KFAI's MinneCulture Presents

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 Mi...

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, ...