Cultural Manifesto

This November, Indianapolis will host PASIC 50 — the 50th edition of the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. The event brings together thousands of drummers, percussionists, educators, and music industry professionals from around the world for concerts, clinics, and an extensive expo hall. PASIC is recognized as the largest annual gathering of drummers and percussionists in the world. The convention covers every area of percussion — from drum set and marching percussion to orchestral and global traditions. The 50th edition of PASIC is significant not only for the Percussive Arts Society but also for Indianapolis, where the organization is based. This week on Cultural Manifesto, take a deep dive into the world of PASIC. Listen to an interview with the Indianapolis-based composer, performer and instrument builder Rob Funkhouser, an operations and education manager for the Percussive Arts Society. Also, hear conversations with past PASIC performers and honorees, including Elayne Jones, Giovanni H

Kyle Long features Echoes of Indiana Avenue co-host Herman 'Butch' Slaughter on this short segment from Cultural Manifesto.

Recently, Terre Haute, Indiana welcomed two of the nation’s most prominent political figures — Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Sanders visited the city to receive the Eugene V. Debs Award. WFYI’s Kyle Long was on hand to capture the sounds, music, and speeches that defined the evening. Listen to Long’s interview with Sanders, along with music from the Local Honeys; the Kentucky-based duo opened the ceremony with a set of old-time folk music.  Born in 1855, Eugene Debs was raised in Terre Haute, Indiana. Debs was a political activist, trade unionist, founding member of the Industrial Workers of the World, and a five-time Socialist Party presidential candidate. In 1962, the Debs Foundation was established in Terre Haute to preserve Debs' legacy. Since 1965, the foundation has presented the annual Eugene V. Debs Award to individuals and organizations whose work advances the causes of labor rights, peace, and human equality. Past recipients include Kurt Vonnegut, Coretta Scot

Hear interviews with members of the cast and creative team behind the Indianapolis Repertory Theatre’s production of Marie and Rosetta —including actors Cherish Love, Jaela Cheeks-Lomax, and music director Morgan E. Stevenson.  Marie and Rosetta, written by George Brant, explores the powerful artistic partnership between gospel music legends Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Marie Knight. The production runs at the Indianapolis Repertory Theatre from October 28 through November 23.  Born in Arkansas in 1915, Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a trailblazing guitarist and vocalist whose music fused the ecstatic spirit of gospel with the rhythmic drive of rhythm and blues — paving the way for rock and roll pioneers like Chuck Berry and Little Richard. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, Tharpe is now widely celebrated as the Godmother of Rock and Roll. Known for her powerful voice, magnetic stage presence, and groundbreaking mastery of the electric guitar, Tharpe broke barriers as one of the first gospel a

Listen to an interview with the keyboardist, composer, and computer music pioneer Brad Garton. He’s best known for his work with the legendary West Lafayette, Indiana punk band Dow Jones and The Industrials, but Garton’s work in music spans from progressive rock to experimental composition.  Brad Garton was raised in Columbus, Indiana, in a family with strong local ties. His father, Robert D. Garton, served for decades in the Indiana State Senate. Garton joined Dow Jones and The Industrials while studying pharmacology at Purdue University, earning the nickname “Mr. Science” for his innovative use of synthesizers and electronic sound effects.  Following his work in punk rock, Garton moved into the world of computer-assisted composition. He earned a Ph.D. in music composition from Princeton University in 1989, and later joined the faculty at Columbia University, where he served as Director of the Computer Music Center, formerly known as the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center.

Listen to an interview with NPR’s Ailsa Chang; she recently spoke with WFYI’s Kyle Long to discuss the importance of supporting public media. You hear her every weekday as co-host of All Things Considered, NPR’s flagship evening news program. Chang grew up in Northern California, the daughter of parents who emigrated from Taiwan. She began her professional life in law, earning a J.D. from Stanford University in 2001 and completing a Fulbright Scholarship at the University of Oxford. But at 30, she made an unexpected pivot — leaving behind a legal career to pursue journalism. Her reporting quickly gained national attention, earning her an Edward R. Murrow Award and the Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize. In 2018, Chang made history as the first Asian American woman to host an NPR news program when she joined All Things Considered as co-host.

In 1983, four Bloomington musicians — Chrissie Dickinson, Cynthia Hammond, Jenny Davis, and Emily Jackson — bonded over their shared love for the music of Patti Smith, X, and The Clash. Together they formed Sally’s Dream, a post-punk band that went on to perform across the Midwest and later in Boston. Sally’s Dream earned strong reviews from the Indiana music press and shared stages with national acts like Fishbone, Romeo Void, and 10,000 Maniacs. The group wrote and recorded striking, original music, but aside from a few compilation appearances and homemade cassette releases, their work remained largely unheard. That changed last month with the release of Breaking Through — an anthology that brings together the band’s best recordings and marks the first full-length album ever released by Sally’s Dream.  The collection was assembled in memory of Chrissie Dickinson, the band’s guitarist and primary songwriter, who died in 2022. Outside of her work as a musician, Dickinson was an accomplished journalist, wr

Aida Cuevas is an iconic Mexican singer celebrated as The Queen of Ranchera Music. Born in Mexico City in 1963, Cuevas began her career as a teenager performing on radio before rising to national fame in the late 1970s with her powerful, classically trained voice and commanding stage presence. She has released more than 40 albums and sold over 11 million records. Cuevas is renowned for her masterful interpretations of traditional Mexican music. In 2018, she made history as the first female mariachi singer to win a Grammy Award for Best Regional Mexican Music Album. Recognized as a cultural ambassador of Mexico, she continues to preserve the country’s rich musical heritage through recordings and performances that celebrate the artistry of ranchera music. Aida Cuevas will be performing in Central Indiana on October 10.

Jude Noel is a music journalist and critic whose work has appeared in Pitchfork, The Fader, and Bandcamp Daily. In his recent Bandcamp feature, “Indy Is Next,” Jude shines a spotlight on Indianapolis’s growing independent music scene, tracing the city’s creative energy through its artists, venues, and DIY communities. He writes that Indianapolis’s “best artists braid genres and influences in bizarre yet satisfying ways, chasing creative whims rather than trends. Bands share members and ideas, generating sounds that feel out of time and tough to categorize.” WFYI’s Kyle Long recently spoke with Noel to learn more about his work as a music journalist.

Lee Fields is a legendary funk and soul singer whose powerful voice and remarkable career longevity have earned him comparisons to James Brown and Wilson Pickett. Born in North Carolina in 1951, Fields began recording in the late 1960s, cutting raw funk singles that later became prized by record collectors. After experimenting with electronic music and blues during the 1980s and early ’90s, Fields returned to deep funk and soul in the late ’90s—a sound he has remained faithful to ever since. Known for his electrifying live performances and deeply emotional delivery, Lee Fields stands as one of the last great soul artists still touring and recording at the height of his powers. Fields will be performing in Indianapolis on October 15.

Listen to an interview with Brazilian musicians Magary Lord, Juliana Ribeiro, Márcio Pereira, and Indianapolis’ Lasana Kazembe. They recently performed at Indy Jazz Fest as part of “Jazz Meets Samba : An Afro Brazilian Journey.” Magary Lord is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and percussionist from Salvador, Bahia, known for blending Afro-Brazilian rhythms with broader global influences.Magary Lord has performed internationally and won top honors in Salvador’s Carnaval and collaborated with artists including Seu Jorge.  Juliana Ribeiro is a Brazilian singer, composer and historian from Bahia whose work draws deeply from Afro-Brazilian musical traditions. Ribeiro has performed on major stages across Brazil, released critically-acclaimed albums like “Preta Brasileira.” Márcio Pereira is a guitarist, composer, arranger, and music professor from Salvador, Bahia. Trained both in his hometown and in New Orleans, Pereira developed a distinctive style that fuses Afro-Bahian rhythms with blues and jazz influences.

Listen to interviews with the cast, producers and musicians behind “Cabaret Latino - Songs of the Americas”, including Tom Alvarez, Eva Luna Espay, Eric Salazar, Pablo Gonzalez, Alexis Faviel and Dustin Klein. “Cabaret Latino” is a bilingual revue of songs celebrating the music of Latin America, from boleros to reggaeton. The show was created and directed by Tom Alvarez, a trailblazing figure in Indiana media and arts. His multifaceted career includes work in television, theatre, journalism, podcasting, and community arts advocacy. Born in Fort Wayne, Alvarez first made waves in the 1970s, when he became the first Latino broadcaster on Indianapolis television. In recent years, Alvarez has gained notoriety as a producer of musical theatre and cabaret.

Asher White is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, visual artist, and writer whose prolific creative practice began in her early teens. She started releasing music on Bandcamp at 14, and by her mid-20s, had self-released more than a dozen albums. Her pop vision marries disparate sounds—skittering noise with swooping strings, lively banjo with blasts of feedback—across genres including drone, folk, Tropicalia, noise rock, and chamber pop. Deeply informed by her trans identity, and Jewish spirituality, White’s work is both intimate and expansive. White’s 2024 album “Home Constellation Study” was praised by Pitchfork for its “imagination, complexity, and feeling.” Her sixteenth LP “8 Tips for Full Catastrophe Living“ was released in 2025 by the Indianapolis label Joyful Noise Recordings. White will perform at State Street Pub on October 1. 

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by listening to Kyle Long’s 2024 interview with Omar Apollo. Born in Hobart, Indiana in 1997, Apollo is a Grammy-nominated Mexican-American singer-songwriter whose music blends R&B, pop, funk, and Latin influences. His 2022 debut album “Ivory” earned widespread critical praise, landing him on the Billboard 200, and securing a nomination for Best New Artist at the 65th Grammy Awards. In his wide-ranging interview for Cultural Manifesto, Apollo reflected on his roots in Indiana and the pressures he faced growing up gay and Latino in the Midwest.

Pahua is the musical project of Mexico City–based producer, singer, and DJ Paulina Sotomayor, known for weaving electronic beats with Latin American folk traditions. Pahua will be giving a free performance on September 20 for West Lafayette, Indiana’s Global Fest. Pahau rose to prominence in 2015 with Sotomayor, an electronic music duo featuring her brother Raul. She launched her solo career in 2020, quickly gaining attention for her ability to blend hip hop and house, with traditional sounds from Mexico, Bolivia, Argentina and Colombia. Pahua has carved out a unique space in the international electronic music scene, earning festival appearances and collaborations across Latin America and beyond.

Gonzalo Rubalcaba is a Grammy-winning Cuban pianist and composer celebrated as one of the most innovative voices in modern jazz. He’ll be performing at Indy Jazz Fest on September 19. Born in Havana in 1963 to a musical family, Rubalcaba was classically trained before emerging as a prodigy of the city’s vibrant jazz scene. His virtuosic technique quickly drew international attention, leading to collaborations with legends like Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Haden, and Herbie Hancock. In his conversation with WFYI’s Kyle Long, Rubalcaba discusses his connection to Dizzy Gillespie and his latest album, “A Tribute to Benny Moré and Nat King Cole.”

The guitarist and vocalist Roger McGuinn is among the most critically acclaimed and influential American musicians. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 and in 2023 he was named one of the “250 Greatest Guitarist” by Rolling Stone magazine.   McGuinn is a co-founder of The Byrds and he’s often associated with the West Coast rock scene of the 1960s. But McGuinn is a native of the Midwest and he grew up immersed in the vibrant folk music scene of Chicago during the 1950s. McGuinn began his career recording and performing with folk groups like The Limelighters and Chad Mitchell Trio.  McGuinn rose to national prominence in 1964 when he co-founded The Byrds with David Crosby and Gene Clark. McGuinn’s 12 string Rickenbacker guitar was a defining element of the group’s sound. The Byrds’ 1965 version of Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man” hit #1 on the American charts. That same year, their recording of Pete Seeger’s “Turn, Turn, Turn” also hit #1, ushering in the folk-rock movement of the mi

Brandee Younger is a groundbreaking harpist who has redefined the instrument’s place in contemporary music. Younger will perform at Indy Jazz Fest on September 17.  A classically trained musician, Younger has cultivated a unique sound that fuses her classical training with elements of jazz, R&B, and hip-hop. Younger has collaborated with a wide range of artists including Pharoah Sanders, Ravi Coltrane, Common, John Legend, Kanye West, Meshell Ndegeocello and many others. In 2021, Younger released “Somewhere Different” on the historic Impulse! label, earning a Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Composition — the first Black woman ever recognized in that category. Her 2023 album “Brand New Life” celebrated the legacy of harp pioneer Dorothy Ashby and won the 2024 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album. Throughout her career, Younger has worked to promote and celebrate the work of jazz musician Alice Coltrane and on her new album “Gadabout Season” Younger is performing on Coltrane’s harp. Li

Listen to a conversation with Durand Jones, Aaron Frazer and Blake Rhein of the soul band Durand Jones and The Indications. They joined WFYI’s Kyle Long for an in-depth discussion of their roots in Bloomington, Indiana and how projects including the IU Soul Revue and Charlie Patton’s War brought the band together. The Indications’ latest album is titled “Flowers”, and they’ll be performing in Indianapolis on September 30 at the Hi-Fi Annex.  Durand Jones and the Indications formed in Bloomington in 2012, while its members were studying at Indiana University. The band’s sound was built around a mutual love for classic soul, funk and R&B. Their reputation spread beyond Bloomington in 2016, when Ohio’s Colemine Records issued their debut album. The Indication’s second album “American Love Call” was issued in 2019 and praised by critics for its lush arrangements and socially conscious lyrics, earning comparisons to The Impressions and The Delfonics. Two years later, their album “Private Space” debuted in th

Listen to an interview with Oltanie, a Haitian-American vocalist based in Indianapolis. Her music featured a dynamic fusion of Caribbean and Afro-pop sounds. Also hear a conversation with the Indianapolis keyboardist and bandleader Rodney Stepp, best known for his work with The Spinners. During the late 1970s, Stepp left The Spinners to form Rapture, a legendary Indianapolis funk band. A new compilation of Rapture’s music was released earlier this year by Now Again Records.