Branford Marsalis grew up immersed in music in Louisiana. Along with his brother Wynton, Branford has played a large role in shaping the style and sound of contemporary jazz. Branford has achieved a level of public notoriety that is rare for jazz musicians. From 1992 to 1995, he worked as bandleader for Jay Leno’s Tonight Show, and throughout the 1980s and ’90s, Branford participated in high profile collaborations with rock and rap musicians including Sting, The Grateful Dead, and Public Enemy. ...
Jan 23, 2024
This week on Cultural Manifesto, host Kyle Long speaks with Alan Bacon, co-founder and president of the Indianapolis-based arts and culture organization GangGang. We’ll discuss GangGang’s I Made Rock ’N’ Roll Festival. It’s happening May 18th at the American Legion Mall in Indianapolis, honoring the Black roots of rock music and will feature performances by Janelle Monáe, Gary Clark Jr., Robert Randolph Band, Joy Oladokun and more. We’ll also continue listening to memorable interviews of 2023, i...
Jan 17, 2024
Listen back to some of our favorite interviews of 2023. Join us for words and music from Skypp, Aye Marcay, Zakir Hussain, 123 Andrés, La March Nueva, Dwani Phiri, and Kronos Quartet.
Jan 10, 2024
NPR has released their best of 2023 music lists. We'll explore the Indiana musicians featured among the year’s best, including Hanna Benn, Omar Apollo, Durand Jones, and The HawtPlates. We’ll also have another edition of Rebel Music with Karla López Owens. Karla's guest is the Indianapolis-based visual artist Alejandra Carrillo who creates work under the name El Rallonadero.
Jan 03, 2024
Rebel Music with Karla López Owens is an ongoing series on Cultural Manifesto exploring the relationship between music and activism. On this episode, Karla’s guest is Alejandra Carrillo, a chicana activist, artist and art educator. She creates art under the name “El Rallonadero,” which translates to “the scribbler.” Her work has been featured in many prominent spaces - including the Eiteljorg and the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields. In the Fall of 2023, Alejandra completed a mural for th...
Jan 03, 2024
Listen to an interview with the Indianapolis-based jazz pianist Christopher Pitts. Pitts will share tracks from “Be Free,” his debut album as a leader.
Dec 27, 2023
This week on Cultural Manifesto listen to an interview with the Chicago-based musician and storyteller Shanta Nurullah. During a college trip to India in 1969 she discovered the sitar. Nurullah has spent the last 50 years exploring the instrument in her jazz and blues compositions. The Indiana jazz pianist and civil rights activist Rev. Dr. Marvin Chandler passed away earlier this year. Listen back to Kyle Long’s 2020 interview with Chandler, and hear Indianapolis Deputy Mayor Judith Thomas shar...
Dec 20, 2023
Vibraphonist Mitchell Shiner discusses his album "Latkes con Salsa: A Latin Jazz Hanukkah." And the Indianapolis rapper and producer Jaye B shares music from his recent albums “X” and “The Bachelor.”
Dec 13, 2023
This week on Cultural Manifesto explore holiday-themed releases from Wife Patrol and Isaiah J. Thompson. The Indianapolis-based rock band Wife Patrol gained national attention for their 2020 LP “Too Prickly For This World.” Afropunk praised Wife Patrol for their "indelible hooks and defiant verses,” and Bandcamp described the group’s sound as “catchy alt rock with streaks of punk, new wave, and metal.” Wife Patrol will discuss their latest single “Christmas ’96.” 2023 was a landmark year for pia...
Dec 03, 2023
This week on Cultural Manifesto listen to an interview with the Indianapolis R&B artist Brandon Lott. He’ll share music from his latest release, “Aquadream.” We’ll also have a live session from La Marca Nueva, a young Indianapolis band that specializes in regional Mexican music styles, including sierreno and corridos tumbados.
Nov 29, 2023
This week on Cultural Manifesto we’ll celebrate Native American Heritage Month with Daryl Black Eagle Jamieson, co-founder of the experimental pow wow music group Medicine Singers. Their debut album was issued last year by Indianapolis’ Joyful Noise Recording. We’ll also have another edition of Rebel Music with Karla Lopez-Owens, an ongoing series exploring the relationship between music and activism. Karla’s guest will be Carolina Castoreno. Carolina’s work is centered around the preservation o...
Nov 22, 2023
On this edition of Rebel Music, host Karla López Owens talks with activist, writer, and community organizer Carolina Castoreno. Carolina identifies as both American Indian and Mexican Indian, She’s a citizen of the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas, and a descendant of the Mescalero Apache, and Yaqui tribes. Carolina has served as executive director of the American Indian Center of Indiana. Her work is centered around the preservation of Native identity, decolonization efforts, and education for Indig...
Nov 21, 2023
This week on Cultural Manifesto listen to an interview with the Grammy-winning musician Meshell Ndegeocello - she’ll be performing at the Palladium on November 18th. Meshell will discuss her connection to Indiana artists - including John Mellencamp, Etheridge Knight, and Hanna Benn. We’ll also explore a lost recording from the Indianapolis jazz musician and composer Steve Allee. In 1983, Steve composed "Centennial Salute: A Musical Tribute To The Indianapolis Museum Of Art”, an orchestral suite ...
Nov 15, 2023
The Grammy-winning vocalist, bass player and composer Meshell Ndegeocello will perform at the Palladium in central Indiana on November 18. Meshell is known for her eclectic and expansive sonic palette. She's collaborated with artists ranging from Madonna to the Rolling Stones - and her music incorporates elements of hip-hop, jazz, rock, soul, afrobeat, and more. Meshell’s latest album ”The Omnichord Real Book” reflects these diverse influences and brings together a remarkable set of guest collab...
Nov 14, 2023
This week on Cultural Manifesto listen to an interview with violinist David Harrington, founder of the groundbreaking Kronos Quartet. They’ve been called the most important new music ensemble in the world — over 1,000 new works and arrangements have been commissioned for the group. Kronos Quartet will bring their 50th anniversary tour to West Lafayette, Indiana’s Loeb Theatre. The Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) returns to Indianapolis this November. Every year, PASIC br...
Nov 08, 2023
This week on Cultural Manifesto listen to an interview with tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain - an icon of Indian classical music. Hussain will share his thoughts on the use of AI in music, winning the Kyoto Prize, and his work with the late Tina Turner. Also, hear a conversation with Judith Thomas, Deputy Mayor of Neighborhood Engagement City of Indianapolis. Thomas is a passionate advocate for arts and culture in Indianapolis and a lifelong jazz fan. She’ll discuss the role of music and art in her ...
Nov 01, 2023
Kronos Quartet have been called one of the most important new music ensembles in the world — over 1,000 new works and arrangements have been commissioned for the group. WFYI’s Kyle Long recently spoke to the group’s founder David Harrington. They discussed Kronos Quartet’s 50th anniversary, the group's upcoming appearance in West Lafayette, collaborating with Bollywood icon Asha Bhosle, and their latest album "Songs and Symphoniques: The Music of Moondog”.
Nov 01, 2023
Tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain is a global icon of Indian classical music. Hussain recently spoke with WFYI’s Kyle Long. They discussed his upcoming concert with Bela Fleck, AI music, working with Tina Turner, and more.
Oct 30, 2023
On this edition of Rebel Music Karla López Owens speaks with the Mexican-Canadian writer Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Silvia has written in many styles – including fantasy, noir, and speculative fiction — but some of her best known works are in the horror genre – including the novels Mexican Gothic and Silver Nitrate. Activism has also been a theme in Silvia’s work, her 2021 novel Velvet Was the Night is against the backdrop of the 1971 Corpus Christi Massacre in Mexico City - where over 120 protesters...
Oct 25, 2023
This week on Cultural Manifesto we’ll celebrate Halloween with Karl Hofstetter from the Indianapolis label Joyful Noise Recordings. Karl will share tracks from "Joyful Noise Halloween Party, Vol. 1,” a new holiday-themed compilation featuring music from Fred Armisen, Swamp Dogg, Deerhoof, Magic Sword, Danielson and others. We’ll also have a Halloween edition of Rebel Music with Karla Lopez-Owens. Karla’s guest will be the best-selling author Silvia Moreno-Garcia, known for her gothic horror nove...
Oct 25, 2023
This week on Cultural Manifesto listen to an interview with Stewart Copeland, best known as the co-founder and drummer of the legendary British rock band The Police. Copeland will bring his “Police Deranged for Orchestra" tour to the Palladium in central Indiana on October 19th. Also, celebrate Halloween with the Indianapolis hip-hop producer Harry Otaku. He’ll share tracks for his horror-themed rap album “It Tape”.
Oct 18, 2023
Stewart Copeland is best known as the co-founder and drummer of The Police - the legendary British rock band sold over 75 million records and won 5 Grammy awards. Copeland is also a prolific composer and arranger. He’s scored over 50 films and composed multiple operas and symphonic works. Copeland’s latest project “Police Deranged for Orchestra" brings both of these worlds together. The album features Copeland’s orchestral arrangements of 10 classic Police tracks. Copeland will bring his “Police...
Oct 13, 2023
This week on Cultural Manifesto, hear interviews with Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone of the legendary British rock band The Zombies - they'll be performing at the Brown County Music Center on October 19. Along with the Beatles and Rolling Stones, The Zombies were among the first wave of British Invasion bands to hit America during the 1960s. The Zombies were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019, and their music continues to attract new generations of fans. We'll discuss The Zombi...
Oct 11, 2023
This week on Cultural Manifesto Kyle Long talks with Bill Medley and Bucky Heard of the legendary R&B duo The Righteous Brothers. They are performing in Central Indiana this week. Medley will share his memories of touring with The Beatles and recording with Phil Spector. Kyle also speaks with the Indianapolis composer/instrument builder Rob Funkhouser and the clarinetist/composer Eric Salazar. They’ll tell us about their collaborative new release, “Study in Place Live.”
Oct 04, 2023
Last week in Broad Ripple, a mural depicting the late Indianapolis DJ and photojournalist Mpozi Tolbert was painted over. The mural’s erasure provoked widespread outrage in the community. The artist and musician Mike Graves joins Kyle Long to discuss Mpozi’s history in Indianapolis. Graves was a close friend and colleague of Mpozi. In 2016, Graves painted his own mural of Mpozi in Fountain Square in collaboration with artist Justin Cooper. We also look back at Farm Aid 2023 which happened last w...
Sep 27, 2023
This week on Cultural Manifesto hear a preview of Indy Jazz Fest and Bloomington’s Lotus World and Music Arts Festival. We’ll share interviews with Indy Jazz Fest performers Stanley Clarke and Sheila E. Plus words and music from Lotus Festival artists, including Sonny Singh, RAM, and La Perla.
Sep 20, 2023
This week on Cultural Manifesto listen to an interview with the 20x Grammy-winning guitarist Pat Metheny — he’ll be performing at this year’s Indy Jazz Fest. Metheny will discuss his connections to Indiana and his long relationship with the music of Wes Montgomery.
Sep 13, 2023
This week on Cultural Manifesto listen to an interview with Andrés Salguero and Christina Sanabria of 123 Andrés - a Latin Grammy-winning duo who create bilingual music for children and families. The music of 123 Andrés incorporates rhythms from across North and South America, and features collaborations with legendary Latin music performers including Rubén Blades, and Gilberto Santa Rosa. Also, listen to the latest edition of Rebel Music with Karla López Owens, an ongoing series exploring the r...
Sep 06, 2023
Rebel Music with Karla López Owens is an ongoing series on Cultural Manifesto exploring the relationship between music and activism. On this episode, Karla’s guest is the activist and writer Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez. Prisca is the founder of the online platform Latina Rebels, and the author of the 2021 book "For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts: A Love Letter to Women of Color”. Prisca will be giving a free talk at the Madam Walker Legacy Center on September 12, as part of th...
Sep 05, 2023
Listen to the latest edition of Finding Etheridge with Mat Davis, a new series exploring the people and places connected to the Indianapolis poet Etheridge Knight. Mat’s guest is poet Elizabeth Gordon McKim, Etheridge Knight’s partner and companion during the final years of his life. McKim lives in Lynn, Massachusetts. She recently visited Indianapolis for the unveiling of a new Etheridge Knight mural on Massachusetts Avenue. During the 1980s, Knight and McKim lived together on Mass Ave at the B...
Sep 05, 2023
