In this episode of our cultural adventure series, May finds a curious watermelon that connects her to her Vietnamese heritage and herself.

This story is inspired by the Vietnamese folktale, The Watermelon Prince. It is the story of a king’s adopted son who gets banished to a faraway island after the king’s biological son spreads vicious rumors about the adopted one. It is on the island that the son discovers the watermelon. One day, he carves a message of love to his adopted father in the watermelon and throws it in the ocean, so that someone else may discover it. It washes up on the shores of  Vietnam and is taken to the king.  The king sees the message and discovers the truth: that the rumors about his adopted son were not true. Two weeks after that, a ship sent by the king brings his son back to the palace where he eventually becomes king of Vietnam and rules to the end of his days.

This podcast was produced by Studio Ochenta for TRAX on PRX. May and May The Driver were voiced by Vicky Nguyen, Stephanie was voiced by Helen Chhea, Mrs. Nguyen was voiced by Hua Szu Yang and May’s Mom was voiced by Lory Martínez.

Special thanks to the Cultureverse editorial team for this episode, Ty Nguyen and Liz Kleinrock for advising on elements from Vietnamese culture.

Transcripts and additional resources to learn more about Vietnamese folklore are available at ochentastudio.com/cultureverse.

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In this episode of our cultural adventure series, Sean receives a gift with the power of the Celtic God: Dagda.

This story was inspired by Dagda's harp, a mystical object in Celtic mythology. Dagda is one of the most important Celtic gods. He owns objects with magical powers, including a cauldron and a club... But his most famous and iconic instrument is his magical harp. It’s made of oak and richly decorated, and this instrument allowed him to control the coming and going of the seasons, the weather, and also the might of warriors during battle and the emotions of entire towns.

This podcast was produced by Studio Ochenta for TRAX on PRX and is hosted by Kelly Marie Tran. Sean was voiced by Elliot Gindi. Zoe was voiced by Lina Goggins-Rendón. And the voice of Granny was played by Sarah Golding.

Special thanks to our Cultureverse editorial team for this episode, Rita McNiff and Ciara McNally, who brought their experiences as Irish and Irish-Americans to this story.

Transcripts and additional resources to learn more about Irish folklore are available at ochentastudio.com/cultureverse.

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In this episode of our cultural adventure series, Ahuli learns to listen to his animal relative: Gitli in this homage to the Cherokee myth of The Deluge.

This story is inspired by the Cherokee myth called  “The Deluge”. In the story, a long time ago a man had a dog, which began to go down to the river every day and look at the water and howl. The dog warned of a flood that would soon cover the entire world. The dog convinced the man to build a raft and the man’s family (and the dog) remained safe in the raft as the water rose. It rained for a long time, and the water covered the mountaintops. When the rain stopped, the man climbed to the top of a mountain and saw that everything was still and they were the few that survived.

This podcast was produced by Studio Ochenta for TRAX on PRX. Ahuli was voiced by Calvin Joyal. Ama was voiced by Lorna Bowen. Andre was voiced by Kevin Thelwell. Sandy Poplore, the Newscaster, is Cherie B. Tay. The Animal Control Officer was voiced by Bryan Green.

Special thanks to our Cultureverse editorial team for this episode: Joseph Pierce, Melanie McKay-Cody and Jack Cooper who brought their experiences as Cherokee people to this story.

Transcripts and additional resources to learn more about Cherokee folklore are available at ochentastudio.com

In this episode of our cultural adventure series, Isa meets a mysterious little round creature in this homage to the Mexican folk character: the Cholito de la Suerte.

This story is based on el Cholito de la Suerte, a folk creature from Hidalgo, Mexico. According to popular culture, this creature appears only to girls and if he is found, you should take him, clean him, feed him, and protect him. In return, he will give you money every morning for the rest of your life…..if he remains a secret.  If not, the Cholito and your new fortune will disappear at once.

This podcast was produced by Studio Ochenta for TRAX on PRX and is hosted by Kelly Marie Tran. Isa was voiced by Daisy Guevara. Dali was voiced by Lisha López. Olga, Isa’s mom, was voiced by Sylvia Rosas, the Cholito was voiced by José Érick Yáñez and the English teacher was voiced by Lory Martínez.

Special thanks to our Cultureverse editorial team for this episode: Karen Ramos, Natalie Ramos, and Alberto Carrillo, who brought their experiences as Mexicans and Mexican-Americans to this story.

*Transcripts and additional resources to learn more about Mexican folklore are available at ochentastudio.com/cultureverse.*

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In this episode of our cultural adventure series, David and Jenny meet the most revered creature in the Chinese Zodiac: The Water Dragon.

This story is based on the ancient Chinese legend of The Water Dragon in which a young boy in the countryside finds a stone that brings him a lot of luck. He hopes to use it to bring rain to his village during a terrible drought. The boy ultimately learns to harness the magic of the stone and he himself transforms into a “water dragon”, and then gives the gift of water to all of China and their crops. The dragon is also one of the most revered animals in the Chinese zodiac, as it represents divinity, dignity, power and good fortune.

This podcast was produced by Studio Ochenta for TRAX on PRX and is hosted by Kelly Marie Tran. David was voiced by Ivan Mok. Jenny was voiced by Jenny W. Chan. The Water Dragon was interpreted by Andy Lowe. Auntie Ming was voiced by Hua Szu Yang, and Sandy Poplore is Cherie B. Tay.

Special thanks to our Cultureverse editorial team for this episode: Yilan Batista, Dorothy Li and Alan Z, who brought their experiences as Chinese and Chinese-Americans to this story. And also to our Cantonese translators, Jane Lui, Leqi Zhong and Dorothy Li.

Transcripts and additional resources to learn more about Chinese folklore are available at ochentastudio.com/cultureverse.

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In the first episode of our cultural adventure series, Winston sneaks out to go camping with his friends and encounters a Jamaican folk creature called The Rolling Calf.

This story is inspired by the Jamaican folktale of the Rolling Calf. The Rolling Calf is one of many "duppy" spirits who used to roam about on plantations in Jamaica. In the 1800s the creature became popular because there was very little electricity, and stories about spirits in the dark spread. The Rolling Calf would appear to punish criminals or those who misbehaved.

This podcast was produced by Studio Ochenta for TRAX on PRX and is hosted by Kelly Marie Tran and Yara Shahidi. Winston was voiced by Steven Etienne. Luis was voiced by Luis López Levi. Emma was voiced by Lory Martínez, Jackie by Lisha López and Winston’s Mom was voiced by L. R. Davidson.

Special thanks to our Cultureverse editorial team for this episode: Richard Robinson, Taryn Scarlett, and Sutanya Dacres, who brought their Jamaican experiences to this story.

Transcripts and additional resources to learn more about Jamaican folklore are available at ochentastudio.com/cultureverse.

From Studio Ochenta and TRAX: Cultureverse is an immersive audio drama that celebrates our collective cultural past. It is a place where myths and legends come alive in the modern world, hosted by Kelly Marie Tran and Yara Shahidi.

Airing weekly on TRAX beginning June 17th, 2021, wherever you get your podcasts. So subscribe now and follow us on IG @CULTUREVERSEPOD for updates!