For the June episodes of COSMOS' monthly show on Refuge Worldwide, we’re connecting the dots between Panamá and Pakistan, with mixes by River Down Records and Hamnawa Magazine.
Aquiles Navarro, River Down Records (Panama City, Panamá)
Our 2025 COSMOS Embassy River Down Records is a label from Panama City, dedicated to documenting and developing the creative sound of Panamá. With over 15 digital releases, River Down Records has produced new works and supported artists with an already established vision, helping them expand their creativity and reach a wider audience. Inspired by the spirit of Río Abajo, River Down Records celebrates the rich culture that Panamá has to offer.
For this broadcast, River Down’s founder Aquiles Navarro (Irreversible Entanglements) has put together an hour of music from the Isthmus of Panamá. Tune in as we’re exploring the countries current sounds ranging from salsa, experimental, jazz, folklore, singer-songwriter, to Konpa, Afro Cuban, dancehall and dembow. Featuring productions by River Down Records as well as other projects and artists from Panamá.
Hamnawa (Lahore, Pakistan)
For the second hour of our July show on Refuge Worldwide, our Pakistani COSMOS Embassy Honiunhoni introduced us to Hamnawa Magazine.
Hamnawa was founded by Zeerak Ahmed, a designer, engineer and writer from Lahore. He designs Urdu technology under Matnsaz, and writes about Pakistani pop music. He was part of a laptop orchestra and has taught design and computer science.
The website publishes regular curations, reviews and analysis. In this mix, Zeerak compiles contemporary "pop and not-so-pop" sounds from all over Pakistan.
