KFAI's MinneCulture Presents

Aby Wolf Live from Minnesota Although sometimes called Dessa's "secret weapon of harmony," Aby Wolf is a powerhouse in her own right. In this performance at the historic Sheldon Theatre in Red Wing, Wolf explores her rich back catalog alongside more recent work to create a powerful and tightly packaged electro-pop mix. This show was part of the Minnesota Music Coalition's Caravan du Nord . Produced, recorded and mixed by KFAI's Tom Garneau for MinneCulture . Maria Isa and Los Nativos Live from Minnesota Born and raised in the Twin Cities to NuyoRican parents, singer-songwriter Maria Isa celebrates her cultural diversity through music alongside political activism. Los Nativos formed in 1996 and was one of the original groups in Rhymesayers Entertainment. The St. Paul duo produce music with a conscious message, integrating hip-hop, jazz, and funk with tejano, mariachi, and salsa to deliver a style all their own. Producer Daniel Zamzow caught the acts pe

As I Have Gone Alone In There from Everything Is Stories For National Poetry Month we'll learn about a man who has hidden a treasure and only given clues to where it may be found in his self-penned poetry and prose .  Forrest Fenn is someone who makes his own  adventure . After surviving cancer, this dealer of antique luxuries hid a chest filled with gold coins, gold dust, gold nuggets, rubies, and other riches  said to be valued over one million dollars . Forrest is interviewed at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico where he shares memories of his childhood, experiences as fighter pilot during the Vietnam War, and what exactly made him want to create this strange  puzzle prize . Local friends and treasure hunters also describe their encounters with Fenn and ideas of where the fortune may be found.

A Wise Guy's Tale of   Crime and Redemption  from The Signal We'll trace one man's journey into an underworld of organized crime, and his subsequent attempt to escape it. At one time in his life, Baltimorean Charlie Wilhelm was a loan shark, a drug dealer, and a bookmaker. He raked in ten thousand dollars a week, cash. But when he was ordered to murder two friends, he took himself (and all of his information ) to the FBI. Wilhelm turned informant, wearing a wire and later testifying against his former partners in crime, putting them behind bars for years to come. Interviewed by Aaron Henkin , we'll meet Charlie and hear his reflections on crime, loyalty, and redemption . Wilhelm's book Wised Up: A Reformed Mobster's Confessional Memoir was just released as an updated Second Edition.  "If we'd have just taken one small fraction of our brain and used it legitimately, God knows where we would have been today. We wouldn't have to worry about

The Minneculture Podcast  from KFAI  Let's all listen to more episodes of the  MinneCulture Podcast ! We are going to air the last 4 installments from the bi-weekly series as they prepare to launch their second season. MinneCulture features  the best arts, culture, and history reporting from KFAI . In these episodes, we'll cover demolition lawn mower derbys, mosquito control, vigilante bikers (as in bicyclists), both rogue potters and plate breakers, b ackyard chicken coops,  plus the professional wrestling scene in Minnesota -- so hold on tight!  Our show will feature work by independent producers:  Britt Aamodt , Xan Holston , Graison Hensley Chapman ,  Sophie Nikitas ,  and Todd Melby .  MinneCulture is made possible by a grant from the  Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund . You can hear more stories from  MinneCulture at their Soundcloud page  and download all of Series One of the MinneCulture podcast NOW on both iTunes and Stitcher.

Sufi Melange Live from Minnesota  First we'll hear a performance of poetry sung by North Indian classical vocalist Dr. Pooja Goswami Pavan . Her original arrangements feature instruments both traditional like tabla, dholak, bouzouki, and also contemporary, like acoustic guitar, electric bass, and keyboard. An English translation of the text is provided by a narrator before each tune. Produced by Daniel Zamzow for MinneCulture, this presentation features excerpts from the 2015 concert at Normandale Community College in Bloomington as well as perspectives by members of the ensemble. Additional performers are: Greg Herriges on bouzouki and guitar, Tushar Ahmed on bass as well as guitar, Vinod Krishnan at the keys, percussion and dholak played by Abhinav Sharma, Dr. A. Pavan on Tabla, with Dipankar Mukherjee providing narration. Special thanks to Joy Islam for his engineering work. Casey O’Brien Live from Minnesota  As a composer and bassist from Saint Paul,  Casey O'Bri