Episode 88 features two incredible Black Americans who were friends born in the 18th Century. James Forten (1766-1842) was a Revolutionary War Veteran who owned one of America's most successful sail-making companies. He was also influential abolitionist and early Civil Rights leader. His friend Francis "Frank" Johnson (1792-1844) was an equally influential m ... Show More
Feb 2024
The Rise and Fall of Black Swan Records
In 1921, a man named Harry Pace started the first major Black-owned record company in the United States. He called it Black Swan Records.
In an era when few Black musicians were recorded, the company was revolutionary. It launched the careers of Ethel Waters, Fletcher Henderson, ... Show More
23m 51s
Jan 2022
The great Black music symposium with Angel Bat Dawid, Qur'an Shaheed, Dr Adam Zanolini and Ben LaMar Gay
Qur'an Shaheed, Dr Adam Zanolini and Ben LaMar Gay join composer, improviser, clarinetist, and pianist Angel Bat Dawid to discuss the importance of not conforming, the struggle to find money to do what you love doing, recognising what your gifts are, and the experience of being d ... Show More
31m 8s
Jul 2023
How Louis Armstrong invented the modern pop star
In 1964, Louis Armstrong knocked the Beatles off the top of the charts with his recording of “Hello, Dolly!” becoming, at age 62, the oldest artist to ever hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Sixty years later, Louis Armstrong remains a beloved cultural figure, his oft-imita ... Show More
33m 13s