SORAPOD

Kelly Armor shares her journey from classical music to ethnomusicology and her impactful work supporting refugee and immigrant communities through folk arts and music. We explore how cultural traditions are preserved, adapted, and celebrated in diverse American communities, highlighting the transformative power of love, respect, and community engagement. This conversation explores the power of music and community in fostering cultural understanding, resilience, and social change.

If you want to support the SORAPod and help us stay caffeinated while we record and edit, you can buy us a coffee here: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/sorapod

We kick off a new season of SORAPod with a tripod episode exploring care, community, parenting, and how we continue to build and explore through The Society of Reluctant Anthropologists.

If you want to support the SORAPod and help us stay caffeinated while we record and edit, you can buy us a coffee here: https://ko-fi.com/sorapod

Today we are joined by Ebony Bailey & Lamont Pearley to deep dive into the film 'Sinners', exploring its themes of cultural appropriation, historical context, and the interplay of music and desire. We discuss the significance of the juke joint as a cultural space, the character dynamics, and the film's portrayal of black agency and freedom.

Clarification note: at 36:46 Ebony would like to clarify that her wording wasn't equating working class to race/ethnicity. She would like to provide this clarified phrasing instead: "folklore, which at the time focused on documenting working class groups and racial & ethnic groups, was seen as a remnant..." 

If you want to support the SORAPod and help us stay caffeinated while we record and edit, you can buy us a coffee here: https://ko-fi.com/sorapod

In this episode of SORAPod we are joined by Renata Yazzie - a Diné pianist and musicologist currently between New York City & New Mexico. Her research focuses on the intersections of Diné song and music with religion, theory, pedagogy, popular culture, and neurochemistry. Renata discusses the historical context of Navajo hymnals, the evolution of music within her culture, and the significance of language in expressing identity. The conversation explores the interplay between tradition and modernity, the role of voice in music, and the impact of historical events on cultural practices. Renata also reflects on her academic journey, the challenges of bridging Indigenous knowledge with academia, and her experiences living in New York City as a Navajo person.

Music in this episode: Levi Platero's All I've Got Is The BluesIf you want to support the SORAPod and help us stay caffeinated while we record and edit, you can buy us a coffee here: https://ko-fi.com/sorapod

Transcript

In this episode, Annika Schmeding shares her journey exploring the multifaceted ways knowledge is produced and shared Through her experiences with circus performance and Sufi poetry, she highlights the importance of embodied knowledge and community engagement. Annika emphasizes the significance of joy, beauty, and solidarity in the face of adversity, and reflects on the evolving dynamics of Sufi practices and community leadership.

This conversation delves into the complex realities of life in Afghanistan post-Taliban takeover, focusing on the experiences of women, the impact of cultural practices like Sufism, and the significance of poetry in Afghan society. We reflect on personal connections, the ethics of research, and the importance of resilience and hope amidst adversity. We discuss the challenges of navigating relationships and the emotional weight of loss in the context of ongoing political turmoil. 

Trigger Warning: Mention of suicide. 

If you would like to read Annika’s story about her friend and the teapot, you can find it HERE or on ResearchGate HERE

To learn more about the Mobile Mini Circus for Children, you can find them at https://www.mmccglobal.org/

If you would like to support SORAPod, buy us a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/sorapod

In this episode we are joined by Jacien Carr, a military historian from The Ohio State University. The discussion traverses Jacien's unique upbringing in a diplomatic family, his experiences in the Marines, and the academic journey that led him to study military history and secret societies.

The conversation delves into the significance of mentorship, the complexities of cultural institutions, and the intersection of magic and power in these societies.

The Society of Reluctant Anthropologists reunite with an original SORA member, Nadeem Karkabi, who is now a lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Haifa. Our conversation explores themes of self-liberation, the Palestinian musical scene, and the changing dynamics of Haifa over time. Nadeem shares his personal experiences as a Israeli-Palestinian scholar living in a system of oppression and recurring violence. The conversation explores the impact of the right-wing government in Israel, the challenges faced by academics in the current political climate, and the personal experiences of being a parent in a conflicted region. It also delves into the power of collective transformation and the importance of creating spaces for individual and communal liberation. 

For a transcript of the episode, check out ⁠⁠⁠sorapod.com⁠⁠

If you want to support the SORAPod and help us stay caffeinated while we record and edit, you can buy us a coffee here: ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/sorapod

The three SORAteers are back together for a two-part episode looking back on Season 1 of SORA-pod and getting ready for Season 2!

Part 2 of episode turns to the upcoming season’s focus on emancipation and knowledge. Building on the first season’s themes, and responding to the ongoing genocide in Palestine and elsewhere, the three hosts put forward their hopes and plans for Season 2. Thinking through the interconnectedness of global struggle and concepts like indigeneity and liberation, they outline their plans to include and amplify marginalized voices. By asking what knowledge can be recognized and for whom, and questioning what orientations toward violence and struggle reveal, the SORA-teers plant seeds for Season 2 to grow the discussion on radical imagination, hope, and action.

For a transcript of the episode, check out ⁠⁠sorapod.com⁠

If you want to support the SORAPod and help us stay caffeinated while we record and edit, you can buy us a coffee here: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/sorapod

The three SORAteers are back together for a two-part episode looking back on Season 1 of SORA-pod and getting ready for Season 2! Reflecting on feedback and guests’ observations from the first season, part 1 of this episode considers how themes of power and knowledge, activism and scholarship, and community and imagination emerged interconnectedly across the episodes. The three hosts consider how this is reflected in everyday and academic contexts like the AAA, in what can be known and seen and what is not, and what alternative ways to organize and produce knowledge could be – time for SORA-com(mune)!

Dr. Kisha Supernant

E. Valentine Daniel's Book, Charred Lullabies

If you want to support the SORAPod and help us stay caffeinated while we record and edit, you can buy us a coffee here: https://ko-fi.com/sorapod

Jessica Turner and Cassie Rosita Patterson, Executive Director and Special Projects Consultant for the American Folklore Society (AFS), join us to explore how AFS fosters community through play, color, and active support of members within, outside, and in between academic institutions. They highlight the careful and joyful work of collaboration and accountability within an organization and show how organizations can reinvent themselves to be more inclusive, people-centered, and fun!

For a transcript of the episode, check out sorapod.com

Listen to Mickey Weem's Last Party on Earth on Spotify