This episode is part one of The Soul of Music—Overheard’s four-part series focusing on music, exploration, and Black history. Our guest this week is two-time Grammy award winner Rhiannon Giddens, a singer, songwriter, and banjo and fiddle player. A self-described “armchair historian,” Rhiannon chats with Nat Geo Explorer and spoken-word poet Alyea Pierce abo ... Show More
Jul 2023
Trapped in the icy waters of the Northwest Passage
For centuries, the Northwest Passage, the long-sought sea route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through northern Canada, was a holy grail of Arctic exploration. Even now, sailing through it isn’t guaranteed. Mark Synnott, a National Geographic Explorer, writer, and adv ... Show More
34m 16s
Jul 2023
Playback: Modern Lives, Ancient Caves
There’s a lost continent waiting to be explored, and it’s right below our feet. We’ll dig into the deep human relationship to the underground—and why we understand it from an instinctive point of view, but not so much from a physical one. (Hint: We’re afraid of the dark.) In an e ... Show More
28m 39s
Jun 2023
Playback: This Indigenous Practice Fights Fire with Fire
For decades, the U.S. government evangelized fire suppression, most famously through Smokey Bear’s wildfire prevention campaign. But as climate change continues to exacerbate wildfire seasons and a growing body of scientific research supports using fire to fight fire, Indigenous ... Show More
29m 8s
Feb 2024
Arabic Music in the Age of Digital Distribution | Ghaliaa
On this episode of Quartertones, up-and-coming musician Ghaliaa discusses her love for music, career to date, and finding inspiration in non-fiction. She talks about her childhood, how she came to be so multi-instrumental, and who her Arabic music inspirations are. Ghaliaa also r ... Show More
51m 2s
Mar 2024
From Aks'ser to Rayess Bek | Rayess Bek
In this episode of Quartertones, we sat down with Rayess Bek, aka Wael Kodeih, to talk about his varied and vibrant musical career. As we traverse his music projects, personas and styles from over the years, the conversation explores Kodeih's relationship with Lebanon, hip hop, h ... Show More
1h 15m
Jun 2023
Hip Hop, the Lahme Song & Making Beats From Old Syrian Vinyls | Thanks Joey
In this episode of Quartertones, Thanks Joey takes us on a journey through hip hop, Brooklyn music, and his Syrian grandfather’s old records. We talk about working with Omar Offendum and Narcy, his music making process, and what inspired his Lahme song.He gives us a sneak preview ... Show More
1h 17m
Mar 2024
Umm Kulthum Through the Eyes of Poet Ahmed Ramy | Mustapha Kammoun
In this afikra FWD presentation, recorded on July 17th 2023, Mustapha Kammoun joins us from Berlin to talk about Sélim Nassib's novel "I Loved You For Your Voice" that's based on the life of Umm Kulthum. The book is told through the eyes of poet Ahmed Ramy, the man who wrote her ... Show More
39m 45s