In the 1930s, musical Ferdinand “Jelly Roll” Morton identified the influence of Latin American rhythms like the habanera in jazz, as a sonic “tinge” that fundamentally shaped his style as a stride pianist. In the Seventies, disco presented its own Latin tinge. The Latin American and Latino influence on 1970s New York disco extended far beyond the familiar na ... Show More
Aug 21
Kathleen Wilson, "Strolling Players of Empire: Theater and Performances of Power in the British Imperial Provinces, 1656–1833" (Cambridge UP, 2022)
Why did Britons get up a play wherever they went? In Strolling Players of Empire: Theater and Performances of Power in the British Imperial Provinces, 1656–1833 (Cambridge UP, 2022), Dr. Kathleen Wilson reveals how the performance of English theater and a theatricalized way of vi ... Show More
55m 38s
Aug 4
César Brioso, "Last Seasons in Havana: The Castro Revolution and the End of Professional Baseball In Cuba" (U Nebraska Press, 2019)
Today we are joined by César Brioso, author of the book Last Seasons in Havana: The Castro Revolution and the End of Professional Baseball In Cuba (University of Nebraska Press, 2019). Blending the love for baseball fans in Cuba had during the 1950s with the political upheaval th ... Show More
42m 49s
Jul 30
Dan-el Padilla Peralta, "Classicism and Other Phobias" (Princeton UP, 2025)
Classicism and Other Phobias (Princeton University Press, 2025) shows how the concept of “classicism” lacks the capacity to affirm the aesthetic value of Black life and asks whether a different kind of classicism—one of insurgence, fugitivity, and emancipation—is possible. Engagi ... Show More
50m 52s
Mar 2025
My guest appearance on ‘Gems of Arabia’ about Arab Representation in Media with Becky Anderson, Faisal Abbas & host Hatem AlAkeel
I’m excited to share a special episode from the podcast, Gems of Arabia about Arab Representation in Media. The episode, hosted by WIDN alum Hatem Al Akeel, was recorded a few weeks ago at the CNN Academy in Abu Dhabi in front of a live audience of the Academy’s latest cohort of ... Show More
1h 14m
Feb 2025
Season 4, Episode 5: Eugene Rogan, The Arabs: A History
Send us a textJoin Professor Jeffrey Sachs and historian Eugene Rogan, professor of Modern Middle Eastern History at Oxford, as they delve into the complex history of the Arab world, from the Ottoman conquest in 1516 to today’s geopolitical crises of the modern Middle East. Throu ... Show More
52m 39s
Sep 2023
Ussama Makdisi: Narrating our Middle Eastern History
In this episode, Rafeef, Tayla, and Tom are joined Dr. Ussama Makdisi, Palestinian-American scholar and academic, currently a Professor of History and Chancellor’s Chair at the University of California Berkeley. Dr Makdisi is the author of several books and publications on sectar ... Show More
49m 17s
Oct 2023
You ain't a leftist if you haven’t left yet w/ Mohammed El-Kurd
*Editor's note: This episode was recorded on 9/25/23* Jen, Demetrius, and Kiley sit down with Mohammed El-Kurd (@m7mdkurd) to discuss what is happening in El-Kurd’s hometown, Al Quds, settler colonialism, and the Palestinian/Native connection. You can learn more about our guest h ... Show More
1h 26m
May 19
S2 Ep 10: Islam and the Indian Ocean
For centuries, the Indian Ocean has been a vast crossroads of cultures, goods, and ideas - but what role did Islam play in weaving this intricate web of connections? Arab, Berber, Persian and Indian merchants spread Islam from the seventh century onwards across the vast geographi ... Show More
1h 7m