Languages through Music

If anybody is dedicated to multilingualism, it is this guy right here! Founder of the Polyglot Conference, Richard Simcott joins us to explore how music opened doors to literally dozens of languages. From Eurovision to unexpected Icelandic covers, this episode celebrates the melodies that make languages come alive. This Official Bard of Cornwall shares his linguistic and musical insight and talks...

At The Polyglot Gathering in Prague a couple of years back, I met mi hermano, multilingual language coach and educator Guillermo Manzano-Fabre. Growing up in Germany, Guillermo speaks Spanish, German, Italian, English, French, Mandarin, Swahili, and has started studying Farsi. From Cuban classics and French hip-hop to Swahili beats and Chinese rap, this conversation explores how music accelerates...

Barrister and language justice activist Ife Thompson, founder of the Black British English podcast and BLAM UK, joins LTM to explore language, power, and resistance. From Black British English and Creoles to Yoruba and music as memory, this episode unpacks why language is central to identity, justice, and liberation. In this episode, Ife traces her journey into linguistic justice through Black his...

Meet Chisomo Banzi, the futuristic visionary behind Speakeasy 3D and Constellations! Constellations is a VR vocabulary learning app launching Saturday on Meta Quest. It combines the memory palace technique with spaced repetition - words float around you as points of light, you grab them and speak them aloud. Free early access, looking for feedback from language learners."www.languagesthroughm...

Milton Foster is a polyglot creative powerhouse: musician, producer, audio engineer, filmmaker, and founder of the Language Link Up. From serenading the ladies in a salon at age 5 with Bob Marley tunes, to discovering a passion for languages as a teenager, in this episode Milton shares the sounds that shaped and inspired him. @thejamaicanpolyglot #languagesthroughmusic #miltonfoster #thejamaicanpo...

I’m so happy to welcome Sandra Gasana, aka Umurutasaté, to the podcast. This amazing artist, journalist, and teacher is the embodiment of Languages through Music! Singing in eight languages and speaking "6.5," she reminds us that language is most vibrant when it is truly lived. Our conversation dances between Addis, Montreal, and Dakar via Amharic, French, and one day-- Wolof! #umuratasa...

I met Kathy Kurious at The Polyglot Conference in Taipei, in November 2025, and we immediately connected over a love of music, hip-hop in particular, and, of course, languages. In this chat we travel to Sesame Street, we keep Portland weird, and we learn about some of the books Kathy has translated, including The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living (a New York Times bestseller), a...

In this episode, I got to connect with the amazing Tana Yonas , also known as  DJ Passionfruit  — a music selector, educator, writer, researcher, and global explorer of sound. From Ethiopia to LA, Mexico City to Tokyo, Tana’s journey moves through cultures, languages, record stores, and deep musical lineages. We talk about home, heritage, cities you can hear before you arrive, analog culture, the...

Polyglot Urmi Hossain joins the LTM podcast to chat Bengali roots, Italian upbringing, and Canadian current home! Urmi shares her multilingual 'TCK' insights and notes on her self-publishing journey. Check out her podcast too: Stories Beyond Borders. Thanks, Urmi! Enjoy 10% off LTM masterclass or cards with code: LEARNWITHURMI #bengali #italian #TCK #multicultural #multilingual

Happy birthday, Tamara! I finally get to interview my fellow linguist & music-lover, and (1/4) co-founder of Sisters Only Language Summit (our revolutionary safe space for Black women in languages). Come and salsa with us, travel, and explore how Tamara built her platform on inspiration del Caribe! 🎶 💃🏽🏝 https://www.spanishconsalsa.com/ www.languagesthroughmusic.com #spanish #salsa #podcast...

Meet Mehdya Fassi, a creative French teacher based in New York, opening your mind to the many, multicultural layers of the French language. Mehdya makes sure that students learn French with a social justice lens, so if vous voulez intersectional, decolonial values en français? You are in the right place. Speak & Joy students learn to express themselves clearly and confidently on the topics tha...

Meet Mirghani, an amazing, multilingual teacher who contributed to LTM's Arabic, Italian, and Mandarin resources. Hailing from Sudan, and based in Egypt, he shares his journey with us through multiple lands and languages. Connect with him on iTalki, where he has successfully delivered over 700 lessons! (https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/7498464) & keep an eye out for his forthcoming Storie...

I've been following Nathan for a while now, ever since I heard of his platform Smarter Korean and that it was a Black-owned online Korean school! 🇰🇷 I love his backstory, which speaks to how a single friend and community can truly open brand new worlds and languages to us. Listen to his journey from L.A to Seoul and far beyond. 🙌🏽 And try a Korean class! I'm going to! ▶️ www.smarterkorea...

Such a joy to speak with Anesh from On the Spot Language ! 🌍🗣️ Anesh reached out a while back, and we instantly connected over a shared appreciation for languages, culture, creativity, community, and well-being . Our conversation flowed—from the sound of Om to Celine Dion , morning mantras from the Bhagavad Gita to cultural intelligence nuggets, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star , sneezing, and other u...

So great to catch up with Gaby Van Horn, and learn about her multilingual upbringing and her journey towards her Clever Hybrids podcast, Cross Gen Production, and Tigrinlish platform. We touch on the challenges and joys of being a solopreneur, the uplifting power of music, the importance of representation in language learning, and the passion that Eritreans hold for Turkish series & Bollywood...

In this episode of the Languages Through Music podcast, I got to speak with Elle from the Speaking Tongues podcast. We explore personal music memories, the significance of Bahamian rake & scrape, and the multilingual buffet of language learning! Listen for a taste of the vibrant culinary, cultural, and musical landscape of New York City and beyond. Listen to Elle's podcast, Speaking Tongue...

In this episode of the Languages Through Music podcast, I get to speak with Orlynda Vales, a special care counselor, linguist, and artist, who shares her rich language journey from Haitian Kréyol to Japanese. Orlynda and I met at the Polyglot Gathering in Prague last year. Orlinda discusses the importance of language in healthcare, and how she balances her passions for art and languages. #Language...

I really enjoyed interviewing Yara (Yamkela), a wonderful isiXhosa teacher I met via iTalki, who made the amazing isiXhosa through Music resource for LTM. In this chat, we learn more of her own musical journey and influences. Yara shares her earliest music memories, the significance of overtone singing in isiXhosa culture. We discuss the language education system in South Africa, Yara's path to be...

After twenty years in international education, it's not every day that a school impresses you SO MUCH! 🤩🤩🤩 LTM made a visit in December 2024 and the inspiration is still bubbling. Thanks so much for hosting us, Bamboo School. Bamboo School is the future of education, for real! 🌱🎋🍄 https://www.mechaipattana.ac.th/ www.languagesthroughmusic.com

I finally got to meet Hermon Mehari, live and in person! I was very geeked- I love his music and had even written him into one of my short stories with Afritondo where the main character was also a trumpetist :D Later we found out we had our lovely Turkish teacher, Dilara, in common. The multi-award winning Eritrean jazz trumpetist happened to be in Bangkok at the same time as me, so this episode...

"The Yoruba language must not die." In this episode of the Languages Through Music podcast, Desta welcomes Professor Ajibade and his daughter Bisola to discuss the significance of the Yoruba language and culture. They explore the personal and cultural influences that shaped their love for Yoruba, the challenges faced in preserving the language, and the growing interest in Yoruba studies both in Ni...

Ra Jikotea Niaku'no Ruiz León is a Taíno-Borikua artist and educator from Boriken (also known by the colonial name: Puerto Rico). Ra is the founder and director of Wuru Taíno Tekiro'uo, a grassroots initiative focused on promoting and celebrating Taíno language and culture through workshops, presentations, classes, and community gatherings. She is an enrolled tribal member of Higuayagua Ta...

In this episode I get to interview my wonderful Thai teacher, Kru Pimmi. We talk about knowing your calling from a young age, and Kru Pimmi shares her journey of teaching English and Thai. We talk about London and and how it is buzzing with music and things to do, learn, try. We talk about Kru Pimmi's experience learning Spanish and her desire to learn Japanese and Arabic. We end on a philosop...

Ekaete Alfred, Director of the Pan-African Academy, discusses the importance of teaching African history and languages. She founded Pan-African Academy in 2021 to ensure that children understand their history, where they come from, and their power. Ekaete shares her experience of teaching history in schools, and she also talks about the lesser-known Nigerian language, Annang, and the challenges of...

JP Bimeni, a musician from Burundi, shares his earliest music memory and how his love for dancing led him to music. He discusses the importance of writing and performing in his native language, Kirundi, and the impact it has had on his connection to his culture. JP shares his love for Greek and Tanzanian music, as well as his fascination with Lingala. Check out JP's music here , and if you are...