Listen to a conversation with pianist Elham Fanoos of the Fanoos Ensemble, a unique family group that blends the folk and popular music of Afghanistan with Western classical instrumentation. The Fanoos Ensemble will be performing in Central Indiana on January 25. 

Elham Fanoos was born in Afghanistan in 1997. During that time, music was banned under Taliban rule. But Elham’s father, Ahmad Fanoos, a well-known singer and television personality in Afghanistan, nurtured his son’s musical talent. Elham started out on the tabla drum but later switched to the piano after watching YouTube videos of the classical music legend Vladimir Horowitz. Elham recently released his debut album with the Fanoos Ensemble, titled Echoes of Afghanistan.

Also, hear a conversation with vocalist and songwriter Lindsay Littrell. Lindsay is the creative force behind LITTRELL, an Indianapolis-based music duo formed with the multi-instrumentalist and engineer Garrett Langebartels. LITTRELL’s debut album Public Love was released last year. The album features a distinctive blend of dark pop, alt-rock, and trip-hop music, along with conceptual elements inspired by activist Cornell West and writer Bell Hooks.

Listen to a conversation with Wynton Marsalis, a world-renowned trumpet player, composer, and educator whose artistry and influence span the worlds of jazz and classical music. 

Marsalis was Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1961. He grew up immersed in the jazz legacy of his hometown. His father, Ellis Marsalis Jr., was a legendary pianist and educator, and his brothers Branford, Delfeayo, and Jason are also acclaimed musicians. 

A virtuoso in both jazz and classical music, Marsalis was the first musician to win Grammy Awards in both fields in the same year, a feat he achieved in 1984. Marsalis was also the first jazz musician to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Music, for his oratorio Blood on the Fields. 

Marsalis has become a global ambassador for jazz, and since 1991, he’s served as the artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. 

 

Also, hear an interview with the acclaimed Indianapolis jazz saxophonist Rob Dixon. He’ll discuss his upcoming tribute to jazz legend John Coltrane “A Love Supreme: 60th Anniversary Tribute”. 

For Indianapolis music fans, Rob Dixon needs no introduction. He’s been called the “musical mayor of Indianapolis”, a reference to his prominent role in the city’s music scene. Dixon has worked with many jazz luminaries, including Illinois Jacquet, Mike Clark, and Charlie Hunter. Dixon is also the artistic director of the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation.

This week, Kyle Long shares some of his favorite interviews of 2024. Listen to conversations with Carlos Santana, Omar Apollo, Babyface, Lakecia Benjamin, Zakir Hussain, Indianapolis jazz legend Phil Ranelin, Indiana reggae pioneers Reggaenomix, and David McDonald, author of the book “My Voice is my Weapon: Music, Nationalism, and the Poetics of Palestinian Resistance”.

Karl Hofstetter grew up hating Christmas music. But through his label Joyful Noise Recordings, he’s produced a fascinating archive of experimental holiday music. 

Listen to selections featuring Jad Fair, Deerhoof, Sound of Ceres, Dale Crover (Melvins), Kishi Bashi, Danielson, Sedcairn Archives, WHY?, David Yow (Jesus Lizard) Thor Harris, and more.

Listen to an interview with the poet, activist and educator Nikki Giovanni, who passed away on December 9th at the age of 81. In 2015, Giovanni spoke with WFYI’s Kyle Long. They discussed her work in music, and her connections to Indianapolis.

Also, as we approach the end of the year, media outlets including NPR, Rolling Stone, the New York Times and Pitchfork are publishing their annual “best of” music lists. We’ll explore music from the Indiana musicians featured among the year’s best, including Jlin, Omar Apollo, Justin Hicks of the HawtPlates, and Freddie Gibbs.

Hear the final episode in our two-part series celebrating the life and music of Barbara Dane, a legendary, folk, blues, and jazz singer who used her voice to advocate for social justice and civil rights. Dane passed away in October of 2024, she was 97 years old. Listen to a 2018 interview Dane recorded with WFYI’s Kyle Long, along with rare recordings from her discography.

Barbara Dane began singing on the picket lines of Detroit as a teenager. Politics and activism would remain a central focus of her music. She would go on to record for the biggest labels in American music and collaborate with iconic artists, including Louis Armstrong, Earl Hines, and Lightnin’ Hopkins. 

At the height of the 1960s folk music boom, Bob Dylan called Dane a hero. But Dane never experienced the commercial success of her folk singing peers like Dylan. She refused to compromise her principles for corporate record companies, which led Dane to start her own label in the 1970s, Paredon Records. Through her Paredon label, Dane issued revolutionary music from Palestine, Vietnam, and Cuba. She also released her own recordings on the label, including the 1973 album “I Hate the Capitalist System”. 

On this edition, we’ll discuss Dane’s work with Paredon, and her connection to Bob Dylan.

Hear the first episode in our two-part series celebrating the life and music of Barbara Dane, a legendary, folk, blues, and jazz singer who used her voice to advocate for social justice and civil rights. Dane passed away in October of 2024, she was 97 years old. Listen to a 2018 interview Dane recorded with WFYI’s Kyle Long, along with rare recordings from her discography.

Barbara Dane was born Barbara Jean Spillman in Detroit, Michigan in 1927. She began singing on the picket lines of Detroit as a teenager. Politics and activism would remain a central focus of her music. Dane would go on to record for the biggest labels in American music and collaborate with iconic artists, including Louis Armtstrong, Earl Hines, and Lightnin’ Hopkins. 

At the height of the 1960’s folk music boom, Bob Dylan called Dane a hero. But Dane never experienced the commercial success of her folk singing peers like Dylan. She refused to compromise her principles for corporate record companies, which led Dane to start her own label in the 1970s, Paredon Records. Through her Paredon label, Dane issued revolutionary music from Palestine, Vietnam, and Cuba. She also released her own recordings on the label, including the 1973 album “I Hate the Capitalist System”.

Listen to a special episode celebrating National Native American Heritage Month. Learn how Native American musicians are reinventing traditional culture in the 21st Century, featuring interviews with the experimental pow wow group Medicine Singers, and the hip-hop artist Supaman.

Fort Wayne’s Troy Shondell was one of Indiana’s first rock and roll stars. He’s best remembered for his 1961 single “This Time”. That song went to number 6 on the Billboard chart and sold over 3 million copies.

Shondell never managed to recapture the success of “This Time” and is often labeled a one-hit wonder. But there’s much more to Shondell’s story. He toured with Chuck Berry, recorded with Phil Spector, and produced legendary funk sessions with the Patterson Twins, and Trust at Fort Wayne’s Star Fox studio. Join us to hear rare recordings from Troy Shondell.

In 1973, the Beech Grove Indiana rack band Zerfas released their self-titled debut album. The band was led by brothers Dave and Herman Zerfas, who independently distributed the Zerfas record. The album went largely unheard at the time of its initial release, but over the years Zerfas has attracted a strong cult audience. Today, the Zerfas album is considered a lost classic of psychedelic rock music, and original copies of the LP sell for thousands of dollars. 

A new album from the Logansport Indiana rapper Id Obelus celebrates the legacy of Zerfas. The project is titled “Safrez”, it includes samples from the 1973 Zerfas LP, along with rhymes inspired by Zerfas’ lyrics.

This week on Cultural Manifesto, listen to an interview with Id Obelus, as he shares the inspiration behind “Safrez”.

Also, hear a 2015 conversation with the late Moe Whittemore, he recorded and released Zerfas’ 1973 album from his 700 West studio in New Palestine, Indiana. During the 1970s, Whittemore recorded and released dozens of important Hoosier albums from his home in New Palestine.