Movement with Meklit Hadero

On this final episode of season three, Meklit shares the story of Geefata, a traditional song of celebration rooted in her father’s childhood village and in his journey from the village to the United States.

GRAMMY nominated multi-instrumentalist Kiki Valera was born into family of musicians in Cuba. At 16, he was gifted a book gifted that changed his life. - How To Build A Shortwave Receiver and Transmitter. Through scavenging parts, he made the machine that allowed him to listen to the world, and build a life dedicated to music.

Today on Movement, we revisit a story we first recorded in 2021, following Sahba Aminikia - a classically trained Iranian composer, forced to flee the country he called home, while making music that transforms pain into beauty.

Arabic music filled the air of Laura Elkeslassy’s Moroccan Jewish childhood home in Paris, especially on Fridays before Shabbat. But she didn’t grow up speaking Arabic so she didn’t understand the words. In New York as an adult, Laura’s search for a wedding song takes her on a surprising journey where she connects with new musical, spiritual and political lineages and steps into her power as a musician and community leader. Learn more & sign up for Laura’s newsletter where she will announce the forthcoming studio release of Ya Ghorbati. Read more about the stories behind the songs via Ayin Press.

After years of singing backup in Havana, Cuban musician Cimafunk found his own sound by refusing to choose between tradition and innovation. The breakthrough came when he realized Afro-Cuban rhythms and American funk are not just compatible, they're in the same lineage.

Ali Sethi released a song that got so popular, some claim it had the power to unite two countries at war – but his artistic journey all began with a suggestion from a college professor.

When you don't feel like you belong to the country you were born in, where do you call home? Born to Chilean exiles in France, rapper Ana Tijoux didn't find home in a place, she found it in Hip Hop.

Lupita Infante is the granddaughter of Mexican cultural icon, Pedro Infante, but she is also an artist in her own right, carrying legacies from both sides of her family. Through songwriting, GRAMMY performances and stints on Mexican television, Lupita is charting a new path for herself, while honoring and questioning the culture she’s inherited.

Peter One has had two big breaks, decades apart, on different continents. But both times, he has chosen to live a double-life: working as a touring musician and also holding down a “regular job” in order to lead a “simple life.”

In the early 1900s, the ‘Little Syria’ neighborhood thrived in Lower Manhattan, but today few people know it even existed. Rapper and poet Omar Offendum aims to change that.

For Satomi Matsuzaki, the lead singer and bass player in Deerhoof, music has been a humanizing tool in the face of the sometimes dehumanizing experience of being an immigrant. Look no further than the band’s new single, Immigrant Songs.

Lalin St Juste knew, even as a child, that singing was a path towards her own healing. As she grows up, she goes on a journey reclaiming her Haitian heritage – and uses music as a process of healing herself and her bloodline.

The LA-based folk musician Annahstasia was “discovered” by the music industry when she was just 17, but the backing of a label wasn’t the breakthrough she’d imagined. The breakthrough had to come from within.

How do we turn pain into empathy? Meklit talks with Liberian-American singer Mon Rovîa about his long journey to doing just that.

Daymé Arocena has one of the most stunning voices in music today. But when Meklit heard Daymé's latest album, Alkemi, she could tell something dramatic had changed. Her voice had changed, and Daymé had changed too. Learn more about Movement at: https://www.movementstories.com/

Bashar Al Assad, Syria’s brutal dictator, has fled the country -- opening a new and uncertain chapter after more than a decade of Civil War. Meklit speaks with the Syrian electronic composer Samer Saem Eldahr (otherwise known as Hello Psychaleppo) about how that conflict changed his life and music.

Diana Gameros was living in the US in 2010 when her home city of Juarez, Mexico became known as one of the most dangerous places on Earth. She was undocumented at the time; she couldn't travel back and forth even to see family. In this episode Diana tells the story of what it meant to finally go back and perform in Juarez after many years away.

Chhom Nimol of the band Dengue Fever tells the harrowing story of the 22 night she spent in an immigration detention facility.

Meklit talks with Tunisian singer Emel Mathlouthi about the moment that turned her into a viral sensation and the voice of a revolution -- but also about what it means to move beyond the shadow of that one moment.

Adi Oasis released an album and had a baby in the same year -- she thought it would be the end of her music career, but it's been the opposite. Adi and Meklit talk about the challenges of being a mama musician, and how motherhood changed how they see their own sense of place.

Cheakaity is a DC-based soul singer who was brought into the world with a weighty name: the one who breaks unbreakable things. He talks with Meklit about lineage, prophecies and the fear of living a life unfulfilled.

Victoria Ruiz fronts the leftist punk band Downtown Boys, and has spent her career walking the line between pragmatism and idealism -- often in extremely visible settings, and often with painful consequences.

Fanny was the first all-women band to release a record on a major label, in 1970. Meklit talks with lead guitarist June Millington about the incredible pressures of navigating the industry at that time and how parts of their story were never fully told.

Helado Negro has released 13 records in 15 years. He joins Meklit to talk about how the immigrant work ethic plays out in the arts, and Meklit wonders: is it good that we work this much?

Buscabulla got the kind of lucky break most artists only dream about: the chance to record with the biggest artist in the world. But what happens after the lightning strikes -- can they channel its energy?

Sid Sriram wanted to make it big in the American music industry, so when got an opportunity to live and work in India as a singer for hit films, he wasn't sure he would take it. Meklit talks with Sid about his breakout album Sidharth, playing Coachella, and how he needed that time in India to find his way in the US.

New York City is a city of immigrants, but right now that ethos and identity is being tested like never before. Meklit talks with Mafer Bandola, a Venezuelan musician who made the city her home, and then found herself on the front lines of the ongoing 'migrant crisis.'

Art is a form of self-expression. A lot of people say that, but for tap dance virtuoso Gerson Lanza it was literally true. Plus a teaser of what's to come on the new season of Movement with Meklit Hadero. Look out for new episodes through the summer and fall. Learn more about Movement at https://www.movementstories.com/

Coming up on Season 2

Meklit talks with Mexican-American singer San Cha about how she fell in love with Ranchera — a style of music that represented all the cultural values, sexual repression and stigma that she had once tried to escape. More about San Cha: https://www.churchofsancha.com/ More about Movement: https://movementstories.com/

Meklit talks with Sasami Ashworth about her acclaimed record “Squeeze,” and how it fits within a larger cycle of creation, restoration and self-discovery. More about Sasami: https://sasamiashworth.com/More about Movement: https://movementstories.com/

Meklit talks with Cambodian-American singer Chhom Nimol about her long musical journey from performing on Cambodia’s first televised singing competition, to joining the band Dengue Fever. They also discuss her personal favorite track from the band’s new album — an ode to a Cambodian culinary staple, the fermented fish paste prohok.More about Dengue Fever: https://denguefevermusic.com/More about Movement: https://movementstories.com/

Cromwell Ojeda and his brother grew up in Dubai — two Filipino kids in an expat family — but now his brother is moving to Canada where their family can finally gain citizenship. Meklit talks with Cromwell about what it’s like to make music and community in a place where people tend to come and go. Follow Cromwell: https://www.instagram.com/muhaisnahfour/?hl=enMore about Movement: https://movementstories.com/

In part two of our series on path breaking artists in the United Arab Emirates, Meklit talks with Syrian singer and producer Ghaliaa about how a complete collapse of confidence led to her latest record. More about Ghaliaa: https://www.ghaliaaofficial.com/ More about Movement: https://movementstories.com/

When Mustafa Mohamed Ismail -- AKA Freek -- was 10 years old, he learned that he had no citizenship in the only country he'd ever known. And if he wanted to stay, he'd have to find a job. More about Freek: https://www.youtube.com/@thefreektv More about Movement: https://movementstories.com/

Tatiana Crespo introduces us to her accordion Lindo, plus a busking adventure that changed her life. This story was recorded live on stage at Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ. More about Tatiana: https://www.taticrespoarte.com/

Meklit talks with oud virtuoso Clarissa Bitar about the doubts she overcame just to pick up the instrument, and the incredible response from her family when they realized she could actually play. More about Clarissa: https://clarissabitar.com/#/ More about Movement: https://movementstories.com/

Meklit talks with an old friend — East African retro-pop singer Alsarah —about drawing inspiration from tradition, and making peace with the word “refugee.” Watch the “Farasha” video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaN9ELG4p4g More about Movement: https://movementstories.com/

Meklit talks with Egyptian-American MC Felukah, about how moving to the birthplace of hip-hop transformed her from poet to rapper. More about Felukah: https://www.felukah.com/ More about Movement: https://movementstories.com/

Meklit talks with the Belgian-based dance-pop duo of Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul about taking their new record out on the road, and wondering how some of its humor and provocation might be received in different parts of the world. More on Charlotte and Bolis: https://charlotteandbolis.com/ More on Movement: https://movementstories.com/

On the island commonly known as “Guam," July 21st is commonly known as "Liberation Day.” But for Dakota Camacho, a Seattle-based artist who traces their lineage to the island, these simple terms hold a world of history and complexity. More about Dakota: https://www.dakotacamacho.com/ More about Movement: https://movementstories.com/

Meklit talks with Gino Yevdjevich, lead singer of the gypsy punk band Kultur Shock, about the need to create art, especially when the world is at its darkest. More about Kulture Shock: http://www.kulturshock.com/ More about Movement: https://movementstories.com/

Momma Nikki speaks and sings about a complicated relationship with their father, who immigrated to the US from Haiti. The story was recorded live on stage at the Meany Center for the Performing arts at the University of Washington. More about Momma Nikki: https://www.mommanikki.com/ More about Movement: https://www.mommanikki.com/ More about Meklit Hadero: https://www.meklitmusic.com/

Larry Bellorín is a legend of Venezuelan Llanera music; Joe Troop is a bluegrass virtuoso from North Carolina. Meklit talks with this unlikely duo about the social forces and serendipity that brought them together. Find all of Larry & Joe’s music at https://www.larryandjoe.com/ Learn more about Movement at https://movementstories.com/ More about Meklit at https://www.meklitmusic.com/

Meklit talks with Nnamdi Ogbonaya about making music that draws the listener in, while at the same time challenging them. His new album is called "Please Have a Seat." Find all of NNAMDI’s music at https://nnamdi.bandcamp.com/ Learn more about Movement at https://movementstories.com/ More about Meklit at https://www.meklitmusic.com/

Meklit talks with Xenia Rubinos about finding her way back to the stage after a long and difficult time away. Find all of Xenia’s music at: https://www.xeniarubinos.com/ Learn more about Movement at https://movementstories.com/ More about Meklit at https://www.meklitmusic.com/

Meklit talks with Cuban-American percussionist and bandleader Jesus Díaz about his journey from playing homemade drums in Havana to performing on the biggest stages in the world. Find all of Jesus’s music at http://www.jesusdiazqba.com/ Learn more about Movement at https://movementstories.com/ More about Meklit at https://www.meklitmusic.com/

Meklit talks with Sudanese-American MC Oddisee about self-doubt and the power of empathy, along with his new album "To What End." Find all of Oddisee’s music at https://oddisee.bandcamp.com Learn more about Movement at https://movementstories.com/ More about Meklit at https://www.meklitmusic.com/

Hear episodes of Movement every other Tuesday, starting April 11th. For about the show and live events, go to movementstories.com