Podcast – OneBeat

S2: Ep6: OneBeat Radio

In episode six, we take a deep dive into the musical vaults of 10+ years of OneBeat, guided by the voice and reflections of Johannesburg-based intergalactic kwaai-diva Umlilo and featuring tracks recorded throughout the Balkans, Turkey, Lebanon and the U.S.

S2: Ep5: Composing against Putin

In this fifth episode of Season 2 we return to a conversation about the ongoing war in Ukraine, this time with accomplished Russian composer Marina Sobyanina. For more than a decade she has lived in Bern, Switzerland.

S2: Ep4: Sounds of Kenya Pt. 2

In the final part of a OneBeat diptych series episode, Kenyan ambient artist KMRU joins Nyokabi Kariũki in a conversation about the importance of archiving sound, and what the repatriation of sonic archives can do for the past, present, and possible futures of people from the African continent.

S2: Ep3: Sounds of Kenya Pt. 1

In this episode, guest produced by Nyokabi Kariũki, Kenyan musicians and music-lovers share how they are using sound and music to recount stories of the country’s past, present, and to foretell its future.

S2: Ep2: Roman Garkavenko

In the second of a series of interviews focusing on music and musicians in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine, talented bass player and OneBeat 2014 alumnus Roman Garkavenko discussed his coming of age as a superfan of Queen, and the limitations of music in the context of unimaginable violence.

S2: Ep2: Roman Garkavenko

S2: Ep 1: Margaryta Kulichova

We are delighted to announce Season 2 of the OneBeat Podcast, where we will continue to tell the stories of the OneBeat music community and the places they come from.

This season comes with a special focus on place, where we inquire about the cultural contexts that shape and affect the ways our alumni engage with their communities, and with music-making. You will hear poignant accounts of Fellows who have been affected first-hand by the war in Ukraine; the art of noise music in China and its role as protest music; the idea of preserving history through sound in Nairobi, Kenya; how an American alumna is striving to make the experience of creating and sharing music more accessible, and more. Each episode will be accompanied by a playlist featuring music inspired by the episode.

Season 2 begins with the powerful voices of our OneBeat Fellows who have been affected by Russia’s war on Ukraine, with the first being singer-songwriter and music organizer, Margaryta “Margot” Kulichova, who also releases under the experimental pop moniker ‘Grisly Faye’. Across two emotionally charged interviews taken six months apart (with the first taking place closer to the start of the war this February), the Lisbon-based Ukrainian shares the effect of the war as it unfolds on her family and friends back home; the ways that she as a musician is having to cope with the situation; and her dedication to assisting both incoming refugees and Ukrainians on the ground. Margot candidly questions the relevance of music-making in this time, and explains what keeps her fight for peace going.

S2: Ep 1: Margaryta Kulichova

S1: Ep 8: Kafu Kinolli

In Episode 8, OneBeat 2015 alumnus Bajram “Kafu” Kinolli discusses his upbringing as a religious Sufi Muslim in a small city in Kosovo during periods of unrest and war in the 80s and 90s; where violence has affected the lives of the people of the Balkans, and discusses how music — which has been intertwined with both violence, survival, peacemaking, and even humor — can play a role in healing and uniting people in a still-fractured region.

S1: Ep 7: Anton Maskeliade

In this – the 7th and penultimate episode of Season 1, we connect with an alumnus of our very first OneBeat Program, Moscow-based Anton Maskeliade, who is a pioneer in many ways: as an experimental electronic artist, and as the founder of a music school that guides people — with any level of musical training — through the process of composing and producing their own original music.

S1: Ep 6 – Pierce Freelon

Episode 6 of the OneBeat Podcast features an insightful and moving conversation with artist, activist and Afrofuturist Pierce Freelon, who lives and works in Durham, NC. Pierce talks about the power and burden of speaking truth to power, about visioning futures, and about honoring ancestry and family.

S1: Ep 5 – Poetra Asantewa

Episode 5 of the OneBeat Podcast takes us to Accra, Ghana where we meet spoken word poet, vocalist and organizer Poetra Asantewa. Poetra shares with us her inspiring vision for a better future in Ghana and around the world, and the work she is undertaking to inspire and empower women creatives in her community.

S1: Ep 4 – Ng Chor Guan

In this episode, we meet composer, theremin player and time traveler through sound, Ng Chor Guan. Based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Guan talks to us about the human imagination, infinite possibility, and the magic of traveling sonically through space and time.

S1: Ep 3 – Daniela Serna

Episode 3 of the OneBeat Podcast takes us to Colombia, where we have the pleasure of talking to Daniela Serna – feminist, activist, cultural producer and founding member of the celebrated band LADAMA.

S1: Ep 2 – Justin Harrington

This candid conversation dives into the richness and diversity of Black culture through the lens of the banjo-playing hip-hop artist, Justin Harrington (aka Demeanor).

S1: Ep 1 – Welcome to OneBeat

The debut episode of the OneBeat Podcast gives a brief overview of OneBeat – how it came to be, its mission and philosophy, and we introduce the listeners to the various stakeholders who play a role in making OneBeat happen, as well as some of the voices of our many Alumni.