What’s the difference between visiting a country and living there? Have you ever dreamed of living abroad? Nneka and Chinyere talk about their various long-term study abroad experiences in Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Peru, Tanzania, South Africa, Cuba, and Argentina. (So many countries!) Nneka also talks about her upcoming Fulbright experience in Algeria. Tune in to hear about their worst social experiences, best academic experiences, things to consider before leaving, and advice for anyone interested in following their footsteps.

Listen every Thursday wherever you get your podcasts. Find the latest updates on our social media:

Ijele Express: The Podcast is a production of Uru Music Collective.

Music by bigvee from Pixabay. Song Title: Buju inspired.

Music tastes, like most tastes, change over time. Still, when people think about the music they love, they often forget the path they took to their current favorite artists, genres, and songs. What kind of music did you listen to when you were a child, for example, and your ears were at the mercy of your parents’ radio?

Nneka and Chinyere take some time to discuss the evolution of their personal music tastes. Going from early childhood to the present day, they reflect on the music their parents listened to growing up, the influences of their churches, artists they’ve fallen in and out of love with, and how they discovered music in different languages.

Listen every Thursday wherever you get your podcasts. Find the latest updates on our social media:

Ijele Express: The Podcast is a production of Uru Music Collective.

Sound Editor: Torie Ervin

Music by bigvee from Pixabay. Song Title: Buju inspired.

Meet your hosts, Nneka and Chinyere, in the first episode of Ijele Express: The Podcast. Chinyere is currently based in Durham, North Carolina, the USA where she works at a non-profit dedicated to the farmworker justice movement. Immigrant rights and language accessibility have been the cornerstones of her post-college career. Nneka is a global-minded multi-hyphenate, Fulbrighter, and curator of all things African and Middle Eastern cultures. She has worked with global non-profits and creative agencies dedicated to the advancement of artists and community development.

Together they introduce the podcast and discuss the nuances of growing up in the American South.

Listen every Thursday wherever you get your podcasts. Find the latest updates on our social media:

Ijele Express: The Podcast is a production of Uru Music Collective.

Music by bigvee from Pixabay. Song Title: Buju inspired.

From jilted lovers to 'good vibes only' house parties, you will hear everything traveling on Ijele Express –  a fictional highway that runs from Cape Town, South Africa to Manama, Bahrain. Ijele Express: The Podcast is your soundscape of life stories from your favorite musicians to rising authors. We’re bringing a mix of different worlds and forms of art to your ears.

Listen every Thursday wherever you get your podcasts. Find the latest updates on our social media:

Ijele Express: The Podcast is a production of Uru Music Collective.

Music by bigvee from Pixabay. Song Title: Buju inspired.