Rebel Girls

Get to know comedian, actress, and musician Lea DeLaria, who read the story of groundbreaking conductor, WWII Dutch resistance member, and proud lesbian Frieda Belinfante. Lea tells us how she became a performer, what Pride means to her, and the ways she has seen the world change for the better for LGBTQ+ people in her lifetime.

Born in the Netherlands in 1904, Frieda Belinfante was one of the first female orchestra conductors in Europe. But Belinfante wasn’t just a musician—she was also an active member of the Dutch resistance in World War II, and her courageous acts helped save many lives. And, Belinfante was a proud lesbian, who faced discrimination because of who she loved. Eventually, Belinfante escaped the Netherlands and immigrated to the United States in 1947, where she made music throughout the rest of her life.

 

About the Narrator

​​Lea DeLaria seems to have achieved overnight stardom with her three time, SAG Award winning, stand-out role as ‘Carrie ‘Big Boo’ Black’ in the Netflix hit series “Orange is the New Black.” However, DeLaria’s multi- faceted career as a comedian, actress and jazz musician, has in fact, spanned decades. ​​Lea holds the distinction of being the first openly gay comic on television in America which led to countless acting roles. ​​Lea has released six jazz albums, and her book "Lea's Book of Rules for the World" is in its third printing. 

Credits

This podcast is a production of Rebel Girls and is based on the book series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. This episode was produced by Isaac Kaplan-Woolner. Sound design and mixing by Camille Stennis. This episode was written by Alexis Stratton and proofread by Simi Kadirgamar. Executive Producer is Katie Sprenger. A big thanks to the whole Rebel Girls team who make this show possible! Original theme music was composed and performed by Elettra Bargiacchi. For more, visit www.rebelgirls.com. Until next time, stay REBEL!

(This episode originally aired 3/10/20) Once upon a time there was a girl who climbed to the very top of the world. Her name was Junko Tabei. In fourth grade, her teacher Watanabe-Sensei takes her class on a trip to a mountain. It’s bigger than any Junko’s ever seen, and she’s determined to make it to the top. After the trip, Junko becomes a mountaineer in body and spirit. She climbs snowy mountains, rocky mountains, and even faraway mountains outside of her home country of Japan. She joins climbing clubs and befriends fellow climbers as passionate as she is. Then, Junko meets her biggest challenge yet: the tallest mountain in the world.

About the Narrator:

Kit DesLauriers is the first person to ski the Seven Summits and the first woman to ski Everest. She is a two-time World Freeskiing Women’s Champion, earned a 2015 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year Award, and was elected into the US Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame’s Class of 2019.

Credits:

The podcast is a production of Rebel Girls and Boom Integrated, a division of John Marshall Media. It’s based on the book series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. Executive Producers are Elena Favilli and Joy Fowlkes. This episode was produced by John Marshall Cheary, Sarah Storm, and Robin Lai. This episode was written by Joy Fowlkes and edited by Pam Gruber. Maithy Vu proofread. Original theme music was composed and performed by Elettra Bargiacchi who has also sound designed this episode. Mattia Marcelli is the sound mixer.

Get to know British saxophonist Jess Gillam, who read us the story of electronic music pioneer Clara Rockmore. Jess tells us about her love for classical music, and how she fell in love with the saxophone. She talks about the joys challenges of being a professional musician, and how listeners can get their own start in music!

Born in Russia in 1911, Clara Rockmore grew up to become a trailblazing performer of the world’s first electronic instrument—the theremin. Rockmore was a child musical prodigy with perfect pitch, but by the time she was a teenager, an arm injury forced her to give up her beloved violin. Still, music called to her, and after Rockmore was introduced to a brand new instrument—one that made the player look like she was pulling notes out of thin air—she embraced the theremin’s magic, amazing the world with her virtuosic talents.

About the Narrator

Jess Gillam is a British saxophonist and BBC radio broadcaster. She is the first ever saxophonist to be signed to Decca Classics and recently released her second album, ‘TIME’. Gillam is also a presenter on TV and Radio. She became the youngest ever presenter for BBC Radio 3 and hosts her own weekly show and podcast called “This Classical Life” where she chats to musical guests to swap tracks and share the music they love. She has been the recipient of a Classic BRIT Award (in the Sound of Classical Poll), and was the first ever saxophonist to reach the final of BBC Young Musician. Jess studied and was mentored by the legendary saxophonist John Harle and graduated from Guildhall School of Music with a Masters with distinction in 2020. 

Credits

This podcast is a production of Rebel Girls. It’s based on the book series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. This episode was produced by Camille Stennis, written by Alexis Stratton, and proofread by Ariana Rosas. Sound design and original theme music was composed and performed by Elettra Bargiacchi, final mix by Mattia Marcelli. Executive Producer is Katie Sprenger. A special thanks to the whole Rebel Girls team, who make this podcast possible! For more, visit www.rebelgirls.com.

Get to know science communicator Danni Washington, who brought us the story of environmental activist Xiye Bastida. Danni tells us about her new podcast The Genius Generation, celebrating young people tackling the world’s biggest problem. She shares her love of the ocean, and how she became a science communicator. And she tells the story of meeting Xiye in person at the 2019 climate march!

Get to know the Mirabal Sisters a little better with writer Julia Alvarez! She wrote the book In the Time of the Butterflies all about the sisters and she tells us more about their incredible impact on the Dominican Republic and why they're a personal inspiration to her.

(Headshot photographed by Bill Eichner)

Julia's BIO

Born in New York City in 1950, Julia Alvarez's parents returned to their native country, Dominican Republic, shortly after her birth. Ten years later, the family was forced to flee to the United States because of her father’s involvement in a plot to overthrow the dictator, Trujillo. 

Alvarez has written novels (How the García Girls Lost Their Accents, In the Time of the Butterflies, ¡Yo!, In the Name of Salomé, Saving the World, Afterlife), collections of poems (Homecoming, The Other Side/ El Otro Lado, The Woman I Kept to Myself), nonfiction (Something to Declare, Once Upon A Quinceañera, and A Wedding in Haiti), and numerous books for young readers (including the Tía Lola Stories series, Before We Were Free, finding miracles, Return to Sender and Where Do They Go?).  

Alvarez’s awards include the Pura Belpré and Américas Awards for her books for young readers, the Hispanic Heritage Award, and the F. Scott Fitzgerald Award. In 2013, she received the National Medal of Arts from President Obama.

(This episode originally aired June 23rd, 2019)

Once upon a time, four sisters led their country to freedom. Their names were Minerva, Patria, Maria Teresa, and Dedé. Though they lived in a beautiful country, it was ruled by a cruel and arrogant dictator. Minerva wanted to do something about the injustices she saw, so she recruited her sisters, hosted secret meetings, and gathered weapons for a revolution. Tragically, three of the sisters did not live to see their plan enacted. But Dedé lived on to tell the story of her three brave sisters known as Las Mariposas, The Butterflies.About the Narrator:

Actor, musician, activist and feminist Jackie Cruz currently stars as “Marisol ‘Flaca’ Gonzales" on Netflix's critically-acclaimed series, “Orange Is the New Black.” The original series created by Jenji Kohan that became an awards magnet, will soon release the 7th and final season in 2019. A three-time SAG Award winner, Jackie Cruz was named one of the "Top Latino Powerhouses under 40" by The Hollywood Reporter in 2013. Cruz was also included on Latina Magazine’s 30 Under 30 List in 2015. Born in New York City, Cruz spent her childhood between New York, Los Angeles, the Dominican Republic and Miami. She often says that she carries a little piece of each city with her. Raised by her mother and aunts, Jackie’s first love was always music. Landing a principal title in “Orange is the New Black” was a launching pad for her career.Cruz draws strength from a near-fatal car accident that almost left her paralyzed. She overcame brain surgery, a coma and a collapsed lung, but remained unwavered in her determination to not let anything stand in the way of her dream to become a musician.Through her voice and remarkably strong social media presence, Jackie continues paving the way for Latina women in entertainment. Cruz strongly promotes the inclusion of all women.She works hard to break down gender driven barriers through her own production company, Unspoken Film. Jackie’s mission is to create and produce work under her production company that speaks to inclusivity topics and Latina representation. Jackie has discovered the importance of inclusion and uses her platform to send a message that more Latinas need recognition and opportunities in Hollywood.Now recognized as a popular singer and songwriter, her music career continues to evolve. She has new music releasing mid-March and hopes that through her music and film work, she will continue to create better pathways within the entertainment industry for people of Hispanic background. Jackie currently resides in both Los Angeles and New York City.Credits:

This episode of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls is produced by Elena Favilli, Joy Fowlkes, and Meg Murnane, with writing by Corinne Purtill and narration by Jackie Cruz. Jestine Ware edited all scripts and Janice Weaver fact-checked all scripts. Sound design and original theme music by Elettra Bargiacchi. Mattia Marcelli was the sound mixer. Special thanks to Clio McClure who coordinated all credit recordings and narrator donations.

Get to know Philomena Kwao, a plus size model who lives in London and New York, and is also an ambassador for Women for Women International. She shares with us the impact Zainab’s story has had on her, the importance of representation and how important it is to share our stories.

In this episode we meet Zainab Salbi. Raised under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein by parents who were trapped among his inner circle, Zainab Salbi grew up knowing fear, war, and the pain caused by corrupt and powerful people. In response, at a young age, she committed herself to building a better world—especially for women. After moving to the United States, at age 23, Zainab founded Women for Women, an international organization that, since 1993, has provided financial support, job training, and other services to 500,000 women survivors of war.

About the Narrator

Philomena Kwao grew up incredibly curious and highly focused on her education. She dreamt of becoming a health policy maker or global health agency which led her to get her masters in International Health management. Moving to NYC and ultimately signing with JAG in July 2013, made her grow as a person in many ways. She knows that she wants to do EVERYTHING in fashion and use it as a launching pad to work with healthcare in developing countries, especially Ghana.

Credits

This podcast is a production of Rebel Girls, Inc. It’s based on the book series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. Executive Producer is Katie Sprenger. This episode was produced, sound designed, and mixed by Camille Stennis, written by Alexis Stratton and proofread by Ariana Rosas. Original theme music was composed and performed by Elettra Bargiacchi . Special thanks to the whole Rebel Girls team who make this podcast possible. For more, visit Rebel Girls dot com. Until next time, stay rebel!