CulturallyOurs

In this episode we explore the music and dance culture of the Djabugay people, one of Australia's Aboriginal tribes. The Djabugay live in Eastern Queensland right by the Great Barrier Reef and have a beautiful culture and heritage that is in tuned with the land, the sea, the moutains and the animals. They use stories, dance and music to share their Djabugay perspective of connection, belonging, and 'being part of' country. The land, the sea, the rainforest, the rivers and the mountains are all connected.

In the recent years, in an effort to reignite indigenous culture, efforts were made to cultivate a re-introduction of indigenous lifestyle by promoting and educating the public on indigenous culture, art, lifestyle and traditions. It is really amazing to see this vibrant indigenous culture beginning to thrive as people want to understand and appreciate their roots.

Aboriginal communities in Australia are not homogenous – the many Aboriginal Nations across Australia make up one of the most diverse Indigenous cultures in the world.

In this episode we explore Taiko, which is the ancient Japanese form of percussion music using large drums that are played in an intense, rhythmic format. In Japanese, taiko literally means 'drum' though the term is also used to refer to the art of Japanese drumming, known as kumi-daiko. Taiko has been a part of the Japanese culture for centuries. In fact, Taiko has an almost mythological origin in Japanese folklore.

Taiko has enjoyed a huge resurgence of interest not only in Japan, where there are estimated around 4000 taiko ensembles, but also in North America, Europe, Taiwan and Brazil. Taiko is believed to be the heartbeat of Japan that has visualized through its long deep cultural roots. And now thanks to its modern-day revival it is becoming a more universal musical language bridging cultural gaps around the world.

Show Website: https://www.culturallyours.com

Episode Website: https://www.culturallyours.com/podcast/taiko-japanese-drum-music/

Episode Notes: https://www.culturallyours.com/2020/01/21/culture-of-taiko-japanese-drum-music/

Taiko Drum Performance: https://youtu.be/LXekMoDadtU

In this episode, Karthika interviews Vignesh Ishwar, an award winning musician from Chennai, India. Vignesh is an IT professional turned musician who has been performing Classical Carnatic music all over India and around the world. Vignesh shares his passion for the arts and how his analytical background actually helps him with his music career. He also talks about Margazhi, the month long music festival in the city of Chennai that pretty much turns the whole city into a music arena with several hundred concerts all over the city.

Show Website: https://www.culturallyours.com

Episode Website: https://www.culturallyours.com/podcast/vignesh-ishwar/

Episode Notes: https://www.culturallyours.com/2020/01/14/vignesh-ishwar-on-the-culture-of-carnatic-music/

In this introductory episode for Season 04, we discuss the concept of cultures and traditions - what are these two concepts and how are they similar and different at the same time. Karthika shares thoughts around what makes culture and tradition an important aspect to learn about, understand and embrace - in all ways of life.

Show Website: https://www.culturallyours.com

Episode Website: https://www.culturallyours.com/podcast/global-cultures-and-traditions/

Episode Notes: https://www.culturallyours.com/2020/01/07/cultures-and-traditions-around-the-world/

In this bonus episode, Karthika discuss what it means to be a culturally sensitive traveler and talk about the second annual  travel retreat to India. She shares five easy ways we can all be more culturally aware and culturally sensitive when we travel, especially to areas and regions that are very different from what we are used to on a day to day basis.

Website: https://www.culturallyours.com

Episode Shownotes: https://www.culturallyours.com/podcast/being-a-culturally-sensitive-traveler/

Episode Website: https://www.culturallyours.com/2018/10/05/how-to-be-a-culturally-sensitive-traveler/

In this bonus episode, we discuss the dangerous migration journeys in the world inspired by a recent opinion piece on NPR. Karthika shares thoughts around how to think about migration from a more human angle - understanding the people and their motivations behind undertaking extremely perilous journeys in hopes of a better life.

Website: https://www.culturallyours.com

Episode Shownotes: https://www.culturallyours.com/podcast/the-dangerous-journey-of-migration/

Episode Website: https://www.culturallyours.com/2019/10/29/the-human-side-of-the-migration-journey/

In this bonus episode, we celebrate one year of CulturallyOurs with founder Karthika Gupta. Karthika shares her experiences from this past year, CulturallyOurs's successes and some of the lessons she has learnt along the way. 

Karthika also shares why owning your truth and sharing your story is important because the world needs more of what we all have to offer.

Website: https://www.culturallyours.com

Episode Shownotes: https://www.culturallyours.com/podcast/one-year-celebration/

Episode Website: https://www.culturallyours.com/2019/10/22/celebrating-one-year-of-culturallyours/

Karthika interviews Kirsty Lamour and her daughters Saffron Lamour, age 13 and Indy Lamour, age 11. The Lamour family are a jet setting, adventure loving family having lived in Hong Kong, Abu Dabi, China and India among others. Kirsty is a documentary photographer and both Indy and Saff are equally creative in their own way. They shared what life in other countries is like, how culture and diversity are a huge part of their everyday and how life on the road for them is one grand adventure. 

Both Saffy and Indy are also huge proponents against climate change and have organized and participated in many rallies wherever they have lived - either as part of the community or through school. The Lamour girls also shared their plans for their latest adventure - a year long overland trip exploring the Indian subcontinent.

Website: https://www.culturallyours.com

Episode Shownotes: https://www.culturallyours.com/podcast/kirsty-saffy-and-indy-lamour/

Episode Website: https://www.culturallyours.com/2019/10/15/kirsty-saffy-and-indy-lamour-on-living-a-global-lifestyle/

Karthika interviews Shane Mitchell, a food, culture and travel writer who had worked with some of the biggest names out like Travel and Leisure, Bon Appetite, and Saveur to name a few. She has won three James Beard awards – one of the highest honors given to people in books, journalism, broadcast media, food, and lifetime achievements.

Shane talked about her experiences in journalism for the past 30 years, her decade long journey with her book, Far Afield Food Encounters From Around The World and her connections with people and their lands. Food is such an incredibility intimate way to connect with others where we leave all biases, prejudices and ego at the door and sit down to share something deeply personal and humbling like a meal.

Website: https://www.culturallyours.com

Episode Shownotes: https://www.culturallyours.com/podcast/shane-mitchell/

Episode Website: https://www.culturallyours.com/2019/10/08/shane-mitchell-on-food-as-an-extension-of-culture/

In this episode, we explore Travel as I chat with Aaron Teasdale. Aaron is an outdoors writer, traveler and photographer having won numerous awards for his articles and photos. But as Aaron puts it, that doesn't matter as much because he really gets to do that what he loves the most, being out in nature. His family are also a big part of his adventures and according to Aaron, he wouldn't have it any other way.