Here Now

Earlier this month, Here Now went live in front of an audience at the Podfest at Q. Producer and host Kadambari Raghukumar spoke to thespians Jacob Rajan and Pedro Ilgenfritz all about the magic of masks. In the first ever live podcast Here Now had a live audience at Q Theatre earlier this month as part of Podfest at Q. This week Here Now features excerpts from the conversation with incredible the...

MIXIT in Tāmaki Makarau uses drama and dance to help young refugees gain confidence and in this Here Now episode, Phil Vine talks to former graduate Izadine Ahmed Abdallah about his story. Izadine Ahmed Abdallah was 13 and in a refugee camp in Chad when he learnt that his family had been offered a refugee placement in New Zealand, a country he'd never heard of. Now 24, Izzy has found purpose...

In this third part of the conversation around stereotypes, we're chatting about Mexico. Here Now is produced and presented by Kadambari Raghukumar. This week on Here Now, we're continuing the conversation around cultural cliches - this time, with Mexico. What do Auckland-based Mexicans make of the stereotypes they're faced with here in New Zealand? From tacos to mariachi, to tropes aroun...

In part two of a series around cultural stereotypes, Kadambari Raghukumar talks South America through the eyes Auckland-based Colombians. Not everything in Colombia ends and begins with salsa. In part two of our conversations around cultural stereotypes, Kadambari Raghukumar unpacks some of those classic Colombian cliches with Ana Ruiz and Marlon Ortiz. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more det...

Here Now's first episode for 2024 is all about creatives drawing from or away from cultural stereotypes. Join Kadambari Raghukumar as she talks about some Indian tropes around Mumbai and Delhi. In this episode we're talking to Auckland-based filmmaker Shreya Bhagwat and theatre director Sananda Chatterjee about the classic old cliches around India, and how as diaspora creatives they draw or d...

Djs Banty and Nadine talk to Kadambari Raghukumar in this latest Voices episode on bringing African music to the club scene in Auckland. In this episode, we're talking to DJs Banty and Nadine about their journeys to New Zealand to make a life for themselves that revolves around advocating for music from Africa. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Breaking down the background to the idea of 'wokeness' are Ira Munn and Andreea Calude, in this episode of Voices. With its roots in African-American Vernacular English (AAVE), the phrase 'staying woke' was born out of racial justice and popped up around 1938 as part of a song by a protest blues singer Lead Belly in which he refers to the need to 'stay woke' in the light of rac...

Voices this week looks at some December events to look forward to from the south Asian and African diaspora in Auckland. This month, Prayas Theatre puts on their rendition of Mricchakatika, The Little Claycart, a Sanskrit play written in 5th century BC. We're talking to people behind the theatre production by Prayas. Also in this episode, Kadambari talks to Thabani Gapara, music director of J...

In this episode of Voices, producer Karthic SS talks to Siddharth Nambiar, a wildlife filmmaker based in Dunedin. In this episode of Voices we talk to Siddharth Nambiar, an wildlife filmmaker based in Dunedin. Over the years he's gathered an impressive list of credits having worked on documentaries for broadcasters like National Geographic, Animal Planet, and Discovery. In this podcast Sid sh...

A fire gutted an Auckland sports club and took with it all the instruments of a Caribbean steelpan orchestra that also used the space. In this episode we chat to Camille Nakhid about what next for the 18-year-old cultural group? The Caribbean Southern Stars, a steelpan orchestra that used the Marist Rugby league clubrooms in Mt Albert as a rehearsal space and to store their instruments, have lost...

New Zealand has one of the world's biggest export-driven wine industries - that attraction is huge for people from overseas who arrive here exploring opportunities in the industry. In this episode we're talking to two wine professionals from India and France who now call New Zealand home. In this episode we're meeting two people who moved to New Zealand in the pursuit of their love for winema...

In this episode we talk to members from Palestinian and Jewish communities in New Zealand about the attacks on Gaza by Israel. In these past few weeks across cities in New Zealand, thousands have been showing up to rallies and marches to condemn the bombings of civilians in Gaza and demand an immediate ceasefire. In this episode we're talking to Ahmed Saadeh, national coordinator for Palestin...

Each year, a New Zealand social enterprise runs a space research incubator to help explore space-related technologies for climate change. Kadambari Raghukumar talks to the founders of Spacebase. Each year, the New Zealand social enterprise SpaceBase runs a research incubator to help explore space-related technologies for climate change. In this episode of Voices, Kadambari Raghukumar talks to the...

ACT Party wants to close demographic ministries like the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, and in this episode we're talking to community organizations who are concerned about this possibility and it's potential impact. The ACT Party intends to shut down demographic ministries, and this week on Voices we're out in the community talking to groups with concerns around how this policy could possi...

It takes a bit of grit to grow veges in the Christchurch winter, but a group of Fijian families are rising to the challenge via a University of Canterbury-led project. It takes a bit of grit to grow veges in the Christchurch winter, but a group of Fijian families are rising to the challenge via a University of Canterbury-led project. The project, which has established 20 backyard vegetable gardens...

Wellington woman Lalita Kasanji is on a mission to identify the pioneering Indian immigrants depicted in a collection of studio portraits taken on Cuba Street in the early 1900's. One of the portraits, likely taken between the 1910s and 1940s. Sometime in 1998 Te Papa Museum in Wellington acquired a collection of 4000 glass plate negatives that had been found in a cupboard in what was once the cen...

Floods in India claimed hundreds of lives this monsoon season, but an Indian expat in New Zealand is hoping his new invention will help bring the toll down. Produced by William Ray. Floods in India claimed hundreds of lives this monsoon season, but an Indian expat in New Zealand is hoping his new invention will help bring the toll down. Listen to the story Massey doctoral graduate Areef Shaik came...

Scientists are looking for ways to adapt salmon fisheries for climate change. In this episode we talk to UK-born Dr Jane Symonds about how to save the industry from mass fish die-offs. Produced by Kadambari Raghukumar Researchers at Nelson's Cawthron Institute are working to help Marlborough's salmon industry survive the challenges of climate change. This week Voices visited the institut...

Using natural build techniques, a group of Takaka-based social entrepreneurs are excited about getting closer to the finish line of their cohousing project in development. Produced by Kadambari Raghukumar. A growing, intergenerational community is taking shape at a Takaka cohousing cluster of houses. The last few houses, including the common house, are being built in a race towards the finish line...

A group of South American migrants spoke out recently about allegedly misleading job contracts they signed with the Auckland construction company Buildhub as part of New Zealand's Accredited Employers Work Visa (AEWV) scheme. On Voices, Kadambari Gladding sits down for an exclusive interview with Buildhub's commercial administrator Ricardo Corona-Perez. A group of South American migrants spoke out...

Supporting their families back home in Samoa is the main drive of a group of ten young men. Some of them feature in this episode of Voices, produced by Justine Murray. FOLLOW Voices on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Supporting their families back home in Samoa is the main drive of a group of ten young men who have jumped at the chance to work at Ngai...

After a three-year absence, the most powerful images from professional photojournalists across the globe are now showing in Auckland at the World Press Photo Exhibition. RNZ's Justin Gregory speaks to the exhibition's curator Marika Cukrowski (who is visiting from Amsterdam) and one of the winning contestants, Egyptian photographer Mohamed Mahdy. After a three-year absence, the most powerful image...

Timpanist Steven Logan chats with Voices about his love for classical music, growing up in the US and joining the APO seven years ago. Timpanist Steven Logan chats with Voices about his love for classical music, growing up in the US and joining the APO seven years ago. Steven's always passionate about timpani but right now he's even more excited than usual due to the arrival of some new...

Sheila Nguyen talks to Kadambari Raghukumar about the focus on sustainability in this FIFA Women's World Cup. United States forward Megan Rapinoe in action against Vietnam during -the FIFA World Cup match at Eden Park. The sheer scale of the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 presents opportunities on several levels, particularly in driving messages of sustainability and inclusion. In this episode o...

Yoga - when does appreciation become appropriation? In this two-part series, Voices talk to New Zealand practitioners about the commodification of ancient Indian practice. Yoga - when does appreciation become appropriation? In this two-part series, Kadambari Raghukumar talks to New Zealand practitioners about the commodification of ancient Indian practice. FOLLOW Voices on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,...