Soundside

'Roll On, Kalakala' celebrates the beginning, and end, of a Seattle icon


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This month marks 10 years since the Kalakala was removed from the shores of Tacoma and demolished.

The ferry, which looked a little like if the Titanic was mixed with a spaceship, was once the symbol of Seattle - a shiny, chrome vision of the future.

While the Kalakala is gone, it’s far from forgotten.

There’s even a song that follows the journey of the Kalakala: from its creation to its eventual demise.

And the story of the song itself is filled with twists and turns.

We sat down with the people behind this song to hear why they’ve spent years dedicated to remembering the Kalakala

Guests:

  • Jack Broom, former Seattle Times reporter
  • Jon Pontrello, Seattle musician

Relevant Links:

  • Roll On Kalakala and Other Seaworthy Tunes Album Release Show - The Rabbit Box
  • Jon Pontrello - Roll On Kalakala (Lyrics by Jack Broom)
  • Roll On, Kalakala, Roll On - The Seattle Times

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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