Movement with Meklit Hadero
Movement is a podcast, radio series and live show that tells stories of global migration through music. Hosted by Ethiopian-American singer Meklit Hadero, the show explores issues of citizenship, identity, belonging, and borders through the experiences of artists. Each episode features personal narratives such as two brothers sharing one guitar, a daughter trying on her father's shoes, the lineage of a drum, and the sounds of a grandmother's backyard.
Episodes
"A Song You Can't Sing Alone, ft. 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.
"Keep That Tradition Alive" ft. Kiki Valera
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.
"A Rainstorm of Voices" ft. Sahba Aminikia
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.
"The shaming of the tongue" ft. Laura Elkeslassy
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
"We came from the same groove" ft. Cimafunk
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.
"Who we are when no one is watching" ft. Ali Sethi
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.
"We make the boom bap" ft. Ana Tijoux
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.
“Questioning everything” ft. Lupita Infante
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.
“I don't tell people I'm a musician” ft. Peter One
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.”
“Syrians must go back" ft. Omar Offendum
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.
“I sound like an alien to them” ft. Satomi Matsuzaki
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.
“I can speak to my ancestors through this” ft. Lalin St Juste
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.
"A Really Bad Deal" ft. Annahstasia
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.
"Why I was spared" ft. Mon Rovîa
How do we turn pain into empathy? Meklit talks with Liberian-American singer Mon Rovîa about his long journey to doing just that.
“I’m ready for that transformation” ft. Dayme Arocena
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/
"Syria is finally free" ft. Hello Psychaleppo
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.
"I'm sorry I wasn't here" ft. Diana Gameros
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.
"22 Nights" ft Chhom Nimol -- Live on stage
Chhom Nimol of the band Dengue Fever tells the harrowing story of the 22 night she spent in an immigration detention facility.
"A circle moment" ft. Emel Mathlouthi
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.
"I've just thrown out the word expectation" ft. Adi Oasis
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.
"Breaking unbreakable things" ft. Cheakaity Brown
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.
"Pragmatism and Revolution" ft. Victoria Ruiz
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.
"Girls do not enter" ft. June Millington
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.
"I've been writing the same song since the first song I wrote" ft. Helado Negro
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?
"We got on the Bad Bunny Bus" ft. Buscabulla
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?
"I was reluctant to go" ft. Sid Sriram
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.
“I found refuge in tap dancing” ft. Gerson Lanza
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
Coming up on Season 2
"Returning as Myself" ft. San Cha
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/
"Bananas and Cilantro" ft. Sasami
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/
"Not Standing Still Anymore" ft. Chhom Nimol (of Dengue Fever)
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
"Dubai is Like a Big Airport" ft. Cromwell Ojeda
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://
"She's gonna do all of that?" ft. Ghaliaa
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/
"You're an Expat" ft. Freek
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/
"Shiny Blue Keys" ft. Tatiana Crespo -- LIVE from Tempe, AZ
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/
"Between the Tears, So Much Pride" ft. Clarissa Bitar
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/
"Separating our culture from our trauma" ft. Alsarah
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/
"What's the Freshest Fruit?" ft. Felukah
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/
"Laughter is Freedom" ft. Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul
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/
"A World In Which I Can Exist" ft. Dakota Camacho
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/
"Sing Every Song Like It's Your Last" ft. Gino Yevdjevich
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/
"Welcome Home Pop" ft. Momma Nikki -- Live from Seattle
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/
"Love at First Sight" ft. Larry & Joe
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.co
"Making Weird Normal" ft. NNAMDI
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/
"Writing a Ritual" ft. Xenia Rubinos
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/
“The Craziest Thing I Ever Did" ft. Jesus Díaz
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/
"Explaining One Side to the Other" ft. Oddisee
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/
Trailer
Hear episodes of Movement every other Tuesday, starting April 11th. For about the show and live events, go to movementstories.com
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