Cultural Manifesto

Indianapolis-based poet and spoken word artist Too Black discusses The Pendleton 2: They Stood Up, which he co-directed. The documentary tells the story of the 1985 prison uprising at the Indiana State Reformatory, now the Pendleton Correctional Facility. Prison activists John “Balagoon” Cole and Christopher “Naeem” Trotter, known collectively as the Pendleton 2, were issued de facto life sentences for their role in the uprising. The film explores the policies of the Indiana Department of Corrections, KKK-associated prison guards, solitary confinement and the community effort to push for Cole and Trotter’s release.

This week on Cultural Manifesto Kyle Long speaks with Dwani Phiri, a Zambian-born Indianapolis-based artist. Dwani's music blends the afrobeat sounds of his homeland with the hip-hop music he grew up with in Indiana. He'll also speak with NB Nakita, a unique electronic music producer and vocalist who grew up in Indianapolis. NB Nakita's music reflects her bicultural background, freely mixing language and genre.

Boot Scoot USA country music dance party organizers, Kevin Hofmeister and Kyle Nagy, share their journey from rap to country music. And Sarah Acra, who formed KPop Indiana, discusses how she created a community for fans of South Korean popular music here in the Hoosier state.

This week on Cultural Manifesto Host Kyle Long speaks with the experimental musician, artist manager, and Indianapolis civic leader Michael Kaufmann; and we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with music from Mar Mar Aye, an important Burmese singer living in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

This week on Cultural Manifesto, an hour of words and music with the classical music pianist, and arts activist Lara Downes. She’ll be performing the Florence Price piano concerto with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra later this month. Downes has become a significant advocate for African American voices in classical music. She’s the host and creator of Amplify, an NPR series that features Downes in conversation with a wide range of Black musicians. She’s also creator and curator of Rising Sun Music, a recording label that focuses on the work of historic and contemporary Black composers. 

This week on Cultural Manifesto Kyle interviews singer/songwriter Morgan Rae Webster. We’ll listen to her debut single “Let Go”, a song dedicated to her sister, who died from COVID-19. We’ll also have another edition of Finding Etheridge with Mat Davis, a new segment exploring the people and places connected to the late Indianapolis poet Etheridge Knight. This week’s guest will be Etheridge Knight’s great-niece Hanako Gavia. 

This week on Cultural Manifesto we'll be joined by the singer-songwriter Shana Cleveland, best known for her work with the psychedelic garage band La Luz. Shana will be performing music from her new solo album Manzanita this month at the Hi-Fi.  We'll also have another edition of Rebel Music with Karla Lopez. This week Karla's guest will be the Indiana State Senator Rodney Pol Jr., the first Latino elected to the Indiana senate. Senator Pol is a member of America Eats Its Young, a Parliament-Funkadelic tribute band based in Northwest Indiana. Senator Pol will discuss how the Parliament-Funkadelic's music has shaped his political consciousness. 

 This week on Cultural Manifesto I’ll speak with the rock and roll legend Graham Nash, best known for his work with The Hollies, and Crosby, Stills, and Nash. Graham Nash will be performing at the Palladium on April 23.  I’ll also talk with the Pulitzer Prize-nominated composer Augusta Read Thomas, she’ll be premiering a new work titled “Toward A Secret Sky”  with the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir on Friday, April 28 at the Hilbert Circle Theatre.  

This week on Cultural Manifesto I’ll speak with the saxophonist and composer Jared Thompson. For nearly two decades, Thompson has led the Indianapolis-based jazz band Premium Blend. We’ll listen to tracks off the group’s new album "Virtue", and Thompson will share some of the social and musical influences that shaped the record.  Thompson is known for speaking out on a variety of social issues, and his willingness to engage in political dialogue is reflected in the music of Premium Blend. “Virtue” builds on this legacy, while adding new textures and dynamics to the classic Premium Blend sound.  

This week on Cultural Manifesto, world–renowned soprano vocalist Angela Brown. Brown made national news in 2004 with her debut performance at the Metropolitan Opera, in the starring role of Aida. Host Kyle Long and Angela discuss her early years in the Indianapolis music scene, and her work with literary figures including Toni Morrison, Mari Evans, and Maya Angelou.

This week on Cultural Manifesto we’ll celebrate the life and music of Greg Horn - a founding member of the legendary Indiana band Dow Jones and the Industrials. Horn passed away last week in Indianapolis.   We'll be joined by the Indianapolis musician Vess Ruthenberg, who will share his thoughts on the legacy of Greg Horn's music. Ruthenberg performed with Dow Jones and The Industrials during a series of reunion shows in 2016.  We’ll also have another edition of Rebel Music with Karla Lopez. This week Karla’s guest will be the union activist Jesse Brown. 

This week on Cultural Manifesto we’ll celebrate Women’s History Month by paying tribute to the women pioneers of Indiana punk, new wave, and noise music.  Tune in for an hour of words and music featuring Amoebas in Chaos, The Last 4 Digits, The Abstractions, Software and more.    

This week on Cultural Manifesto, Jody Friend, of the Indianapolis-based rock band Public Universal Friend.   Public Universal Friend will be celebrating the release of their second album "Chrysalis" with a special concert at the White Rabbit Cabaret.  Also on this episode, Kyle interviews legendary guitarist, producer, and songwriter Jim Messina.   

This March marks the 100th anniversary of the renowned jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, one of the most beloved musicians to emerge from Indianapolis. This week on Cultural Manifesto we'll celebrate Montgomery's birthday by sharing excerpts from a never-before-heard 1964 recording of Wes Montgomery performing at the Circle Theater in Indianapolis. We'll also hear from the concert's promoter Herb Miller, best known as the founder of the Indianapolis soul music label Lamp Records. We also introduce a new segment on Cultural Manifesto titled Finding Etheridge. Finding Etheridge explores the people and places connected to the Pulitzer Prize-nominated poet Etheridge Knight.  

Wilkerson will share an A to Z playlist of Indiana music, featuring classic Hoosier jazz, funk, punk, folk and psychedelic music.

A special two part episode featuring the musician and archivist Rick Wilkerson, a co-founder of the Indiana Music History Project, and the Indiana Musicpedia - an alphabetically-listed compendium of Indiana musicians, and music-related businesses. Wilkerson will share an A to Z playlist of Indiana music, featuring classic Hoosier jazz, funk, punk, folk and psychedelic music.  

This week on Cultural Manifesto  the Indianapolis-based rapper Skypp. His new album Sorry 4 My Trauma explores the trauma Skypp experienced growing up on the Eastside of Indianapolis, and his attempts to cope with that pain. Skypp is one of the most prominent voices in Indianapolis rap music. He's had multiple releases hit the iTunes rap charts, and he's performed alongside artists including DMX, Too $hort, Anthony Hamilton, Floetry, and Babyface. 

This week on Cultural Manifesto we'll celebrate Black History Month by looking back at the work of Calvin Carter, an unsung figure in Indiana music, Carter was born in Gary, Indiana on May 27 of 1925. He's best known for his work with Vee-Jay Records, a label founded in Gary, Indiana in 1953 by his sister Vivian Carter. Carter worked as a songwriter, producer, arranger, and A&R manager for the label.  We’ll focus on Carter’s work as a songwriter.  Carter wrote, or co-wrote many classic rock and R&B hits - including The Spaniels' "Goodnite, Sweetheart, Goodnite", and Jerry Butler's "He Will Break Your Heart". Over the years, Carter’s songs have been performed by a wide range of artists, from Dolly Parton, to Aerosmith. 

This week on Cultural Manifesto we speak with saxophonist Brandon Douthitt. He’s one of the featured performers at this year’s Art & Soul Festival.  Douthitt will share his memories of performing at Afropunk with the R&B star Solange, and we’ll listen to his jazz interpretations of music from SpongeBob SquarePants.  We'll also pay tribute to the Indianapolis big band singer Virginia Maxey, who recorded and performed with artists including Frank Sinatra and Tommy Dorsey. This year marks the 100th anniversary of her birth. 

This week on Cultural Manifesto, we speak with Florence LaRue, an original member of the legendary ‘60s psychedelic soul group the 5th Dimension. LaRue has performed with the 5th Dimension for over 50 years, and on the eve of her 81st birthday, she’s taking the 5th Dimension back out on the road.  We also have a new edition of Rebel Music with Karla Lopez. This week Karla’s guest is the activist and musician Isaias Guerrero. He’ll discuss his song "Preciosas Vidas Negras,” a Spanish language anthem for the Black Lives Matter movement.