MinneCulture

In this episode, we meet Minnesota musicians that take old music, and put their own twist on it. Host Jumondeh Tweh goes backstage at a Saint Paul jazz club with Debbie Duncan who’s known as the Twin Cities’ “First Lady of Song.” We travel to South Minneapolis, where Minnesota’s oldest African American drum corps is keeping an old musical tradition alive. And we hear from some passionate classical...

Immigrants are spicing up Minnesota food. In this episode of the MinneCulture podcast, host Jumondeh Tweh gets cooking tips from his Liberian mother and listens in on stories about Hmong and Somali food. KFAI's Emily Bright produced this delicious audio treat.

In Minnesota, freezing winters and big snowfalls come with the territory. But three feet of snow on Halloween? That was a day to remember. In the premiere of Season 3, Jumondeh Tweh plays a documentary produced by Britt Aamodt about the Halloween Blizzard of 1991, which remains one of the largest and most memorable storms in Minnesota history.

Fresh Fruit is the longest running queer radio program in the US. It has aired on KFAI Community Radio in Minneapolis, Minn. for over 40 years. MinneCulture host Jumondeh Tweh speaks with KFAI’s Dixie Treichel, who produced a radio documentary on this legendary radio show, tracking down former hosts and gathering the history of Fresh Fruit.

It wouldn’t be a Minnesota podcast if we didn’t take you outside. It’s cold outside, baby, with rabid Minnesota Wild fans and anglers who won’t let a little ice get in their way. The MinneCulture crew bundles up and hits the ice to tell the unfrozen stories of the cold, bold North.

Despite the sizable Somali community in Minneapolis, Somali art hasn’t broken through to the mainstream. Known as a “nation of poets,” those who seek out the oral traditions of Somalia through poetry and music are greatly rewarded. Meet Nimo Farah, a Somali poet and activist, who is working to keep Somali oral traditions alive in America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Somali poets—in both Engl...

Forget the Spoonbridge and Cherry—these are landmarks that have secrets to tell, even when they’re gone. In this episode, we explore one that fell to the forces of urban renewal; one that closed because of the owner’s health issues; and one that is stuck between a rock and a hard place of history and gentrification. Host Jumondeh Tweh checks out Minneapolis’ nearly forgotten Skid Row, the recent l...

What does it mean to “break the mold”? A hard-boiled lesbian detective breaks through the lavender ceiling, a Sudanese model refuses to lighten her skin to fit in and an Ojibwe rapper wants to be the spark that ignites the fire in his people. Nyakim Gatwech is the “queen of dark,” a Sudanese model in Minnesota with unapologetically dark skin. She has a major Instagram following, too. Ellen Hart is...

How has immigration, migration, and connection to the rest of the world shaped the sights and sounds of Minnesota? Meet Siama Matuzungidi, a Congolese soukous musician. He moved to Minnesota in the late 90s after having a prosperous career in Congo, Uganda, and Kenya. His life and music flow like his native Congo River, and today, the Mighty Mississippi. Doug Little and his band Charanga Tropical...

Andrew Moore’s front yard used to host an enormous political art installation. His front yard installation was steeped in political turmoil and showed images of poverty, police brutality, and racism. But it cost him over $38,000 in city fines, his renter’s license, and eventually, his home. But he’s he didn’t let it strip him of his artistic identity; now he wears it. Moore’s installation work may...

Why do people dress a certain way? What does dress say about who we are, and what connects us? People pick their uniforms for various reasons, but often it’s to fit in to a group. For the Minnesota Dandies—a group of sharply dressed black men—it means dressing for success and respect. For one Minnesotan women during the Civil War, it meant disguising herself as men in order to serve her country. H...

When is love an art form in and of itself? Like art, true love comes in many forms. A Congolese couple, separated by the ocean, sing to each other over the phone to stay connected. An all-grrrl punk band sing through a telephone (repurposed as a microphone) to the community that supports them. Corrie Harrigan (drums), Laura Larson (bass), and Liz Elton (vocals), are Kitten Forever. The three-piece...

Backyard chicken coops are on the rise. But setting up your first egg operation isn’t without its challenges. Our producer Xan Holston found this out the hard way. Plus, a vigilante bike-law enforcer has taken to the Twin Cities streets and he’s causing quite a stir. Theme music by Javier Santiago. Support for Minneculture is made possible by a grant from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage F...

These are two features of a Minnesota summer: mosquitos and lawnmowers. Today, a story on each. Theme music by Javier Santiago. Support for Minneculture is made possible by a grant from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

A story about making plates, and one about breaking them — both from producer Xan Holston. Featuring an interview with mosaic artist Michael Sweere, and a tour of a “rogue” pottery studio near the Wisconsin border. Theme music by Javier Santiago. Support for Minneculture is made possible by a grant from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

A dive into the world of independent pro wrestling in the Twin Cities. It’s loud, dirty, and definitely not politically correct. Theme music by Javier Santiago. Support for Minneculture is made possible by a grant from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

A harpist has been playing for primates at the Como Zoo in St. Paul for almost a decade. We hear how they react, with a beautiful sound of their own. And, inside a 28-hour music marathon in Minneapolis. Theme music by Javier Santiago. Support for Minneculture is made possible by a grant from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

A new documentary about what’s known historically as the Indian Adoption Project, a US government program designed to place Native American children with white parents. This documentary explores the impact of that program on adoptees and their families. Theme music by Javier Santiago. Support for Minneculture is made possible by a grant from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Two Minnesotans take very different paths toward a common goal: to dive deeper into the animal world. Featuring interviews with videographer Sam Easterson and taxidermist Sarina Brewer. Theme music by Javier Santiago. Support for Minneculture is made possible by a grant from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Introducing the MinneCulture podcast, featuring the best arts, culture and history reporting from KFAI in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. On this episode, "How Black Lives Matter Got An Anthem" and the story behind how a college student from Minnesota got the Swedish band Roxette on U.S. radio. Theme music by Javier Santiago. Support for MinneCulture is made possible by a grant from the Minn...