I'm very excited to announce the launch of Immigrant Songs, a cool new series that highlights foreign-born musicians and their music along with unique stories of the immigrant experience. I'll be curating the series alongside Wo' Pop host Darek Mazzone. While Derek and I have always championed a wide variety of music from around the world, we've also hosted many great live sessions from immigrant musicians and bands from across the US and right here in the Pacific Northwest. I'm excited to delve a little deeper, to not only listen to the music, but hear about the artists' personal experiences that fed their creative process as well as their take on life as an immigrant and issues effecting their communities. The unique struggles and cultural cross pollinations are inspiring and push music in new directions while bringing worlds together.
Immigrant Songs will include live sets that will air on El Sonido and Wo' Pop, accompanied by video of these live sessions and blog posts that will include extended interviews, stories and much more. It's a chance for us all to learn about this unique American experience and enjoy some amazing music. Look for upcoming posts spotlighting Meklit, Chimerenga Renaissance, Dengue Fever and others on the KEXP Blog, and read more about Immigrant Songs here.
To get you warmed up, here are a few past performances and interviews that Derek and I have hosted from outstanding immigrant musicians:
About The Vilcek Foundation:The Vilcek Foundation was established in 2000 by Jan and Marica Vilcek, immigrants from the former Czechoslovakia. The mission of the foundation, to honor the contributions of foreign-born scholars and artists living in the United States, was inspired by the couple’s careers in biomedical science and art history, respectively, as well as their personal experiences and appreciation for the opportunities they received as newcomers to this country. The foundation awards annual prizes to immigrant biomedical scientists and artists and sponsors cultural programs such as the Hawaii International Film Festival. To learn more, visit Vilcek.org.
It's Cinco De Mayo, or as we call it here at KEXP, "Gringo de Mayo." (Read our history lesson on the KEXP Blog here.) DJ Chilly, host of our Latin music show El Sonido, has rounded-up another excellent mix of new music from Mexico, covering many different genres! Discover even more on El Sonido, Mo…
Immigrants move to a new country for a guarantee: That life can be better in ways that were impossible in the home country. This is certainly true for Meklit Hadero, an Ethiopian-born woman who, through her immigrant experience as well as her talent, became an intriguing artist in the US.
Over 10 years as an artist, Honduras' Aurelio Martinez again graced the KEXP live room to share his unique blend of Caribbean folk pop and cultural activism and showcase tracks from his recently released album, Lándini. Aurelio’s musical heart beats with very personal, complexly simple tales that d…
For the rest of the year, we'll be spotlighting our KEXP DJs Top Albums of 2014, leading up to our 2014 90.3 Top Album Countdown! Voting ends on Tuesday, December 16th at 6:00 PM PT, so let us know your favorites now, and tune in on Friday, December 19th to hear if your picks made the list!
