KFAI's MinneCulture Presents

Let Me Postpone Christmas This Year by Various Artists. For the yuletide this year, we're spinning a cup of holiday un-cheer. A collection of mostly forty-fives to fit the mood and situation of the current season featuring songs by The Orioles, Khruangbin, The Mills Brothers, James Brown, George Baker, The Manhattans , and The Emotions. Plus, wintery tunes from Vashti Bunyan, Yoko Ono, The Blue Diamonds, Radka Toneff , and you're not going to want to miss Hands and Knees' " James Brown Died on Christmas Day." Obviously, the hour will culminate with Mutabaruka's "Postpone Christmas"- as you would expect. Please stay safe everyone and have a somewhat happy holiday. "Someday soon we all will be together If the fates allow Until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow So have yourself a merry little Christmas now"

I Am All Day and Night by Philip Coulter. This month, we will be airing a three-part series examining the legacy of iconoclast Frank Zappa . The extraordinary musician was born on December 21st in Baltimore, Maryland. In December of 1993, he died just shortly before his 53rd birthday. This year marks what would have been his 80th birthday. Frank Zappa incorporated many genres in his sound and left an indelible mark on the American music scene. He embraced everything from rhythm and blues, to do-wop, jazz, and classical. He made popular music that was challenging alongside serious music that was easy to listen to. The series  written, narrated, and produced by Philip Coulter  explores Zappa as a composer, through the memories of some of the people who knew him best: his family, his friends, and the musicians who worked with him. You’ll hear from Zappa’s wife, Gail Zappa, Ruth Underwood , the percussionist who first heard him at a famous concert at the Garrick Theatre in 1967; Elliot

Darwin's Enduring Legacy from Sara Wolch. Seth Feldman leads us on an aural exploration of Darwin's life and asks, "Why Science and society are still wrestling with Darwin's big idea." This is the final chapter of our four-part series produced by Sara Wolch of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for their program  Ideas . It was made to mark the 150th Anniversary of Darwin's book ' The Origin of Species ' back in 2009. We'll hear how his theory of Evolution by Natural Selection completely shattered the way we thought about the natural world and how its ideas continue to reverberate today.

The Evolution of Darwin: Primates vs Primates  from Ideas In this episode, we'll hear what On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life  purported -- as well as what was being said about it. The book was first published in November of 1859, twenty-three years after Darwin's  famed voyage on the HMS Beagle had returned home to England. Seth Feldman guides us on this exploration of Charles Darwin's life and his  revolutionary thinking  produced for the CBC.

The Evolution of Darwin: From the Beagle to the Book from Ideas Part two in a series of tributes dedicated to the life and adventures of influential British scientist Charles Darwin. His book, On the Origin of the Species by Means of Natural Selection , directly contradicted contemporary religious beliefs and commonly held biological understandings. As this installment begins, Darwin has been offered a chance to work as an unpaid naturalist on a world-wide voyage. When the HMS Beagle set sail on December 27th, 1831, Charles was just twenty-two. Produced by Sara Wolch for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's program Ideas .

The Evolution of Darwin: The Prepared Mind from Ideas Part one of a four-episode series which serves a tribute to the influential British naturalist Charles Darwin and his earth-shattering book, 'On the Origin of Species.' Darwin's theory of Evolution by Natural Selection completely changed the way we think about the world. Seth Feldman guides us through Darwin's life and his revolutionary ideas. 'The Evolution of Darwin' was produced for the CBC Radio by Sara Wolch. This installment, The Prepared Mind, takes us from Darwin’s early years to his voyage of discovery aboard the H.M.S. Beagle.

A Brief History of Women in Bars: A Minnesota Story in Three Rounds from MinneCulture One hundred years ago, two major constitutional amendments went into effect. The 18th marked the start of Prohibition and the 19th granted many women the right to vote. It wasn’t a coincidence that these laws went into effect adjacent to one another. The movements were linked in some surprising ways. In this new documentary , Fulbright Fellow, historian, and podcaster Katie Thornton looks at how the state’s temperance movement set the stage for its women’s suffrage movement. But she also looks at how temperance leaders—and, by proxy, many early suffragists—failed to engage many women who weren’t wealthy, White, Anglo-Saxon Protestants. The Minnesota women who didn’t fit that bill empowered themselves in other ways—sometimes through the economic and social opportunities presented by the alcohol industry. The Bootleg Cocktail from MN90 Ah, the good old Prohibition days. Liquor was illegal and everyo

A Toast to the Original Champagne Lady from MinneCulture During the Great Depression, her voice lifted spirits. During the big band era, her beauty radiated from the stage of St. Paul's Prom Ballroom. But Lois Best-Herman will likely be best remembered for her work as  Lawrence Welk 's first "Champagne Lady." Herman died at the age of 98 in October of 2016. KFAI's Britt Aamodt shares this appreciation for the famed singer. For the Kim Loo Sisters, It Was About Jazz from MinneCulture The Kim Loo Sisters were another trio of boogie-woogie singing sisters from Minneapolis. During the thirties and forties they toured Europe, made numerous appearances in Hollywood films, and performed on Broadway. They shared top-billing with names like Frank Sinatra, Jackie Gleason, and Benny Goodman. Yet today, their legacy is largely forgotten. Now, the daughter of one of "The Kimmies" is making a documentary film  aiming to share the sisters' surprising story. KF

Coronavirus Conspiracism   from Open Source It is high season for   conspiracy . We are in an epic battle against coronavirus misinformation and all sorts of people are being blamed for Covid 19: Bill Gates, Globalism, Dr. Fauci, China. Plus, YouTube's endless stream of  propagandistic videos   can have a compelling voice, a high-quality documentary look, lots of added effects, and typically go for a hard sell. Some recognize it as propaganda while others hear galvanizing truth. This week, Open Source's Chris Lydon speaks with   Errol Morris , the documentary filmmaker, about the search for truth in visual media. We'll also hear from Vice's   Anna Merlan   and   Jay Rosen , a Professor of Journalism at NYU.

We're going to hear a crop of recent arts, culture, and history stories produced for KFAI's MinneCulture  and cultivated by Melissa Olson and Ryan Dawes . The program features fresh works from producers Anna Stitt , Charlotte Colantti , Britt Aamodt , Paul Brohaugh , and Dixie Treichel  -- sound delicious? It is! Sonic Flavor: The Lyricism of D Mills by  Dixie Treichel A sonic portrait of Minneapolis rapper Diane Miller aka D Mills who creates thought provoking hip hop work that expresses her authentic self and engages the audience with a fusion of sonic flavors. BYO Boat at Float-In Theater by  Paul Brohaugh As COVID Summer 2020 heated up, Minnesotans got creative about socially distant summertime events. Parks and outdoor recreation venues saw a surge in visitors and drive-in theaters are back in style. KFAI’s Paul Brohaugh took his family to Silverwood Park in St. Anthony, just north of Minneapolis, to see their version of a socially-distant outdoor movie. Moving In The Ne

Enchanted, Entranced: Music and Spirituality   from The Nerve In Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and practically every religion around the world, music has been used as a tool to elevate the spirit or unite the faithful. Host Jowi Taylor  examines how music has come to be so closely associated with the sacred, and how chanting, singing and drumming in unison produce tangible physical effects, evoking altered states from trance to exaltation . Many cultures consider music to be a gift from the gods. Apart from the claim that it is a gift from God, what is it exactly about music that makes it have such power over our spirits? We'll hear a variety of opinions from multiple faiths to address why music so enchants and entrances us.

No Fair Desperately missing the great Great Minnesota Get-Together ? Well, you can hear the smells, sights, & sounds this week as we try our very best to take you there. Featuring stories from MN90 and The Memory Palace alongside MinneCulture Producers Emily Bright , Xan Holston , and Rob McGinley Myers . Plus, you also won't want to miss a 30+ minute sound collage by Jason Rayles that is certain to transport you back to a bustling Midway surrounded by both corn dogs and pronto pups. Please mask-up, stay safe, and be safe. Here's to hoping we can all hop back on the burlap sack for the Giant Slide again next year. 

The Story of Born to Run   from Joyride Media   In honor of the 45th anniversary of   its release, we're going to listen to a radio documentary about the making of  Bruce Springsteen 's  breakthrough album.   Born To Run   was recorded between January 8, 1974 - July 20, 1975 and its laborious creation has become   the stuff of legend . This one-hour music-heavy   special   tells the inside story and contains outtakes and alternate versions of songs from the recording sessions. Interviewees include the Boss himself, along with members of his E Street Band both past and present. We'll hear from Roy Bittan, Ernest "Boom" Carter, Clarence Clemons, Danny Federici, Nils Lofgren, David Sancious, Patti Scialfa, Garry Tallent, Miami Steve Van Zandt, and   Max Weinberg . They will also recall scenes from the   tumultuous tour   which directly followed, as the album's final mixing continued at the studio back home. Plus, producer Jon Landau, engineer Jimmy Iovine, and ma

Coronavirus Conspiracism from Open Source It is high season for conspiracy . We are in a boom time for blaming all sorts of people for Covid 19: Bill Gates, Globalism, Dr. Fauci, China. Plus, YouTube's endless stream of  propagandistic videos can have a compelling voice, a high-quality documentary look, lots of added effects, and typically go for a hard sell. Some recognize it as propaganda while others hear galvanizing truth. This week, Open Source's Chris Lydon speaks with Errol Morris , the documentary filmmaker, about the search for truth in visual media. We'll also hear from Vice's Anna Merlan and Jay Rosen , a Professor of Journalism at NYU.

Music and War  from The Nerve We are going to survey the bloody, entwined histories of war and music through history. The Israelites used trumpets to  bring down the walls  of Jericho, Scots went to war with  bagpipes , and music has even been used an instrument of torture -- from pipes, to drums, to  thunder runs , The Nerve takes a serious look at the dark side of music.

Teens on Police Brutality, Unrest, and Solidarity from Listen Up! Youth Radio On May 25 former Minneapolis police officer Dereck Chauvin murdered 46 year old George Floyd with three other officers watching near the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue. His killing sparked an ongoing unrest which has spread across the country and even the globe . The protests call for an end to the brutal killings of Black people at the hands of police and a re-imagination of our relationship to public safety. Wednesday night on MinneCulture Presents, we are listening to a recent forum of young people addressing these events. On June 4th, nine Twin Cities teens discussed their thoughts and feelings about what happened -- and how friends, family, and community members of different racial backgrounds are responding. We’ll hear from the panelists about what they would like to see changed. This forum is a project of Listen Up! Youth Radio , a local media program centered on dialogue, storyt

The Afghanistan Papers   from The Washington Post After a three-year legal battle,  The Washington Post  obtained hundreds of  records  of candid interviews assessing the long, costly war in Afghanistan and its apparent failures. The documents reveal vivid details into a war which has taken the lives of tens of thousands for nearly 20 years. We present the Post's  report  which has been adapted into a one-hour radio special and includes broadcast-exclusive reactions from veterans. Tune-in to hear about the staggering degrees of  misrepresentation from our leaders   and question , "What are the  Lessons Learned ?"

A Fiery Unrest: Why Plymouth Avenue Burned  by Nancy Rosenbaum During the Long Hot Summer summer of 1967,  Plymouth Avenue  in North Minneapolis went up in flames. Frustrations about racial discrimination and a lack of opportunity for black Americans were  erupting  on city streets across the country. Here in Minnesota,  those tensions  came to a head between July 19-21 on Plymouth Avenue. It was the commercial heart of a racially and ethnically mixed neighborhood; home to the city's largest concentration of African-American residents as well as many Jewish-owned businesses. For some black Minnesotans, Plymouth Avenue was a brick and mortar reminder of racial inequality that could no longer be silently tolerated. In this hour-long documentary, producer  Nancy Rosenbaum  examines what happened, why, and how people in Minneapolis responded.

Due to some technical difficulties, our special report from the Washington Post regarding The Afghanistan Papers did not air. We will reschedule its broadcast later into June. Sorry for the inconvenience but thank you for your understanding. Meanwhile, if you're looking for some great listening - check out the latest episode of the  MinneCulture Podcast .

Music and Evolution  from The Nerve Why did music evolve in the first place? Some people think music is merely an evolutionary frill, a by-product that has no evolutionary purpose.  Darwin  himself was puzzled by music. Observing songbirds, he suggested music's role was in  sexual selection . Others believe music's origins may be found in the mother-infant interactions we call baby talk. Simply consider the importance of the lullaby and the need to pacify infants. Many theorize that music developed in tandem with the  social cohesion  necessary to the survival of bands of early humans, critical to them through its power to strengthen communal bonds.

How Are You Doing? from the MinneCulture Podcast We unveil a brand-new, special COVID-19 -edition of the  MinneCulture Podcast . KFAI's  Barb Abney hosts from her daughter's bedroom while social distancing at home. Barb brings us an audio diary from Haitian dancer Djenane Saint Juste  who shares intimate scenes of sheltering in place with her mother, fielding a robocall from a bill collector, and hosting a series of boisterous dance lessons in her apartment. Then, we make a house call to Hmong chef Yia Vang who looks to his parents' experiences as refugees to help guide him through this pandemic. Our podcast was produced by Nancy Rosenbaum with Anna Stitt and Emily Bright , edited by Ryan Dawes and Melissa Olson . You can subscribe to season four(!) of the MinneCulture Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Along with the MinneCulture Podcast, we'll also hear some recent stories from MinneCulture about arts in the age of social distancing. Support for Minne

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  (pictured) 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 Z

On the Deck of the Rainbow Warrior  from the Greenpeace Podcast  The Rainbow Warrior is an undisputed icon; synonymous with breaking boundaries and fearless campaigning. In July 1985, the original Rainbow Warrior was  sunk  after explosives were attached to her hull. One crew member was killed. Greenpeace did not stop their activism at sea however, and the French government eventually took responsibility for the attack. We'll  hear how  their current ship,  Rainbow Warrior III , which  launched in 2011, is a sustainability green dream. Water Is Wide  from Everything is Stories For over 30 years,  Peter Willcox  has been a sea captain for Greenpeace, an organization which uses non-violent,  creative confrontation  to expose global environmental problems. Willcox helps international campaigns against whaling, anti-nuclear activities, and global warming. We will learn of his experiences growing up in an activist family, his first protest at sea, being attacked by the French govern

Spotlight on Minnesotan Poets  from MinneCulture ~ Come celebrate  National Poetry Month  with the crew of  MinneCulture  producers. While looking over their collective body of work, we realized it wouldn't even be possible to fit all of their stories into a one-hour episode. However, we're going to fit in as many as we can! Hear some of MinneCulture's best stories about Minnesotan poets  Danez Smith ,  Linda LeGarde Grover ,  Sun Yung Shin ,  David Mura ,  Anthony Ceballos , and others. Alongside profiles of Twin Cities spoken-word-scene giants  Adina Burke  and  Danny Klecko , plus  Nicholle Ramsey , who has redefined the Winona poetry scene. We'll also hear from poet song-writers  Dessa  and  Brian Laidlaw  too. This episode features stories from  Emily Bright ,  Britta Greene ,  Britt Aamodt ,  Jared Goyette ,  Diane Richard ,  Sylvia Thomas , and sound artist  Dixie Treichel .

Music and the Human Experience  from The Nerve Music is found in every culture worldwide. It's our constant companion, from birth through  childhood , love, marriage, and death. It has a starring role on every stage of the great human drama - whether we are at war or at prayer, by ourselves or with others, happy or sad - music is there. But does it really have a purpose?  Where does it come from ? And why does it have such power over our hearts and minds? In this episode brought to us by the  CBC , we are taking a look at the how and why of music.

Ep. 12: Siama and Charanga   by MinneCulture How has immigration, migration, and connection to the rest of the world shaped the sights and sounds of Minnesota? Meet  Siama Matuzungidi , a Congolese soukous musician. He moved to Minnesota in the late 90s after having a prosperous career in Congo, Uganda, and Kenya. His life and music flow like his native Congo River, and today, the Mighty Mississippi. Doug Little and his band  Charanga Tropical  bring the traditional music of Cuba to Minnesota. Charanga orchestras are mainly popular in Florida, New York, and California -- but Minnesota is home to one of the only Charanga orchestras in country. Ep. 13: Breaking the Mold  by MinneCulture A hard-boiled lesbian detective breaks through the lavender ceiling, a Sudanese model refuses to conform her complexion to fit in, and an Ojibwe rapper wants to be the spark that ignites the fire in his people.  Nyakim Gatwech  is the "queen of dark," a Sudanese model and Instagram star in

WHER: 1000 Beautiful Watts  by the Kitchen Sisters The first all-girl radio station in the nation went on the air in Memphis on October 29, 1955. It was the brainchild of sound legend  Sam Phillips , who created the groundbreaking format with money he raised from selling Elvis Presley's Sun Studios contract. Women ran  WHER ; on the air they read the news, interviewed local celebrities, and spun popular records.  Behind the scenes  they sold and created commercials, produced and directed programming, and sat at the station's control boards. Tune-in and  celebrate  Women's History Month with us.

Davina and the Vagabonds  Live from Minnesota Singer Davina Sowers showcases her formidable growl and velvety purr to a delighted audience at Patrick's Cabaret in Minneapolis on May 10, 2014. Known on the national blues scene for their high-energy live shows,  Davina and the Vagabonds ' success comes from a combination of their snappy original songwriting, sharp-dressed professionalism, and Davina's commanding stage presence. These sassy vocals and tight horn arrangements were recorded by Tom Garneau for  KFAI's Minneculture . Patty and the Buttons  Live from Minnesota Formed  with a love and admiration  of hot rhythm and swing music  in 2008 by accordionist and vocalist Patrick "Patty" Harison . His love of music is equally p aired with a dedicated passion to bring  New Orleans Traditional Jazz to all.   The band's eclectic repertoire also includes Gypsy Melodies, Dust Bowl Ballads, Jug Favorites, and the 1930's Popular Songbook. Their blending of

A Fiery Unrest: Why Plymouth Avenue Burned  by Nancy Rosenbaum During the summer of 1967,  Plymouth Avenue  in North Minneapolis went up in flames. This was a period which would become known as the  Long Hot Summer . Frustrations about racial discrimination and a lack of opportunity for black Americans were  erupting  on city streets across the country. Here in Minnesota,  those tensions  came to a head between July 19-21 on Plymouth Avenue. It was the commercial heart of a racially and ethnically mixed neighborhood; home to the city's largest concentration of African-American residents as well as many Jewish-owned businesses. For some black Minnesotans, Plymouth Avenue was a brick and mortar reminder of racial inequality that could no longer be silently tolerated. In this hour-long documentary, producer  Nancy Rosenbaum  examines what happened, why, and how people in Minneapolis responded.