Sudanese American Haneen Sidahmed is digitizing cassettes tapes of classic Sudanese songs dating back to the 1960s. In the process, she’s created a music archive called Sudan Tapes Archive. Reporter Hana Baba, of station KALW and the podcast, “The Stoop,” talked to Sidahmed about how her work has taken on new urgency amid war in Sudan.
The small Baltic nation of Estonia is experiencing a folk music renaissance, with young musicians bringing traditional songs and instruments to the forefront in an attempt to reassert a unique Estonian identity and keep the country’s ancient heritage alive.
For Palestinians in the diaspora, staying connected to their ancestral home and making sense of the politics in the region has long been a challenge. Meklit Hadero, host of “Movement,” a series on music and migration, spoke with Clarissa Bitar, a Palestinian American who found that a musical instrument could bridge history and great distance.
Just days before the presidential elections in Argentina, Taylor Swift fans wanted to make sure their voices were heard. Pink posters with the caption: “Swifties Don’t Vote for Milei” were spotted all around the country’s biggest stadium, where the pop star recently performed three sold-out concerts. Javier Milei is a far-right libertarian candidate who has proposed radical changes if elected.
Lt. Col. Manuel E. Lichtenstein was a doctor in southern Italy during World War II. He met with top generals and won prestigious awards. Stories about his three harrowing years there were passed down in his family. But an old box of photos he took — of simple moments with everyday people — reveal a different view of life during wartime, away from the front lines.