Sitars and Symphonies: LA Composer Reena Esmail Fuses Indian Ragas with Western Rhythms
We continue our California composers series with Reena Esmail. Her childhood in Los Angeles had two soundtracks: the Western classical music her parents loved, and the old, scratchy Bollywood tapes her paternal grandparents would play over and over. Those multicultural i ... Show More
Aug 15
Rebuilding a Lost Home, a Beloved Garment, and a Treasured Radio
How a Pasadena Church is Helping One Senior Through Wildfire Recovery It’s been more than seven months since the Eaton Fire tore across Altadena, just east of Los Angeles. Rebuilding homes and neighborhoods could take years – a daunting timeline, especially for seniors. Local adv ... Show More
27m 58s
Aug 8
How An Unhoused Person Navigates San Francisco Streets; Life With a Partner in Prison
Recently, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at fundamentally changing how the country addresses homelessness. The order promises to crack down on street homelessness across the country, in part by institutionalizing people with mental illness. Here in California, Go ... Show More
27m 57s
Aug 1
Therapists Confront Wildfire Trauma; Deadly Scandal in California Wine Country
It’s been nearly seven months since the Eaton Fire tore through Altadena, killing 30 people and hollowing out a once vibrant community. For many survivors, the fire has impacted their mental health, as many try to navigate rebuilding their homes and their lives. Reporter Steven C ... Show More
30m 15s
Dec 2019
To Be Filipino, Gay, And HIV Positive in San Francisco
Jaime Geaga moved to San Francisco in 1981. He was ready to start a new chapter of his life when he tested positive for HIV. Among Asian Americans, Filipino men were some of the most affected by HIV/AIDS. Filipinos also made up the largest group of Asians in the Bay Area. So Jaim ... Show More
35m 39s
May 2019
Why Are There No Filipina Disney Princesses? #YouthTakeoverKQED
Filipinos are huge part of life and culture in the Bay Area. But the spotlight rarely falls on them, especially in media. El Cerrito High School senior Rachel Manila doesn't remember seeing anyone who looked like in her in movies, on TV or in books."I just didn't see anything, li ... Show More
15m 34s
Dec 2015
Dissident voices from Cuba, the Mexican border, and hip hop Broadway
Cuban dissident Miriam Leiva speaks with Cardiff Garcia in Havana about the life of her late husband, Oscar Espinosa Chepe, an economist with an irrepressible instinct to tell the truth to a government that did not want to hear it – for which he was repeatedly and severely punish ... Show More
1h 2m
Oct 2023
27. The Legacy of Mariachi in San Antonio Culture: A Conversation with Michael Acevedo, Director of Mariachi Los Paisanos
This week’s guest on bigcitysmalltown is Michael Acevedo, an educator, musician and associate professor in UTSA’s School of Music. Of particular interest is Michael’s work as director of Mariachi Los Paisanos. Anyone who has attended a home game of the Roadrunners football team h ... Show More
32m 25s
Jul 2023
Secrets of African rhythms with Sampa the Great, Thandiswa Mazwai, Emmanuel Jagari Chanda and Mag44
Sampa the Great, Thandiswa Mazwai, Emmanuel Jagari Chanda and Mag44 discuss music standing the test of time, African music, and the new generation of musicians.Sampa the Great was born in Ndola in Zambia and became interested in music from a young age, writing poems and singing f ... Show More
36m 33s