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The return of Phil Ranelin / Indianapolis reggae pioneers Reggaenomix
February 7, 2024
Join the legendary Indianapolis jazz trombonist Phil Ranelin at the Chatterbox for his first gig after suffering from a debilitating stroke in 2021. Plus, an interview with Indiana reggae music pioneers from Reggaenomix, reunited for the first time in over 25 years.
Ari Shapiro's Och & Oy! / Indiana's LGBTQ+ music pioneer Bruz Fletcher
January 31, 2024
Listen to an interview with NPR’s Ari Shapiro. He’ll discuss his cabaret act Och & Oy!, a collaboration with the Scottish actor Alan Cumming. We’ll also discuss the life and music of the Indiana songwriter Bruz Fletcher, a pioneer of LGBTQ+ music during the 1930s.
Branford Marsalis / Fannie Lou Hamer
January 24, 2024
An interview with jazz saxophonist, bandleader, and composer Branford Marsalis. And playwright Cheryl L. West and actor Maiesha McQueen discuss the Indiana Repertory Theatre’s production of “Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer.”
Branford Marsalis
January 23, 2024
Kyle Long interviews Branford Marsalis, who will make two appearances in Indiana in January 2024.
GangGang’s I Made Rock ‘N’ Roll Festival / Best of 2023 – Part 2
January 17, 2024
Kyle Long speaks with Alan Bacon, co-founder and president of the Indianapolis-based arts and culture organization GangGang, about their I Made Rock ’N’ Roll Festival. It honors the Black roots of rock music May 18, 2024, and will feature performances by Janelle Monáe, Gary Clark Jr., Robert Randolph Band, Joy Oladokun and more. 
 
Plus, more memorable Cultural Manifesto interviews from 2023.
Best of 2023 - Part 1
January 10, 2024
Listen back to some of our favorite interviews of 2023. Join us for words and music from Skypp, Aye Marcay, Zakir Hussain, 123 Andrés, La March Nueva, Dwani Phiri, and Kronos Quartet.
Hoosier musicians on NPR's Best of 2023 / Rebel Music featuring Alejandra Carrillo
January 3, 2024
NPR has released its best of 2023 music lists. We'll explore the Indiana musicians featured among the year’s best, including Hanna Benn, Omar Apollo, Durand Jones, and The HawtPlates. Plus, on Rebel Music with Karla López Owens, hear from Indianapolis-based visual artist Alejandra Carrillo, who creates work under the name El Rallonadero.
Rebel Music with Alejandra Carrillo
January 3, 2024
Karla Lopez Owens talks with Alejandra Carrillo, a chicana activist, artist and art educator. She creates art under the pen name “El Rallonadero,” which translates to “the scribbler.” Her work has been featured in many prominent spaces - including the Eiteljorg and the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields. In the Fall of 2023, Alejandra completed a mural for the Mexican Consulate in Indiana.
Christopher Pitts Trio's "Be Free"
December 27, 2023
Listen to an interview with the Indianapolis-based jazz pianist Christopher Pitts. 
Pitts will share tracks from “Be Free,” his debut album as a leader.
Shanta Nurullah: The Sister with the Sitar
December 20, 2023
Hear an interview with the Chicago-based musician and storyteller Shanta Nurullah. And listen back to Kyle Long’s 2020 interview with the Indiana jazz pianist and civil rights activist, Rev. Dr. Marvin Chandler, who passed away earlier this year. Indianapolis Deputy Mayor Judith Thomas will also share her memories of Chandler.
Mitchell Shiner's "Latin Jazz Hanukkah" / Jaye B
December 13, 2023
Vibraphonist Mitchell Shiner discusses his album "Latkes con Salsa: A Latin Jazz Hanukkah." And the Indianapolis rapper and producer Jaye B shares music from his recent albums “X” and “The Bachelor.”
New holiday music from Wife Patrol / Isaiah J. Thompson
December 3, 2023
This week on Cultural Manifesto hear about Indianapolis-based rock band Wife Patrol's latest single “Christmas ’96.” And Isaiah J. Thompson discusses his new album “Guaraldi Holiday,”