Languages through Music

If anybody is dedicated to multilingualism, it is this guy right here! Founder of the Polyglot Conference, Richard Simcott joins us to explore how music opened doors to literally dozens of languages.

From Eurovision to unexpected Icelandic covers, this episode celebrates the melodies that make languages come alive. This Official Bard of Cornwall shares his linguistic and musical insight and talks us through a very multilingual mixtape.

Thank you, Richard, for being the 50th guest on the Languages through Music podcast!

Photo taken at the last Polyglot Conference in Taipei, 2025. See you at the next one in Bologna, 18-20 November 2026!

https://speakingfluently.com/

https://polyglotconference.com/

https://www.languagesthroughmusic.com/

#hyperpolyglot #multilingualism #polyglotconference #languagesthroughmusic

At The Polyglot Gathering in Prague a couple of years back, I met mi hermano, multilingual language coach and educator Guillermo Manzano-Fabre. Growing up in Germany, Guillermo speaks Spanish, German, Italian, English, French, Mandarin, Swahili, and has started studying Farsi. From Cuban classics and French hip-hop to Swahili beats and Chinese rap, this conversation explores how music accelerates language learning, deepens cultural understanding, and builds confidence beyond the classroom.

Join LTM on Skool: https://www.skool.com/languages-through-music-4515/about

#languagecoach #cuba #germany #multilingual #coach

Barrister and language justice activist Ife Thompson, founder of the Black British English podcast and BLAM UK, joins LTM to explore language, power, and resistance. From Black British English and Creoles to Yoruba and music as memory, this episode unpacks why language is central to identity, justice, and liberation.

In this episode, Ife traces her journey into linguistic justice through Black history, radical thought, and lived experience, challenging the idea that Creole languages are anything less than complete systems of culture, memory, and autonomy.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in language justice, Black history, decolonisation, and the radical idea that how we speak is deeply tied to how free we are.

#languagesthroughmusic #ifethompson #languagejustice #criminalandhumanrights #barrister #creole #blackbritishenglish

Meet Chisomo Banzi, the futuristic visionary behind Speakeasy 3D and Constellations!Constellations is a VR vocabulary learning app launching Saturday on Meta Quest. It combines the memory palace technique with spaced repetition - words float around you as points of light, you grab them and speak them aloud. Free early access, looking for feedback from language learners."www.languagesthroughmusic.comJoin us on Skool! www.skool.com/languagesthroughmusic#speakeasy3D #chisomobanzi #taipei #zimbabwe #shona #virtualreality

Milton Foster is a polyglot creative powerhouse: musician, producer, audio engineer, filmmaker, and founder of the Language Link Up.

From serenading the ladies in a salon at age 5 with Bob Marley tunes, to discovering a passion for languages as a teenager, in this episode Milton shares the sounds that shaped and inspired him. @thejamaicanpolyglot

#languagesthroughmusic #miltonfoster #thejamaicanpolyglot #thelanguagelinkup

I’m so happy to welcome Sandra Gasana, aka Umurutasaté, to the podcast. This amazing artist, journalist, and teacher is the embodiment of Languages through Music!

Singing in eight languages and speaking "6.5," she reminds us that language is most vibrant when it is truly lived. Our conversation dances between Addis, Montreal, and Dakar via Amharic, French, and one day-- Wolof!

#umuratasaté #journalist #teacher #montreal #multilingual #performer

I met Kathy Kurious at The Polyglot Conference in Taipei, in November 2025, and we immediately connected over a love of music, hip-hop in particular, and, of course, languages.

In this chat we travel to Sesame Street, we keep Portland weird, and we learn about some of the books Kathy has translated, including The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living (a New York Times bestseller), and Renegade Rhymes: Rap Music, Narrative, and Knowledge in Taiwan.

Kathy is a super accomplished translator, a dancer, and a deejay who has a lot to teach us about the importance of staying kurious.

Xie xie, Kathy!!

#kathykurious #translator #linguist #deejay #polyglot

In this episode, I got to connect with the amazing Tana Yonas, also known as DJ Passionfruit — a music selector, educator, writer, researcher, and global explorer of sound. From Ethiopia to LA, Mexico City to Tokyo, Tana’s journey moves through cultures, languages, record stores, and deep musical lineages.

We talk about home, heritage, cities you can hear before you arrive, analog culture, the magic of taxi radios around the world, and how music becomes a passport — a way to travel, learn, and remember.

We also dig into Freedom Frequencies, Tana’s video series; her family’s intergenerational connection to music, film, and documentation; and why Arabic poetry moves her so much.

An analog evangelist extraordinaire, Tana will have you logging off and tuning in.

@passionfruit.wav

Join Languages through Music on Skool!

Enjoy code BYE2025 to get the entire LTM Masterclass for £50 www.languagesthroughmusic.com/learn-a-language

#tanayonas #freedomfrequencies #languagesthroughmusic

Polyglot Urmi Hossain joins the LTM podcast to chat Bengali roots, Italian upbringing, and Canadian current home!

Urmi shares her multilingual 'TCK' insights and notes on her self-publishing journey. Check out her podcast too: Stories Beyond Borders. Thanks, Urmi!

Enjoy 10% off LTM masterclass or cards with code: LEARNWITHURMI

#bengali #italian #TCK #multicultural #multilingual

Happy birthday, Tamara!

I finally get to interview my fellow linguist & music-lover, and (1/4) co-founder of Sisters Only Language Summit (our revolutionary safe space for Black women in languages).

Come and salsa with us, travel, and explore how Tamara built her platform on inspiration del Caribe! 🎶 💃🏽🏝

https://www.spanishconsalsa.com/

www.languagesthroughmusic.com

#spanish #salsa #podcast #languagesthroughmusic #spanishconsalsa