Cultural Manifesto

A special two part episode featuring the musician and archivist Rick Wilkerson, a co-founder of the Indiana Music History Project, and the Indiana Musicpedia - an alphabetically-listed compendium of Indiana musicians, and music-related businesses. Wilkerson will share an A to Z playlist of Indiana music, featuring classic Hoosier jazz, funk, punk, folk and psychedelic music.  

This week on Cultural Manifesto  the Indianapolis-based rapper Skypp. His new album Sorry 4 My Trauma explores the trauma Skypp experienced growing up on the Eastside of Indianapolis, and his attempts to cope with that pain. Skypp is one of the most prominent voices in Indianapolis rap music. He's had multiple releases hit the iTunes rap charts, and he's performed alongside artists including DMX,...

This week on Cultural Manifesto we'll celebrate Black History Month by looking back at the work of Calvin Carter, an unsung figure in Indiana music, Carter was born in Gary, Indiana on May 27 of 1925. He's best known for his work with Vee-Jay Records, a label founded in Gary, Indiana in 1953 by his sister Vivian Carter. Carter worked as a songwriter, producer, arranger, and A&R manager for th...

This week on Cultural Manifesto we speak with saxophonist Brandon Douthitt. He’s one of the featured performers at this year’s Art & Soul Festival.  Douthitt will share his memories of performing at Afropunk with the R&B star Solange, and we’ll listen to his jazz interpretations of music from SpongeBob SquarePants.  We'll also pay tribute to the Indianapolis big band singer Virginia Maxe...

This week on Cultural Manifesto, we speak with Florence LaRue, an original member of the legendary ‘60s psychedelic soul group the 5th Dimension. LaRue has performed with the 5th Dimension for over 50 years, and on the eve of her 81st birthday, she’s taking the 5th Dimension back out on the road.  We also have a new edition of Rebel Music with Karla Lopez. This week Karla’s guest is the activist a...

This week on Cultural Manifesto we'll listen back to my 2017 interview with the 1960s rock icon David Crosby, he passed away last week at the age of 81.  And we'll talk with the jazz pianist Isaiah J. Thompson, he’s one of the finalists in the American Pianist Associaiton’s Cole Porter Jazz Fellowship. We'll discuss Thompson's recent performance for NPR's Tiny Desk, and his tribute to the Indianap...

This week on Cultural Manifesto Indianapolis rapper and R&B vocalist Aye Marcay. Aye Marcay is a young artist, she’s only been releasing music for two years, but her work has already attracted National attention. In 2021 her track “Give Me Peace” was featured on a mixtape by the rap star Bow Wow.  We'll listen to tracks from Aye Marcay's catalog, and she’ll share information about her family’...

This week on Cultural Manifesto an interview with violinist Kevin Lin. Lin made news in 2020, when he left his role as co-leader of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, to take a position as concertmaster with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Lin will discuss the ISO’s 2023 season We’ll also have another edition of Rebel Music with Karla Lopez, this week’s featured guest is the librarian, archiv...

Join Kyle Long as he listens back to words and music from a wide variety of local and national artists, including Angélique Kidjo, Sweet Poison Victim, RAM, Oltanie Charles, Emily Wells, Giauna Neville, and Mafer Bandola of Ladama. 

Join Kyle Long as he listens back to some of his favorite interviews of 2022. Enjoy words and music from a wide variety of local and national artists, including Son Lux, Falu, Karate, Guns and Tanning, Medicine Singers, and Colin Blunstone of The Zombies.

If you hate Christmas music - don’t miss this week’s edition of Cultural Manifesto. Kyle  shares an hour of holiday music from the Indianapolis-based label Joyful Noise Recordings. Joyful Noise Recordings has created a fascinating library of alternative Christmas music featuring important experimental musicians - including Jad Fair, Deerhoof, Sound of Ceres, Dale Crover, Kishi Bashi, Sedcairn Arch...

This week we'll pay tribute to the Indianapolis-born arranger, composer and jazz pianist Bob Hammer, who passed away last December at the age of 91. Hammer had a significant career in jazz music and is best remembered for his association with the jazz legend Charles Mingus. Hammer wrote arrangements for some of Mingus’ most critically acclaimed albums. Mingus referred to Hammer as "my Beethoven." 

Explore the music of the late Max Hartstein, an important Indiana visual artist, activist, and jazz bassist. While Hartstein’s contributions to jazz music are often overlooked, he performed with some of the greatest players in jazz history, including Cannonball Adderely, Ben Webster, Kenny Clark, Dexter Gordon, Bud Powell, Dizzy Gillespie, and Benny Goodman.

Kyle Long is joined by the legendary Indianapolis jazz vocalist Wanda Stafford. Stafford began singing in clubs during the mid 1950s and performed with the greatest jazz musicians in the city, including Wes Montgomery. Her debut album "In Love for the Very First Time" was a hit with critics, but Stafford's ascent to stardom was interrupted by her responsibilities as a single working mother.

Kyle Long speaks with trumpet player and bandleader Dr. Elliott Caine, also known as the "jazz optometrist." Caine was born and raised in Indianapolis. He studied music with the Hoosier jazz legend David Baker, and played some of his earliest gigs on Indiana Avenue before relocating to Los Angeles. Caine has performed and recorded with artists including Beck and the Beastie Boys. 

his week Kyle Long speaks with drummer Giauna Neville, a rising force in the Indianapolis jazz scene. Giauna shares music from her debut album “Motherland," as well as her experiences as a young jazz musician working in the Indianapolis scene.

Kyle interviews bassist George Porter Jr., a founding member of the legendary New Orleans funk band The Meters. The Meters were formed in New Orleans during the mid-1960s. The band's unique sound played a large role in the evolution of funk music, and deeply influenced the sound of hip-hop during the 1990s. The Meters also had a significant impact on rock music. The band performed with Paul McCart...

Kyle Long speaks with Brazilian musician Eliane Elias, and Indianapolis-based Haitian-American vocalist Oltanie Charles. Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Eliane has worked with music legends from around the world, including Vinicius de Moraes, Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea. Oltanie Charles creates mixing Haitian kompa with West African Afrobeats, and has performed extensively in Indianapolis.

Celebrate Halloween with Michael Esposito, an experimental sound artist and researcher in Electronic Voice Phenomena, or EVP. For those who believe, EVP refers to sounds captured on electronic recording devices that are interpreted to be spirit voices communicating from the afterlife. Esposito uses EVP and related field recordings, many of which were captured in Indiana, as the basis of his music.

Kyle Long speaks with the legendary singer-songwriter Angélique Kidjo. Born in the West African nation of Benin, Kidjo issued her first album in 1981. Since then she's released over a dozen LPs and earned five Grammy Awards along with many other accolades. Kidjo discusses her work advocating for women in Sub-Saharan Africa and her collaborations with artists ranging from Burna Boy to Philip Glass.

In this episode, Kyle Long speaks with Christian French, a pop music singer/songwriter. French grew up in central Indiana. He began sharing his music in high school. Today, French's music has been heard by millions of listeners. Discover how French has used his music to address anxiety and other mental health issues he faced as a student at Indiana University.

This week we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a special episode featuring guest-host Karla Lopez-Owens. Enjoy an hour of historic and contemporary music from Hispanic Hoosier musicians, as we explore the full range of Latin music in Indiana - from the Chilean born composer Juan Orrego-Salas, to the Afro-Mexican rapper El Moreno Mexicano. 

Kyle Long features a preview of the 2022 Indy Jazz Fest, taking place in Garfield Park. The annual festival has featured legendary jazz musicians from around the world. Kyle speaks with two of this year's performers: Lalah Hathaway and Tank and The Bangas.

Kyle Long is joined by Venezuelan musician Mafer Bandola of Ladama. The band's music celebrates Latin American rhythms from across North and South America, with each member representing a different nation of the Americas: Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil and The United States. Ladama identify themselves as a feminist band, and describe their mission as “empowering women and youth through music”.

Kyle Long talks with David Andrichik, owner of the legendary Indianapolis jazz club the Chatterbox. Over his 40 years as owner, the club has featured important Indiana Avenue jazz players, acclaimed poets such as Etheridge Knight, surprise sets by some of jazz's biggest names, and hosted V.I.P. guests like the Rolling Stones, who stopped by to soak up the inimitable Chatterbox ambience.