Cultural Manifesto

Kyle Long talks with trumpet player and pop music icon Herb Alpert, who rose to fame in the 1960s with the Tijuana Brass Band. It’s estimated that Alpert has sold over 72 million records, and he’s the only artist to have a #1 hit as both an instrumentalist and vocalist. Explore Alpert's connection to Indiana artists like Janet Jackson, and Wes Montgomery.

Kyle Long speaks with Grammy-winning vocalist Falu. Born in Mumbai, Falu studied North Indian classical music with the esteemed sarangi player Ustad Sultan Khan. After arriving in the U.S. in 2000, Falu began incorporating rock and electronic music into her work, developing a style she calls “indie Hindi”. Falu has collaborated with artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Philip Glass, and others.

Immigrant culture has played a large role in shaping the evolution of music in Indiana. Sadly, there are very few early recorded documents of this music. This week, Kyle Long shares an hour of historic recordings from the early immigrant communities of Indiana, representing early Serbian, Slovenian, Macedonian, Italian, German, and Mexican music in Indiana.

Kyle Long talks with legendary media personality and director Tom Alvarez. During the 1970s, Alvarez became the first Latinx broadcaster to be featured on Indianapolis television. Today, Alvarez is best known for his work in theatre — as both a critic and a producer. His latest project is the “Jewel Box Revue 2022,” an homage to the original Jewel Box Revue, a groundbreaking multi-racial female im...

An hour of words and music with Debbie Jaffe, one of the most unique figures in the history of Indianapolis music. During the 1980s, Jaffe co-founded Cause And Effect, a cassette label she operated in her apartment. Cause And Effect issued recordings by some of the most prominent noise music artists of the late 20th Century and was an early pioneer of underground cassette culture, and lo-fi music.

This week Kyle Long is joined by comedian Marc Maron to discuss music and public radio. Then, a conversation with Valerie Green and Joy Caroline Mills of the Indianapolis band Karate, Guns & Tanning. Their debut album “Concrete Beach” features an explosive mix of psychedelic/post-punk/shoegaze sounds.

Daryl Black Eagle Jamieson is part of Medicine Singers, a collaborative project featuring the Israeli guitarist Yonatan Gat and the Eastern Medicine Singers, an Eastern Algonquin powwow group based in Providence, RI. The group's self-titled debut album, released on Joyful Noise Recordings, features a radical mix of traditional and experimental sounds that has attracted some serious attention.

Northern Soul is a term used to describe an underground dance culture that originated in the dancehalls and nightclubs of northern England during the late 1960s, and early 70s. The Indiana soul music scene produced many recordings that are considered classics by northern soul DJs and dancers. This week we’ll feature northern soul music from a wide range of Hoosier artists.

Kyle Long speaks with the percussionist, vocalist and musicologist Kwesi Brown. Brown is a founding member of Sweet Poison Victim, a unique Indianapolis band that mixes West African music styles like highlife, with rock and roll. Brown reflects on the band’s 10 year anniversary his early years growing up in Ghana.

This week we'll explore the Fort Wayne, Indiana soul music scene of the 1960s, and ‘70s. The city produced several notable soul music artists - including Tyrone Harris, Jimmy Lynch, and Sonny Charles of Checkmates Ltd., who scored a top 20 hit in 1969 with the song "Black Pearl". During the 1970s Fort Wayne was home to BET Records, an independent label that issued several cult-classic singles.

This week Kyle Long speaks with vocalist Teresa Reynolds, the organizer of For The Culture Fest, a free event 10 East Arts Hub. We’ll be sharing music from some of the performers featured at this year's festival, including Bashiri Asad and Clint Breeze & The Groove. Plus, a tribute to Steve Odle, lead vocalist of the legendary Indianapolis vocal group Words of Wisdom.

This week we’ll celebrate Pride Month with two important artists in the Indianapolis music scene. Kyle Long speaks with Lē Weaver, a founding member of synth-rock band Software, and Jody Friend of the Indianapolis rock band Public Universal Friend. Both Lē, and Jody will share how their experience as trans people has shaped their lives and music.

This week, Kyle Long talks Geno Shelton, a legendary Indianapolis DJ and promoter. Shelton arrived in Indianapolis in 1985, taking a job as an on-air personality for WTLC. During his time on radio, he was also active as a nightclub DJ and promoter. Over the years, Shelton has worked with some of the biggest stars in American music - from Al Green, to James Brown. 

This week celebrate Pride 2022z. Kyle Long talks with Jack Shepler, also known as Jackola, an Indianapolis based DJ and the Entertainment Director for Indy Pride. Then, on a new edition of Rebel Music, Karla Lopez speaks with Manuel Gonzalez, one of the organizers of Orgullo Latinx, the first Latinx Indy Pride event made for, and by, the Latinx community.

This week we'll explore the untold history of the Haughville Slickers, a Slovenian polka band that was based in the westside Indianapolis neighborhood of Haughville. The Haughville Slickers were founded in 1947, and played around Indianapolis until the late 1960s, providing an important service to Indy's large Slovenian population by performing regularly at weddings and cultural events.

Legendary British rock band The Zombies have a legacy spanning half a century, from their origins in St. Albans, England to international tours and their 2019 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In this episode of Cultural Manifesto, we sit down with Zombies vocalist Colin Blunstone, their lead vocalist, to discuss the band’s history.

Rafiq Bhatia, Ian Chang, and Ryan Lott of Son Lux join Kyle Long to discuss their score for the critically acclaimed new film "Everything Everywhere All At Once", which was partly composed in Indianapolis. Son Lux recruited an impressive list of collaborators for the soundtrack, including Randy Newman, Mitski, David Byrne, Hanna Benn, Moses Sumney, Andre Benjamin of Outkast, and many others.

This week we talk with Richard A. Morse of the legendary Haitian band RAM, ahead of the group's performance in Indianapolis at the Haitian Flag Day music festival in Garfield Park. Morse shares his unique history in music, from playing rock at CBGB'S to performing Voodoo music in Port-au-Prince.

This week we’ll pay tribute to Herman Whitfield III, an Indianapolis composer and pianist who died last week while in police custody. We’ll also listen to new releases from the Punjabi music trumpet player Sonny Singh, and the electronic music composer Jordan Munson.

This week we'll feature a centennial celebration of Kokomo, Indiana's Margaret Hillis - one of the most prominent Hoosier musicians of the 20th Century. Hillis was an influential figure in American choral music, and a trailblazing pioneer for women in classical music. She is best remembered as the founder and director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus, she led the ensemble from 1957 to 1994.

This week Kyle Long is joined by Richard "Sleepy" Floyd, and Bobby Young of Native Sun, an Indianapolis group that combines elements of hip-hop and jazz. Native Sun has a new album titled "Never Be King", which features guest appearances from artists including Allison Victoria, Rob Dixon, and Mariah Ivey.

Kyle Long talks with Dana Skully of Dana Skully and The Tiger Sharks, an Indianapolis band that describe their music as “dream pop punk to make your brain cry”. Plus, we'll feature another edition of Rebel Music with Karla Lopez, an ongoing series that explores the relationship between music and activism. This week Karla’s guest is Mistie Cisneros of the Immigrant Welcome Center.

This week we'll celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month by exploring the lost jazz world of Terre Haute. During the 1920s and ’30s, Terre Haute, Indiana was home to a thriving jazz scene, producing outstanding local bandleaders and attracting national talent - including Duke Ellington, who performed at Terre Haute’s Trianon club in December of 1939.

Kyle Long speaks with pianist and composer Gary Walters. Gary is best known for his work in jazz music, but he’s recorded folk, country, and classical music as well. Enjoy rare, unreleased recordings featuring his work with the legendary Indianapolis jazz fusion band Speakeasy.

This week we'll celebrate the life of Evansville, Indiana soul music legend Timmy Thomas, who passed away earlier this month. Thomas was best known for his 1972 recording “Why Can't We Live Together". The song has had an enduring presence in popular music, “Why Can't We Live Together" has been sampled by rappers including Drake, and recorded by artists like Iggy Pop, Sade, and Santana.