Louis York World Music Foundation Podcast | Season 1, Episode 15 "We felt like music should be inspirational and aspirational." About this Episode This week's episode takes us to Nashville, TN, USA where John visits Weirdo Workshop, the music label and creative headquarters for our guests, Louis York, to speak with them about their new album and everything that's brought them to this point in their careers. Louis York is the powerful duo and creation of multi-GRAMMY nominated songwriting and production team, Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony. Kelly, a 4x Grammy Award nominee, and Harmony, [...]

Wu Fei World Music Foundation Podcast | Season 1, Episode 16 "I had been craving for freedom." About this Episode Wu Fei describes herself as an ancient soul trapped in a feisty woman's body. Hailing from Beijing, China, Wu Fei is a multi-talented musician and composer known for playing and improvising on the traditional Chinese guzheng as well as improvisational singing and piano. Fei talks to John about her life as a child prodigy, transitioning from China to the U.S., how both countries have influenced her and her music, and what it was like to hear [...]

Che "Rhymefest" Smith World Music Foundation Podcast | Season 1, Episode 17 "Hip Hop is an alien way of communicating." About this Episode In this week’s episode John meets with high-powered, prolific creator, Che “Rhymefest” Smith to discuss Hip-Hop, his upcoming album, and Hollywood acting debut, along with topics ranging from Chicago’s youth, spirituality, various life changing trips around the world, and much more. Rhymefest's upcoming album is titled Love Lessons Part 1, and as you'll hear in this conversation, Love is a topic at front of mind right now for Che. This episode also includes [...]

Roberto Fonseca World Music Foundation Podcast | Season 1, Episode 14 "Yesun, the name of the album, is a word I made up." About this Episode Self-proclaimed "crazy, romantic musician", Roberto Fonseca, speaks with John about his recently released 9th solo album, Yesun, along with the life experiences and musical training that have brought him to this point in his musical journey. Roberto is a GRAMMY nominated, Cuban pianist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer and bandleader, and on this album he experiments with a wide range of musical forms, from jazz and classical music to rap, funk, reggaeton [...]

Femi Kuti World Music Foundation Podcast | Season 1, Episode 13 "We have to see the beauty of Africa through the music." About this Episode  As a renowned Afrobeat and Jazz musician with four GRAMMY nominations, Femi Kuti is well-respected around the world for opening minds through the power of his music. John spoke with Femi from the Shrine in Lagos, Nigeria, where he shared the details of his musical upbringing and the importance of different music cultures. He also gets into his life-changing transition from the Saxophone to the Trumpet and the effect this has [...]

Hill Country Music World Music Foundation Podcast | Season 1, Episode 12 "This is sacred ground." About this Episode John travels down to Coldwater, MS for the 69th Annual Goat Picnic in honor of fife & drum legend, Otha Turner. What started off as something else, ends up being a a good handful of great conversations with musicians (and even some audience members) about the Hill Country Music of Northern Mississippi, USA. R.L. Boyce, Earl “Little Joe” Ayers, Dom Turner, and Ricky Stevens are all featured. (Intro Music Plays) John Gardner: Hello, [...]