In Kongthong, India, every person’s name is a unique song, composed by their mother within a week of their birth, part of a centuries-old tradition.
Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/where-indian-villagers-have-musical-names
Today
Beyond the Game: Vancouver’s Dude Chilling Park
A renegade art project in Vancouver galvanized a small community, pitted residents against city government, and ultimately resulted in a new name for a chill park. This episode is part of our ongoing coverage of the soccer world championship. In each episode, we take you beyond t ... Show More
14m 44s
Jun 6
Weekend Road Trip: The Jokes Phone
A pay phone in Washington, D.C tells you jokes and affirmations. This episode is part of our Weekend Road Trip Series, where we bring you stories of the strange, incredible, and wondrous places right here in the United States, that you can see from the road. This series was produ ... Show More
16m 50s
Oct 2020
Meleika Gesa-Fatafehi — Say My Name
What is the story of your name? In this poem, the poet calls on place, ancestors, and history to bear witness to the dignity of their name. They recall how their ancestors “acknowledged my roots grew in two / places” and how their name “is the definition of resilience.” With Blac ... Show More
14m 2s
Aug 2023
Singing Morocco's new identity
Gnawa music is a Moroccan spiritual musical tradition developed by descendants of enslaved people from Sub-Saharan Africa. It combines ritual poetry with traditional music and dance, and is traditionally only performed by men. But one female Moroccan artist, Asmâa Hamzaoui, has b ... Show More
27m 15s
Mar 2023
«Sokou !» de Clément Janinet et Adama Sidibé, comme un hommage au cousin ouest-africain du violon
Sokou !, un album qui réunit le violon du Français Clément Janinet et le sokou du Malien Adama Sidibé, vient de paraître. Au croisement des musiques peules d'Afrique de l'Ouest et des musiques répétitives occidentales, les deux musiciens marient leurs instruments avec inventivité ... Show More
4m 57s