Podcast · Music
by WFYI Public Media · English · Music
Each week on Cultural Manifesto, Kyle Long reveals stories and sounds from the creative frontlines of the past and present. Through music, archives and artist interviews, discover how creators shape meaning with sound, in Indianapolis and well beyond. Tune in each week to this WFYI Public Media show
7 Oct 2026 · 28 min
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with words and music celebrating the Latin music pioneers of Northwest Indiana, including Juan Manuel Guerrero, Adela Dalto, Santos Candelaria, and Omar Apollo.
23 Sep 2026 · 32 min
Listen to an interview with members of Clave Caribe, a Lafayette, Indiana band that has been performing Latin music for 20 years. Kyle Long talks with founder Tito Toro, vocalist Sandra Úsuga and percussionist Nolan Warden about the band’s history and its place in Lafayette’s music community.
21 Sep 2026 · 30 min
Kyle Long previews Indy Jazz Fest with two dynamic drummers and percussionists. Sheila E. discusses her roots in jazz and Latin music, and the musical family that shaped her career. And Nikki Glaspie talks about the gospel, funk, punk and metal influences behind her drumming, her years touring with Beyoncé, and the lessons she’s learned from the legendary musicians like Maceo Parker, and Chaka Khan.
15 Sep 2026 · 23 min
Indianapolis comedian, poet, author and victim advocate Claressa Patton, better known as Clara D, has made laughter an important part of her life and work. Patton talks with Kyle Long about her journey into comedy, her work as a victim advocate, and the role laughter has played in her own healing. She also discusses her book Healing in Pieces and her efforts to help others navigate grief and loss.
9 Sep 2026 · 37 min
Kyle Long speaks with Colin Blunstone, vocalist for the legendary British rock band The Zombies. Blunstone discusses his acclaimed 1971 solo debut, One Year, and his new live recording, One Year and More (Live from Union Chapel). He also talks about the recently released Zombies documentary Hung Up on a Dream. [photo by Andrew Eccles]
26 Aug 2026 · 36 min
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Secretly Canadian, the Bloomington, Indiana record label that grew from a small DIY operation into one of the largest and most respected independent music companies in the world. Secretly is celebrating with three nights of concerts in Bloomington featuring artists from across the label’s history and current roster. Kyle Long speaks with two of Secretly Canadian’s four founders, Eric Weddle and Ben Swanson.
25 Aug 2026 · 22 min
On August 29, Chreece returns to Indianapolis, bringing more than 70 artists, DJs and producers to eight venues in the Fountain Square neighborhood. Founded in 2015 by Indianapolis rapper, producer and community organizer Oreo Jones, Chreece has become a major showcase for the city’s hip-hop culture. Listen to Kyle Long’s interview with Jones about this year’s event.
19 Aug 2026 · 33 min
Listen to an interview with Indianapolis-based saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and educator Rob Dixon, one of the leading voices in the Midwest jazz scene. Dixon will discuss his new album “Naptown Soul” — a celebration of the city’s distinctive soul jazz tradition, featuring music by Wes Montgomery, alongside Dixon originals.
12 Aug 2026 · 9 min
Winchester, Indiana’s Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival brings together musicians from across generations and cultures, welcoming Native Hawaiian artists alongside performers from across the continental United States. Kyle Long visited the festival and spoke with some of this year’s performers including the Williams Twins, 96-year-old twin sisters who have been singing and playing guitar together at the festival for nearly 50 years.
12 Aug 2026 · 57 min
Cultural Manifesto can now be heard across Northwest Indiana. To celebrate the show’s arrival on 89.1, Kyle Long revisits his coverage of two of Northwest Indiana’s most critically acclaimed contemporary musicians, Omar Apollo from Hobart and Llin from Gary.
29 Jul 2026 · 6 min
Kyle Long speaks with Herbie Hancock — one of the most celebrated artists in American music history. His groundbreaking career has earned him 14 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and recognition as an NEA Jazz Master. From his early work with Miles Davis to his genre-defying explorations of jazz, funk, and electronic music, Hancock has continually expanded the possibilities of musical expression. Hear him reflect on his work with Freddie Hubbard and Miles Davis.
29 Jul 2026 · 35 min
Kyle Long speaks with Indianapolis pianist, composer and educator Becky Archibald. A native of Anderson, Indiana, Archibald has performed at Carnegie Hall, and her recordings have been featured on NPR's All Things Considered and All Songs Considered. NPR's Bob Boilen, creator of the Tiny Desk Concerts series, praised her work, saying, "Becky's music unfolds like I expect a good story to unfold." She joins Kyle Long to discuss the new recording and her history in the Indiana music scene.
23 Jul 2026 · 22 min
For over 50 years, Winchester, Indiana, has been home to the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival, one of the world's longest-running celebrations of Hawaiian steel guitar music. Listen to Kyle Long's conversation with two of the organizers behind this year's festival, musicians Mark Prucha and Bill Wynne.
20 Jul 2026 · 49 min
Kyle Long speaks with guitarist, singer, songwriter, and visual artist Steve Wariner, one of Indiana's most celebrated country music artists. Their wide-ranging conversation explores memories of Sammy Terry, Cowboy Bob, Arthur's Music in Fountain Square, the Beatles' appearance at the Indiana State Fair, seeing shows at Mockingbird Hill in Anderson, and more.
15 Jul 2026 · 29 min
Kyle Long speaks with the internationally acclaimed pianist, composer, educator, and author Monika Herzig. Her latest album, Transparent, is one of the most personal projects of her career. Inspired by her journey supporting a transgender child, the album uses jazz as a vehicle for empathy, storytelling, and connection.
7 Jul 2026 · 42 min
Indianapolis musicians Valerie Phelps and Kenny Phelps join host Kyle Long to discuss Valerie's debut album, Project 7. It features performances by Kenny Phelps and the couple's son, Dorian Phelps — two of the most respected drummers in the Indianapolis music scene. Their album release concert is July 10, 2026 at the Jazz Kitchen.
1 Jul 2026 · 44 min
Look back on the life and music of Tom Hensley — an Indiana-born pianist whose remarkable career took him from Bloomington and Indianapolis to the biggest stages in music. As a session keyboardist, he played on Hall & Oates' hit "Rich Girl," along with recordings by John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Leonard Cohen, Cher, Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, and toured as pianist for Neil Diamond. Kyle Long spoke with Tom in 2017 about his time in Indiana, specifically his work with Masters of Deceit.
24 Jun 2026 · 20 min
Hear an interview with the Indianapolis-based composer, performer, and multimedia artist Jordan Munson. His latest project, We Walk Beneath A Patient Sky, is a collaboration with Dance Kaleidoscope featuring choreography by Joshua Blake Carter. The work finds Munson expanding his sonic palette by incorporating elements of traditional Appalachian folk music.
17 Jun 2026 · 26 min
Michael Cleveland is one of Indiana’s greatest living musicians and one of the most celebrated fiddlers in the history of bluegrass. Kyle Long speaks with Cleveland about his remarkable career and his lifelong connection to the Indiana Fiddlers’ Gathering.
11 Jun 2026 · 21 min
Celebrate Pride by looking back at Kyle Long’s 2021 conversation with LGBTQ+ activist Mary Byrne. A key figure in Indiana’s gay rights movement, Byrne also played an important but lesser-known role in the state’s music history as a promoter and curator of women’s music. She owned and operated Labyris, a feminist and lesbian bar near downtown Indianapolis that became a vital gathering place for music and community.
10 Jun 2026 · 25 min
Before she found an audience as a musician, Lizz Vega built a following online live-streaming video games. Today, the self-taught musician and songwriter still streams live, but her broadcasts now feature performances on harp, guitar and vocals. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Vega currently lives in Marion, Indiana. Cultural Manifesto’s Kyle Long spoke with Vega to learn more about her work in music.
3 Jun 2026 · 36 min
Explore the remarkable life and music of Indiana songwriter Stoughton “Bruz” Fletcher, a groundbreaking artist whose work challenged conventions of gender and sexuality decades before the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. Host Kyle Long will talk with author and researcher Tyler Alpern, whose book “Camped, Tramped and a Riotous Vamp” remains the definitive biography of Bruz Fletcher.
27 May 2026 · 26 min
Hear words and music from Indianapolis-based singer, songwriter, and guitarist Naomi Pulver. She is building a growing audience for her finely crafted music, a sound that blends elements of pop, folk, and R&B with deeply personal songwriting. Raised in Colorado as the youngest of eight children in a multicultural household, Pulver began exploring questions of identity, family, and belonging at an early age — themes that continue to shape her music today.
27 May 2026 · 19 min
Born in Colombia, Edmar Castañeda is celebrated worldwide as one of the most innovative harpists in modern music. His work combines the folk traditions of his homeland with contemporary jazz. A Latin Grammy nominee, Castañeda has collaborated with artists including Wynton Marsalis and Béla Fleck and introduced his music to millions through the soundtrack of Disney’s Encanto.
20 May 2026 · 47 min
For over 30 years, Rusty Redenbacher has been a fixture of the Indianapolis music scene, performing as a vocalist with rock and hip-hop groups including The Mudkids, Birdmen of Alcatraz, and The Last IV. He joins Kyle Long to discuss his history in music, including battling Eminem at Scribble Jam in 1997, and his latest project, Rusty Redenbacher is Nasty Slim, which expands his skill set to producing beats.
13 May 2026 · 29 min
Asian American musicians are shaping Indiana's sound — and this week, Cultural Manifesto celebrates AANHPI Heritage Month with music that proves it. Hear from Indiana artists with roots in Afghanistan, Vietnam, China, India, Myanmar, and beyond.
6 May 2026 · 45 min
Hear Kyle Long’s conversation with Bloomington-based musician Jermaine Butler— also known as Jermaine from the South — an artist who defies easy categorization. Butler's submission to NPR's Tiny Desk Contest, titled "Dan Vi-Çila”, earned a coveted Top Shelf selection, drawing praise from Tiny Desk producer Bobby Carter and guest judge Tierra Whack. He is set to unveil a new project rooted in the culture of his home state — rapping in Louisiana Creole.
29 Apr 2026 · 42 min
Indianapolis-based rapper, musician, and writer Foosie discusses his debut album, “All-American Ghetto.” The album draws on his life — from growing up in Indianapolis’ Mapleton-Fall Creek neighborhood to serving a 20-year prison sentence. During his incarceration, he learned to play acoustic guitar and developed his voice as a writer through the Indiana Prison Writers Workshop. In this conversation, Foosie reflects on that journey — and on the music and family that shaped him, including his uncle, Vonzell Wheeler of the legendary Naptown soul group The Vanguards.
22 Apr 2026 · 55 min
In 1968, a group of young Indianapolis broadcasters made history — they built their own radio station from scratch, without a license, and dared the FCC to stop them. For four years, Radio Free Naptown brought underground music to the city, from Captain Beefheart to Gil Scott-Heron, broadcasting from makeshift locations that at one point even included a horse pasture. They didn’t call it pirate radio; they called it bootleg. Co-founders Steve Everitt and Don Worsham tell the inside story of Radio Free Naptown.
15 Apr 2026 · 44 min
Hear a conversation with members of Software, a feminist synth-rock band that broke barriers for women and LGBTQ+ musicians in 1980s Indianapolis. Software performed at iconic venues including The Vogue and The Hummingbird. The band also played at Labyris, a feminist bar in downtown Indianapolis that served as a safe space for the city’s lesbian community. A new anthology of Software’s music, Haven’t You Had Enough, will be released on Record Store Day
Each week on Cultural Manifesto, Kyle Long reveals stories and sounds from the creative frontlines of the past and present. Through music, archives and artist interviews, discover how creators shape meaning with sound, in Indianapolis and well beyond. Tune in each week to this WFYI Public Media show
Cultural Manifesto is a English music podcast from WFYI Public Media. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.
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