the group who were present, we had room onstage for only eight, which limited the repertoire they could perform. Only one could be sung by Kiki, but it was 'Son Mystère', and the rest of the songs were absolutely fine. Indescribably satisfying, to be able to share the stage with these people at last. Next stop, Later with Jools. I wonder what chance there could be for this to happen?

The rest of tonight's programme is a mixture of tracks that I played while the Hippies were doing their sound check, and others by musicians featured at this year's WOMAD Festival. Plus one or two that poked their way into my vision while I was contemplating what to include.

online for a week at www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/worldon3

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1 - Pilgrim Travellers - Jesus Hits Like the Atom Bomb - 20 Gospel Greats - USA - Cascade - CDROP 1017

2 - Joe Turner & Pete Johnson - Roll 'Em Pete - Roll 'Em Pete - USA - Indigo - IGOTCD 2551

3 - Getatchew Mekurya - Antchi Hoyé - Very Best of Ethiopiques - Ethiopia - Manteca - Mantdcd245

4 - Hypnotic Brass Ensemble - Alyo - Hypnotic Brass Ensemble - USA - Honest Jons - HJRCD42

5 - Goran Bregovic - Tale III - Welcome to Bregovic - Bosnia/Serbia - Wrasse - WRASS 241

6 - Tinariwen - Tenhert - Imidiwan (Companions) - Mali - Independiente - ISOM 78 CD

7 - Mayra Andrade - Turbulenza - Storia Storia - Cape Verde - RCA Victor - 886952 6792

8 - Orishas - Mistica - a lo Cubano - Cuba - EMI France - 7243 522052 2

9 - Staff Benda Billili - Polio - Tres Tres Fort - Congo - Crammed Discs - CRAW 51

10 - Ian Dury - Spasticus Autisticus - 45 single - UK - Polydor - POSP 285

11 - 17 Hippies - Kaukapol - Live at Womad - Germany

12 - 17 Hippies - Son Mystere - Live at Womad - Germany

13 - 17 Hippies - Wann war Das? - Live at Womad - Germany

14 - 17 Hippies - Atchafalaya - Live at Womad - Germany

15 - 17 Hippies - Uz - Live at Womad - Germany

16 - Geoffrey Gurrumul - Marrandi - Gurrumul - Australia - Skinnyfish - SFGU080201

17 - Yasmin Levy - Hallelujah - Sentir - Israel - World Village -

18 - Conjunto Casino - Moliendo Café (1938) - Cuban Pearls Vol 2 - Cuba - Syllart - 6133123

19 - Ojos de Brujo - Todos Mortales - Aucana - Spain - Warner Spain - 2564691346

20 - Osibisa - Sunshine Day - Very best of Osibisa - Ghana/UK - Flying Elephant - GSTOCD001

21 - Oumou Sangare - Mogo Kele - Seya - Mali - World Circuit - ECD081

22 - Dub Colossus - Black Rose (Sidestepper Remix) - Return to Addis - Ethiopia/UK - Real World - RWEP13