The New Americans
WNYC presents The New Americans, a station-wide celebration of foreign-born artists now residing in the United States.
In addition to special programming on Evening Music and our HD/Internet channel WNYC2, we feature in-depth interviews with artists on shows including Ear to Ear, Soundcheck, New Sounds, and The Fishko Files, as well as The New Americans Portraits series and other related cultural features.
WNYC's The New Americans series is supported in part by the New York State Music Fund, established by the New York State Attorney General at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.
The executive producer for The New Americans is Limor Tomer.
Monday, October 15, 2007
The Brooklyn based group Nation Beat transcends borders, musically and literally. This eclectic world-groove ensemble is inspired by the Afro Brazilian rhythms of Northern Brazil as well as New Orleans style of second-line funk and jazz. The group joins us to perform music from their album "Maracatuniversal."
Friday, November 02, 2007
Before she kicks off Carnegie Hall's "Berlin in Lights" festival tonight at the Neue Gallerie,
Ute Lemper joins us to talk about a program that includes the dark gems of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill. And she gives us a sneak preview of her appearance all next week on WNYC's ...
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Alen MacWeeney is the author of "Irish Travellers: Tinkers No More," a collection of stories, photographs, and songs on an accompanying CD that document Ireland’s indigenous nomads, known as Travellers. They have been a fixture on the Irish landscape for hundreds of years, but this is, in many ways, the ...
Monday, December 03, 2007
Paul Muldoon is a Pulitzer prize-winning poet who is also the leader of the band Rackett. He describes their music as "where Cole Porter meets prog and punk, or Ira Gershwin glam and grunge." They join us to explain what that means, and they play live in studio.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
On their latest album, "Jardim Abandonado" (Abandoned Garden), the Brazilian guitar duo of Sergio and Odair Assad offer a collection of songs drawn from the duo's performance repertoire of the last decade, including Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," and selections by Debussy, Milhaud, Jobim and others. The duo performs in our ...
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
She is Filipino-American, he is Cuban-American. They are both percussionists who are building a family to the rhythm of dozens of drums. WNYC's Siddhartha Mitter spent time with Susie Ibarra and Roberto Rodriguez.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Argentinian-born singer
Sofia Koutsovitis moved to the U.S. in 2001 and began absorbing Afro-Colombian, Indian and African music traditions. The Buenos Aires native landed first in Boston, then relocated to New York -- a perfect laboratory for her musical explorations. Koutsovitis talks about her debut album, "Ojala," and performs live ...
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Pianist and composer
Omer Klein is a rising star of the NY jazz scene, known for mixing jazz with Israeli music and North-African roots sounds. He joins us to perform live with his trio in our studio.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Brazilian-born brothers Sergio and Odair Assad are one of today's leading classical guitar duos. They join us to share their new album, "Jardim Abandonado," and perform in the studio.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Choro is a Brazilian rhythm that started in Rio de Janeiro in the 1930s. It can now be heard every week in New York, courtesy of a Brazilian/Israeli group called
Choro Ensemble. They join us for a live performance of old tunes and original compositions.
Friday, February 29, 2008
They are in their 20s and 30s, living in the US and some have recorded with Shakira and Beyonce. But when they play as the
Arabesque Music Ensemble, their focus is on traditional, even obscure, Arab music. Members of the ensemble join us to talk about the group’s second album, ...
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
On a trip to Cambodia in 1997, organist Ethan Holtzman encountered two things: a tropical disease and Cambodian psychedelic pop from the 1960s. He pays tribute to both with his band
Dengue Fever. Based in LA, the group features a Cambodian-born singer and five American alt-rockers. They join us to ...
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Guitarist, arranger, and composer Aquiles Báez is one of the artists on the new Venezuelan label Cacao Musica. The label is backed by two heavyweights: Bobby Abreu of the New York Yankees and drummer and broadcaster Omar Jeanton. Aquiles joins us to talk about Cacao, Venezuelan music, and to play ...
Friday, March 07, 2008
Next week, the world's biggest competition for piano duos gets underway in Miami and it affords a perfect opportunity to explore this unique musical medium.
Marilyn Blank, a pianist and music psychologist, talks about her research into the social dynamics of a piano duo. And the duo piano team
Saar ...
Friday, March 14, 2008
The band Chicha Libre plays a mixture of Latin rhythms, surf music and psychedelic pop inspired by Peruvian music from the Amazon. This Brooklyn-based group revives forgotten Chicha classics and puts their own cross-cultural spin on them as we hear in a live performance.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Brazilian guitarist
Carlos Barbosa Lima started playing the guitar when he was seven and recorded his first album when he was 12. Fifty years later, he's one of the world’s leading guitar masters. He joins us for a live performance in our studio.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Sweden is exporting so many pop stars at the moment, it’s a wonder the country has time to produce any Volvos or Saabs. Singer-songwriter
Anna Ternheim’s breathy vocals and moody pop sound is already nabbing award nods inside her native country. She's releases her American full-length debut, “Halfway to Fivepoints,” ...
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Pianist
Helio Alves and drummer
Duduka da Fonseca are Brazilian musicians who play in the New York jazz scene. They've been friends for 15 years. They join us talk about their first album together, "Songs from the Last Century."
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Bronx-based duo
Pacha Massive always navigates the American and Latin worlds. The band is made of a Dominican multi-instrumentalist, Ramon Nova, and a bassist from Washington Heights, Maya Martinez. The editors at Apple's iTunes named them 2007's best new Latin artist and songs from their debut album have been featured ...
Friday, June 27, 2008
Pianist and composer Omer Klein is a rising star of the NY jazz scene and he combines jazz with Middle-Eastern and North-African music. He brings his trio for a live performance in our studio.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
They are in their 20s and 30s, living in the US and some have recorded with Shakira and Beyonce. But when they play as the
Arabesque Music Ensemble, their focus is on traditional, even obscure, Arab music. Members of the ensemble join us to talk about the group’s second album, ...
Friday, July 18, 2008
West African
Lionel Loueke is the guitarist on Herbie Hancock’s "River: The Joni Letters," which just won a Grammy for best album of 2007. He is now releasing his Blue Note debut, Karibu, which includes appearances by Hancock himself and saxophonist Wayne Shorter. Lionel Loueke joins us to talk about ...
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Old-school Dominican bachata and Nuyorican experimental rock meet at the indoor Queens Theatre in the Park for the annual Chase Latino Cultural Festival. The
Grupo Afroperuano Caracumbe, which will open the festival, stops by Soundcheck to perform live.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Since she got her start in New York’s anti-folk scene of the ‘90s, Regina Spektor has made quirky, eclectic and always personal music. This summer she can be heard performing the duet "You Don't Know Me" with Ben Folds, and her song “The Call” is featured in the movie “The ...
Friday, May 09, 2008
Actor Charles Boyer had a continental flavor that went over big in the U.S. Ten of his most engaging films will be screened in New York this month. Sara Fishko asks why... in this edition of the Fishko Files.
To learn more about Hollywood's studio system of the 1930s, 40s ...
Friday, June 27, 2008
A new book by composer Lalo Schifrin is called "Mission Impossible" – after Schifrin's famous TV theme. As WNYC’s Sara Fishko tells us, Schifrin's musical life has been rich with possibilities.
Schifrin's book will be available on Scarecrow Press.
Explore Lalo Schifrin's discography at dougpayne.com.
Watch the iconic ...
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
We hear from the latest recording by Yo Yo Ma & the Silk Road Ensemble, "New Impossibilities," which interprets tradition-based and/or newly composed works inspired by the historic splendors of the Silk Road. Also, new music ghazals from the Indian-born Canadian Kiran Ahluwalia, who now lives in New York City.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
We focus on foreign-born artists from China, with music by pipa virtuoso
Min Xiao Fen, along with works by
David Mingyue Liang,
Tan Dun,
Zhou Long, and
Bun Ching Lam.
PROGRAM #2726, New American Voices II - China (First aired on Wednesday, 10/17/07)
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Listen to music by foreign-born artists from Africa, including
Mandingo griot Foday Musa Suso (Gambia),
Moroccan trance musician Hassan Hakmoun, master drummer
Obo Addy (Ghana) with the
Kronos Quartet, kora player
Mamadou Diabate (Mali), and others.
PROGRAM #2729, New American Voices, III: Africa (First aired on Tuesday, 10/23/07) ...
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Hear a brand new release from
Kitka, the all-women's ensemble who specialize in Balkan music (in collaboration with the Ukrainian-born singer and composer
Mariana Sadovska). Also on the show, music by
Ljova,
Victoria Jordanova,
Dusan Bogdanovic, and
Milos Raickovich, among others.
PROGRAM #2732, The New Americans: Eastern Europe ...
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Hear music from Kyaw Kyaw Naing, the master of the pat waing (a traditional Burmese drum-circle instrument). Also, works by composer Jin Hi Kim for the komungo (a Korean bass zither), and Miya Masaoka, an American musician and composer who performs on a 17-string Japanese koto (zither). Masaoka also employs ...
Thursday, December 06, 2007
We focus on works from Latin America, including music by Argentinian-born
Osvaldo Golijov. Also, music from Brazil by pianist/composer
Marcelo Zarvos and guitarist/composer
Sergio Assad, along with something from composer and Teaching Artist for the Third Street Music School Settlement
Raimundo Penaforte.
PROGRAM #2741, “New Americans, VI: Latin ...
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Listen to works by vocal gymnast
Theo Bleckmann and composer
Michael Hoenig (both are American-based musicians originally from Germany). Also, German chanteuse, actress, painter, and as of late, radio host
Ute Lemper — along with something from guitarist vocalist, composer and orchestrator
Leni Stern.
PROGRAM #2746, New Americans ...
Friday, January 18, 2008
Hear music from Israeli-born musicians like composer
Anat Fort and cellist
Maya Beiser, and Palestinian-born oud player
Simon Shaheen. Plus, works from Iranian-born singer/composer
Sussan Deyhim, Turkish-born flute/lute player
Omar Faruk Tekbilek, and Lebanese-born composer/musicologist
Ali Jihad Racy.
PROGRAM #2757, New American Voices VIII: the Middle East (First ...
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Some of the Indian subcontinent's greatest living artists have lived and worked here in the States for many years, including
Ravi Shankar, percussionist
Zakir Hussain, double-violinist
Shankar, and younger musicians like
Rez Abbasi, and
Kiran Ahluwalia.
PROGRAM #2764, New Americans IX: India & Pakistan (First aired on Wednesday, ...
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Listen to music by Canadian
Michael Brook, who has most recently made a splash with the soundtrack to Al Gore's documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth." Plus, music from
Clogs, the
World Saxophone Quartet and
Adam Rudolph's Moving Pictures.
PROGRAM #2774, New Americans X: Australia, Canada (First aired on Tuesday, ...
Monday, March 24, 2008
Hear music from the Algerian-Jewish community by pianist Maurice El Medioni together with Cuban-born, New York-based percussionist Roberto Rodriguez. Then there's music from fellow Algerian Cheb I Sabbah, now living in San Francisco. Plus, works by Ethiopian singer Aster Aweke, Tibetan refugee Yungchen Lhamo, and Argentinian tango king Astor Piazzolla.
Monday, December 01, 2008
We focus on foreign-born artists from China, with music by pipa virtuoso
Min Xiao Fen, along with works by
David Mingyue Liang,
Tan Dun,
Zhou Long, and
Bun Ching Lam.
PROGRAM #2726, New American Voices II - China (First aired on Wednesday, 10/17/07)
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Listen to music by foreign-born artists from Africa, including
Mandingo griot Foday Musa Suso (Gambia),
Moroccan trance musician Hassan Hakmoun, master drummer
Obo Addy (Ghana) with the
Kronos Quartet, kora player
Mamadou Diabate (Mali), and others.
PROGRAM #2729, New American Voices, III: Africa (First aired on Tuesday, 10/23/07) ...
Monday, May 04, 2009
Hear music from the Algerian-Jewish community by pianist Maurice El Medioni together with Cuban-born, New York-based percussionist Roberto Rodriguez. Then there's music from fellow Algerian Cheb I Sabbah, now living in San Francisco. Plus, works by Ethiopian singer Aster Aweke, Tibetan refugee Yungchen Lhamo, and Argentinian tango king Astor Piazzolla.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
By
Daniela Gerson
New York, NY —
Tomorrow marks Israel’s 60th anniversary as an independent nation. Here in New York, Israelis and others will be celebrating with concerts, parties and -- of course -- with food. In preparation for the holiday, Daniela Gerson paid a visit to an East Village grocery store ...
Thursday, February 07, 2008
By
Amanda Aronczyk : Reporter, WNYC Narrative Unit
New York, NY —
Yesterday marked the start of Lunar New Year for many in the city’s Asian-American communities. Reporter Amanda Aronczyk visited a celebration this past weekend at the Queens Library in Flushing.
Calligrapher ambi: Yeah! Everybody’s happy! Ambi of people having their name written with lucky blessings
NARR: ...
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
By
Corey Takahashi : Associate Producer
New York, NY —
The days before Ash Wednesday mark February’s internationally known celebrations in the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago. But wintertime hasn’t tamped down anticipation in New York neighborhoods like Richmond Hill. Corey Takahashi found that this year, Carnival came early to southeast Queens.
Friday, December 14, 2007
By
Siddhartha Mitter
New York, NY —
Two percussionists, making a life together and building a family to the rhythm of dozens of drums. She is Filipino-American, he is Cuban-American and they make music that combines both their cultures - and many others. WNYC’s Siddhartha Mitter spent time with Susie Ibarra and ...
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
By
Rob Weisberg
New York, NY —
Seventeen bands tune up and stretch their musical endurance muscles to take part in the fifth annual Colombian Music Encuentro, an all-day musical marathon hosted at New York’s Zipper Theater. WNYC’s Rob Weisberg spoke with some of the event participants.