Culture & Flavor

On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Tunde Wey , a Nigerian social practice artist using food, finance and investment capital to address economic disparities across geographies and demographics. His work engages systems that create material disparity, focusing particularly on how economics and finance impact working class Black people globally. Wey uses performance and install...

On this episode, Zella talks to her favorite high school teacher, former Dance Director of the Lincoln Park High School Concert Dancers in Chicago, Illinois Efé McWorter. Efé , pronounced E-Fay, hails from the concert dance world of Chicago. Affectionately known as Mama E, she has brought a 40-year Chicago foundation of professional concert modern dance to LA where an actor flowed forth, winning t...

On this episode, Zella talks with Dr. Malinda Maynor Lowery and Hannah Goins . Dr. Lowery is a historian and documentary film producer who is a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina . In July 2021, she joined Emory University as the Cahoon Family Professor of American History, after spending 12 years at UNC-Chapel Hill and 4 years at Harvard University. Her second book, The Lumbee Indians:...

On this episode, Zella talks to Charity Blanchett , an Indigenous Yup'ik and Black Award-Winning Non-Profit Founder and CEO, Public Speaker, and Social Impact Entrepreneur dedicated to empowering Indigenous youth and championing cultural identity. As the Founder and CEO of Dipping Spoon , a pioneering non-profit Hospitality Agency, Charity directs her efforts towards serving the luxury needs of In...

On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella continues her conversation with Madame Barbara Trevigne to talk about the legacy of Marie Laveau, Voodoo Queen of New Orleans. Trevigne, a 7th Ward Native of New Orleans, shares her research about growing up Creole in New Orleans, New Orleans food, religous and death traditions, and the importance of Madame Marie Laveau. Culture & Flavor is Powere...

On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella sits down with Mariama Diallo , Brooklyn-based renowned filmmaker, writer, and director. Her debut feature, Master , from Amazon Studios, was released in March 2022 after premiering in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival. Previous works include the short films Hair Wolf (Sundance 2018) and White Devil (TIFF 2021), as well as HB...

On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella sits down with Chef Jonathan Rhodes from Houston, Texas. Chef Jonny’s work experience is founded in time at several high-profile restaurants including Gramercy Tavern, The Inn at Dos Brisas, and Oxheart. During this time, Rhodes was inspired to launch the Jensen Chronicle, Indigo to Broham, and Food Fight Farms . Chef Rhodes' mission is to continue ad...

On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with A'Lelia Bundles about the legacy of Madam C.J. Walker, Zella's great grandfather Dr. Joseph Henry Ward (who was Madam Walker's doctor and friend), and A'Lelia's soon to be released book, " The Joy Goddess: A'Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance ." A’Lelia Bundles is the author of " On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walk...

On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Chef Toya Boudy about growing up in New Orleans and her journey to be authentically herself in food media. Chef Toya specializes in putting a unique twist on New Orleans-style dishes and cooks with a Southern flare. As a native New Orleanian, she started honing her culinary skills at a young age and used her talent to kickstart a successful...

On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Aimée Wallin, a political foodie that advocates for local eating, sustainable production methods and preservation of Black food cultures. Wallin is Swedish/ Malian and works with the Non-profit Ghana Food Movement (GFM), a network for food actors in Ghana. GFM's vision is a resilient local food system that provides jobs and nutritious food...

On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Patty Durães , a food scholar with expertise in Afro-diasporic heritage in Brazilian cuisine based in São Paulo, Brazil. They discuss Patty's journey as an Afro-Brazilian food scholar and activist. Durães' research includes bibliographic and field research, articles, and speaking engagements at various institutions such as MASP, Itaú Cultur...

On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Dr. Howard Conyers about the legacy of whole hog barbecue and moonsine. Dr. Conyers serves as the A1 Mechanical Design Lead, and is responsible for facilitating design efforts for systems used in testing and supporting RS-25 testing. Dr. Conyers, a NASA Stennis Space Center engineer, most recently served as the Principal Investigator &...

On this episode of Culture & Flavor, Zella talks with Klancy Miller , author of For the Culture: Phenomenal Black Women and Femmes in Food . She also wrote Cooking Solo: The Fun of Cooking For Yourself and is the founder of For the Culture: A Magazine Celebrating Black Women and Femmes in Food and Wine . After graduating from Columbia University, and working in international development in Fre...

This week on Culture and Flavor we join our host Zella Palmer for a vibrational conversation with Chef Kudzai Bingepinge , co-founder and Chief Product Officer at African Flavor Labs, N'UM African Artisinal Salts , and Executive Director of Gastronomy at Kings Kraal in Johannesburg, South Africa. Kudzai is at the forefront of integrating indigenous ingredients with sustainable practices. His work...

Megan Braden-Perry is a published author, award-winning freelance journalist, public speaker, photographer and multigenerational New Orleans native. Her books include Crescent City Snow: The Ultimate Guide to New Orleans Snowball Stands (UL Press, 2017) and Allen the Alligator Counts Through New Orleans: A New Orleans Kids’ Counting Book (2014). In 2019, she was awarded the Jack Jones Literary Art...

Angie and June Provost are farmer-activists residing in New Iberia, LA. They are the creators of the Provost Initiative, a venture that encompasses a for-profit farm named Provost Farm LLC and a non-nonprofit organization called the Provost Farm Heritage Center and Community Garden, Inc. Their mission is to educate and empower the next generation of farmers and farm workers, while promoting divers...

A serendipitous encounter with some New Orleanians brought Chef Serigne Mbaye to the Crescent City. Serigne was born in the United States, but raised and educated largely in Senegal. A love for cooking led him to New England Culinary Institute where he graduated at the top of his class in 2016. Though he started as a line cook, he rose to the level of sous chef at Commander's Palace and was the so...

Joseph Baba Ifa is a Babalawo in the Yoruba Lucumi spiritual traditions of Cuba with over 20 years of experience in the Ifa and Orisha culture! Born in Hialeah, an area of Miami, FIorida many consider to be the capital of Ifa and Orisha practice in the United States, Baba was exposed to Ifa at a very young age. Through countless experiences that span over two decades, Baba has been able to identif...

Chipo Kandake is a Dancer, Griot, Musicologist and Filmmaker who studies dance movement as it relates to social life and culture throughout the Afro- diaspora. (Bachata of Haiti, Bellydance of Nubia, Cumbia of Mexico and Second line of New Orleans) After receiving her BA at Dillard University (New Orleans, LA) in Filmmaking, Kandake continued her research abroad (Dominican Republic, Cuba, Mexico a...

Angela Locklear Queen is the author of Native American Herbal Medicine for Beginners. Angela has been decolonizing wellness/herbalism spaces for almost 20 years. Today she uses her extensive knowledge in herbalism and nutrition as a marketing professional supporting conscious and ethical brands that choose to avoid appropriation and make a difference in the world. Additionally, she nurtures an her...

On this episode I am thrilled to welcome my dear friend Prince Lobo to the show. At 25 years old, he is one of the youngest award-winning small business owner chefs and winemakers in New Orleans. Prince serves as the General Manager of Addis NOLA , a highly rated and recognized Ethiopian restaurant founded by his mother and his father and he is the creator of their specialty Honey Wine. Today we'l...

Joëlle Dussek (pronouns: Lï pronounced 'Lee' in Haitian Kreyol, All the pronouns in any colonizer language) is a hybrid of many ancestral markers, geographical locations, skills, and careers. Being both Haitian & African American ascendant person who hails from two illustrious cities, New York and New Orleans. Joëlle’s working background has been in entertainment for over 20 years, and is accr...

From a young age Nico had a head in the cupboard and an eye over the shoulder of his grandmother learning about the depth of flavour and the variety of spice in Caribbean cooking and soul food. Bringing this knowledge to Latin America, he ran a catered event company and a small restaurant in Buenos Aires for 6 years. Combing the depth of the flavours & aromas from the Caribbean with south Amer...

Lino Yerima Asana is a Cameroonian American filmmaker currently living in New Orleans. His films often explore and celebrate themes of black dynamism, identity, and transnationalism. Some of his films and videos have been featured by Okay Africa, Bitter Southerner, Nowness, and Indiewire and screened at several film festivals. In addition to developing his first feature film, "The Parking Lot Atte...

I was lucky enough to meet Gustavo Bottino and his wife at last year's Churrascada Barbecue festival in São Paulo, Brazil.  Gustavo is the co-founder and curator of the festival, as well as the co-founder and creative director of Soil Vegan Cafe in Amsterdam. We talk about his journey opening an animal-free cafe, how he curates the indigenous and visiting barbecue specialists for each year's festi...