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Programme 1: 8th March 2007
Repeated 13th September 2007
THE EARLY YEARS AND GOING SOLO
The series starts with a look at the origins of Cooder's interest in America's indigenous folk music, his involvement with the Rolling Stones and The Rising Sons at the end of the 1960's and plots the rise of his own eclectic solo career through to the end of the 1980's.

Contributors:
Pamela Polland - Ry Cooder's first musical partner in L.A. when aged 15 yrs old

Dave Fanning - music broadcaster

Programme 2: 15th March 2007
Repeated 20th September 2007
FILMS AND FANS
Since the 1980's Ry Cooder has concentrated largely on composing cinema scores. Perhaps his best known soundtrack is that to Wim Wender's film "Paris,Texas" from 1984 which established a trademark desolate guitar sound which others have since strived to copy. In this programme Rachel Blech explores Cooder's earliest forays into film, speaks to his fans and tries to demystify the guitar techniques particular to Cooder's sound.

Contributors:
Wim Wenders - film director "Paris, Texas" and "Buena Vista Social Club"

Dave Fanning - music broadcaster & fan

David Kidney - publisher of Cooder fanzine

Johnny Scott - guitarist & fan

Programme 3: 22nd March 2007
Repeated 27th September 2007
WORLD EXPLORER
Although Cooder's musical palette has been largely influenced by the indigenous styles of the American continent, this has in no way confined his view. Old recordings of Hawaiian music and styles from the Bahamas captured his imagination at an early age and led to further investigation on albums like "Chicken Skin Music" in 1976.  His passion for discovering new music and unveiling it for a Western audience have led him to Grammy winning collaborations with Indian slide guitar master, V.M. Bhatt and Malian blues legend Ali Farka Toure.  His collaboration with Paddy Moloney on The Chieftains "Santiago" album in 1995 may even have been the spark that set him on the trail of the Buena Vista Social Club - the most successful "world music" album ever.

Contributors:
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt - Indian slide guitarist

Nick Gold - World Circuit Records

Paddy Moloney - The Chieftains

Programme 4: 29th March 2007
Repeated 4th October 2007
BUENA VISTA AND BEYOND
Rachel Blech is joined by Nick Gold, the owner of World Circuit Records who brought Ry Cooder and veteran Cuban musicians together to create the phenomenally successful Cuban music recording of "The Buena Vista Social Club" in 1997. The programme also looks at some of Ry's recordings in the years following Buena Vista including albums "Mambo Sinuendo", "Chavez Ravine" and the latest release from Ry Cooder, "My Name is Buddy".

Contributors:
Ry Cooder

Nick Gold - World Circuit Records

Gerry Godley - music broadcaster and world music promoter