On this episode of The Rhythm of Rebellion, I speak with Evan Greer, a powerhouse trans and queer activist, writer and musician based in Boston. Evan's journey is a dynamic interplay of musical wit, grassroots activism, and a fervent dedication to justice. She has gracefully evolved her sound from riot-folk roots to a more layered indie pop aesthet…

On this episode of The Rhythm of Rebellion, we sit down with DJ Johnny Juice, a legendary figure in the world of hip-hop and an iconic DJ, producer, and musician. Best known for his work with the groundbreaking hip-hop group Public Enemy, DJ Johnny Juice has been a driving force behind the revolutionary sounds that have defined an era. Join us as w…

On this episode of "The Rhythm of Rebellion," I have a soulful conversation with the brilliant musician, composer, and singer, Toshi Reagon. Toshi's unique ability to move seamlessly between musical genres and create melodies that carry the essence of human experiences has earned her a distinguished place among musicians and activists. A remarkable…

On today’s episode, I delve into a captivating conversation with Edisa Weeks, a renowned choreographer, educator, and the founder of the multicultural dance company Delirious Dances. Edisa’s artistic journey is a profound exploration of dance, liberation, and community engagement. Edisa's artistic vision extends beyond traditional performance space…

On today’s episode I speak with Meklit, an Ethio-American vocalist, songwriter, and composer known for her electric stage presence and her ability to craft deeply personal Ethio-Jazz songs that resonate with audiences across the globe. Meklit's music has taken her from the heart of Addis Ababa, to stages in San Francisco, New York City, Nairobi, Ca…

On today’s episode I speak with Morley, an artist deeply devoted to human rights and environmental justice. Morley's global travels have allowed her to share music with profound luminaries like His Holiness The Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela. She has shared the stage with Toshi Reagon and Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, and has starred in their renowned…

On today’s episode I speak with Ivelisse Diaz, a dynamic force in the world of Bomba, an emblematic Puerto Rican musical tradition that emerged 400 years ago from our African ancestors. Ivelisse shares her journey, from learning Bomba as a child, to becoming director of La Escuelita Bombera de Corazón based in Chicago's Humboldt Park community with…

On today’s episode I speak with Jamila Sabares-Klemm, a prominent Filipina-American activist, actor, and singer currently starring as Dory/Evelyn in the Broadway Revival of Merrily We Roll Along. We discuss her journey through the world of theater, as well as her work as co-founder of Justice through Arts Music and Movement (J.A.M.M.), which uses m…

On today’s episode I speak with singer-songwriter María José Montijo, who is a self-described “weird, cosmic, and queer islander” from Puerto Rico, now based in the Bay Area of California. Her music draws inspiration from over 20 years of experience as a healer, and is rooted in a continuous process of discovery and care, where trauma is transforme…

On today’s episode I speak with music maker Xenia Rubinos, who uses her powerful voice to create beats and melodies from scratch. Xenia’s sound grows from a wide range of influences from Caribbean rhythms and beat music to minimalism and indie rock all delivered with a soulful punk aura. With her most recent album Una Rosa and accompanying videos, …

On today’s episode I speak with Sonny Singh, a Brooklyn-based musician who has brought his fiery trumpet & vocals to audiences around the world for the last decade. Sonny's first musical outlet as a child of immigrant parents in North Carolina was singing Sikh devotional music, later exploring many other musical genres. In 2003, Sonny co-founded th…

On today’s episode I speak with L.I.T.A., a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter born in Ecuador, raised in Upstate, New York, and currently residing in Los Angeles. Her name is an acronym for Love Is The Answer, and with love as her guiding force she offers emotion-filled vocal performances and an unparalleled genre-fluid sound inspired by her lif…

On today’s episode I speak with Ximena Violante, a Mexican violinist, jarana player, singer, teacher, actor, and organizer creating spaces for people to celebrate their roots, re-imagine their futures, and expand their communities. Ximena is the bandleader and songwriter for Interminable, a futuristic fusion project that brings together son jarocho…

On today’s episode I speak with Mireya Ramos, a New York-based, Latin Grammy-winning vocalist, violinist, composer, arranger and founder of Flor de Toloache – New York City’s first and only all-women mariachi group. Born in California to Dominican and Mexican parents, Mireya was raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico until moving to New York in her teens …

On today’s episode I speak with Jeneda Benally, a bassist, vocalist, and songwriter, and one half of the multi-award winning duo Sihasin. Jeneda and her brother Clayson Benally are from the Dine’ (Navajo) Nation in Northern Arizona. Together with their family, they grew up protesting the environmental degradation and inhumane acts of cultural genoc…

On today’s episode I speak with Martha Redbone, a Native and African-American vocalist, songwriter, composer, and educator. She is known for her unique gumbo of folk, blues, and gospel from her childhood in Harlan County, Kentucky infused with the eclectic grit of pre-gentrified Brooklyn. Inheriting the powerful vocal range of her gospel-singing Af…

Locos Por Juana is a Grammy and Latin Grammy nominated bilingual band formed in Miami, FL, in 2000 that blows away audiences with what the Miami Herald calls “eareld calls the beloved master of “the Latin-Reggae-Hip-Hop mashup” . The band rocks stages with electrifying dynamism, collaborations with stars of Latin music and hip hop and reggae, high …

Sarah Burton’s career started in 2006 with a broken heart, a broken down vehicle, and a haphazard tour across Canada in a van named Lucky -- an artist driven by adventure, spontaneity, and a desire to connect with people from all walks of life. Three Minivans, and several greyhound trips later, Sarah has played 200+ shows a year, released 4 albums …

RAMEKEGA is a California-based alternative band formed in 2007, comprised of three women with 3 full-length albums and two West Coast tours under their belt. The Pozon Sisters Kelli (rhythm guitar, keyboards, vocals), and Gabrielle (drums, percussion, vocals), were joined by younger sister Kaira Pozon (bass, vocals) in 2011. They are getting radio …

Taína Asili is a New York-based Puerto Rican singer, filmmaker and activist combining powerful vocals and social justice lyrics in a fusion of Afro-Latin, reggae and rock. For over 20 years she has brought the music of love and resistance to venues across the globe – from the Women’s March on Washington to the nationwide Rock Against the TPP Tour. …

"The Blue" by Southern California singer/songwriter Alice Wallace from her new album, Into the Blue, released on Rebelle Road Records, has been named one fo the 10 Best Country and Americana Songs to Hear Now - along with songs by Blake Sheldon. That is pretty good national company for a woman who is is pure California country music. Her fourth alb…

Alicia Blue is singer-songwriter who uses a folk tradition to tell modern stories. And she knows her stories - she's done just about everything to tell them, from cleaning houses, to waiting tables, to sleeping on couches, and taking care of an aging soul singer. Her hard work and perseverance has taken her to the heart of LA’s folk-singer-songwrit…

Jerrica Alyssa is a Canadian Pop/R&B Artist. Born and raised in Vancouver and now lives in Nashville, TN. A conservatory trained pianist at ARCT, the Royal Conservatory of Music, she is an accomplished singer/songwriter, and a professional Polynesian dancer. She is now writing, recording and performing as a solo artist, creating a voluptuous mix of…

SJae (aka Sammy Jay), the UK’s first female music producer, has been called “the best in the business” in the US by many of her peers, including some of the world’s biggest music stars and producers. The Mercury-nominated artist is an advocate and prominent representative for women in music technology – producing, making beats, mixing, mastering. S…

Tourist Company, the Vancouver-based musical duo of Taylor Swindells and Brenon Parry, met in 2009, and found it easy to work together to create unique indie music. But they did not decide to make it official and form Tourist Company in 2013 and went on to release their debut record Apollo, to critical acclaim and toured it relentlessly across Cana…

For over 50 years, John Mayall has served as a pioneer of blues music, rightly earning him the title, "The Godfather of British Blues". After decades of touring and recording, in 2013 John signed with producer Eric Corne's label, Forty Below Records, and has since been experiencing an artistic and career renaissance, including a Blues Hall of Fame …

pre-tapeBy Music Friday

Ozomatli was founded in 1995 when the core members worked together on organizing a farmworkers union in Los Angeles. They didn’t win recognition for the union, but the band that came out of that effort, named for the Aztec astrological symbol for the monkey, has been recognized worldwide for its joyous, high energy, activist, multi-genre music. The…

Rebelle Road, a music platform/label/promotion and production organization founded by industry executive Karen Rappaport McHugh, along with artists KP Hawthorn and Adrienne Isom, to expand support and touring opportunities for women in country music by assembling knowledge and resources and putting together events and other opportunities with women…

International artist Nominjin started her music career at the age of 12 in her native Mongolia, going on to become Mongolia’s first and only pop teen idol. A solo artist who sings in 15 languages, Nominjin has performed and toured in more than 15 countries across the world in front of audiences of up to 70,000 people. She has been featured on John …

Southern California singer/songwriter Alice Wallace’s new album, Into the Blue, to be released this week on Rebelle Road Records, is pure California country. Her fourth album, it harks back to the 70’s artists like Joni and Jackson Brown who did not have all the answers but knew how to sing the questions. Folky, romantic, soulful, and always melodi…

Lisa Bouchelle is a renaissance woman -- one of those rare artists whose songs can make you cry, laugh and put them on repeat. Her music sounds loose and casual, but it’s actually very precise - the product of playing and singing from a very early age. And she is unstoppableaveraging over 200 shows a year. She's dueted with Jon Bon Jovi and sung ba…

One of the strongest women I know and one who is renowned throughout the indie music community as "Aoede The Muse," is the award-winning pop-folk singer, songwriter, artist, playwright, and author, Lisa Sniderman. She has recently released her memoir of creating music, plays, performances in face of a debilitating disease and it is a must read for …

David Messier is a multi-talented artist and music industry powerhouse based in Austin, Texas. A Trustee of the Recording Academy, Messier is an accomplished producer, entrepreneur, singer and songwriter hailed as “ a hurricane force of music.” He has served as President of the Texas Chapter of the Recording Academy and as a Governor of the Academy…

Growing up in a musical family, Devin Kennedy knew there was only one path for him in life. As a kid, he taught himself to play drums, bass, guitar, and piano and wrote songs, but he began writing and releasing music seriously when he was accepted to Berklee College of Music. Devin released critically praised Love Language EP to much acclaim and an…

Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, Amanda Abizaid is best known as the captivating vocalist on the theme song "A Place In Time" from Paramount's The 4400, the featured song "Dreams in Ashes" from Lifetime Television's Odd Girl Out, as well as other lead vocal appearances in songs appearing in Smallville, Ed, One Tree Hill, Felicity, and Cha…

New York-based Niva the Soul Diva is a singer, songwriter and performer known for blending R&B, rock, hip-hop, dance and soul and crowd-pleasing performances. A Houston, TX, native, Niva grew up in the rough part of Houston and moved to New York for a career in the entertainment industry. In early 2008 she responded to an ad for a singer from the N…

Multi-instrumentalist and soothing soul singer Sam Ravenna released his self-titled debut EP in 2017 after years as a sideman for bands including Eric Lindell, Cas Haley, Tubby love, and Peter Joseph Burtt & The Kingtide. A Berklee College of Music graduate the Lake Tahoe based Ravenna is a seasoned touring musician and has produced and collaborate…

Whitney Tai is a singer-songwriter daredevil who creates dream pop on the edge between pop and indie, rooted in emotional honesty and personal integrity. She is simultaneously totally authentic and other worldly. Tai lost her mother to cancer when she was 10 years old, surfacing her own health issues including severe anxiety, depression and weight …

“The hardest thing you can possibly do is walk away from someone that you viscerally love and feel is a part of you.” Singer-songwriter, Joy Autumn, explores this declaration in depth in her latest music video for her single, Go and expands the search for meaning in her album Midnight, exploring the underbelly of the music industry. A singer-songwr…

Laura Saggers is a British singer/songwriter based in Los Angele,. For some time she has been arranging, recording and performing covers each week and has just released her debut original album Chasing Dreams. Classically trained on piano since the age of 4, Laura picked up the guitar while backpacking through Latin America as a teen, and later acq…

lauara saggersBy Music Friday

Atlanta-based songwriter Anita Aysola infuses jazz and blues with classic rock and traditional Indian influences. Using lyrical wit, virtuosic piano runs, and a sultry-sweet voice , she seamlessly bridges worlds. Her debut album More Than Maybe showcases her broad range of influences from Norah Jones to Tom Waits. Her focus goes beyond jazz into tr…

This Friday we premier Ch’usay the newest album by Novalima, the explosive Afro- Peruvian band that travels the world bridging cultures, genres and generations in their music. Started by four friends from Lima with a shared passion for traditional Afro-Peruvian music and global DJ culture, Novalima has garnered worldwide critical acclaim from mains…

In 2016 Ali Stone was named by Billboard as one of the 6 artists to watch – the only woman on the list. Billboard was right. One of the youngest film composers for film in the world she went on to produce the full soundtrack of the thriller Demental, her remix for the official soundtrack of the Disney film Monsters University was chosen from more t…

Taylor Grey began her musical career at 12 years old writing her own lyrics, while she took opera training and taught herself the piano and guitar. Musical theater, classic rock, jazz and 90’s hip-hop all contributed to her sophisticated and cross-generational refined pop alternative music. She debuted in 2016, with “Mind of Mine I & II”, a two-par…

Internationally known Electro-Dance Pop artist, Kim Cameron has been building a name for herself since 2008 when she released her first album Contradictions. Her tracks have been featured on Billboard’s Dance Club, the Starfleet Dance Chart, and the DJ Times Dance Chart among others. Her album No Regrets generated a n indie record of 5 charting sin…

Sean Ardoin is a fourth-generation Creole accordion whiz with a serious pedigree in Louisiana’s Creole tradition but with musical ideas of his own. He jumps out of out of the traditional box and create new music, influence by the likes of Earth Wind and Fire and Kiss to Fishbone and Bob Marley, which he listened to as a kid, along with the old-scho…

Rob Bonfiglio is a guitarist, songwriter, producer, and musical director who first gained national prominence in the mid ‘90s as a founding member of RCA recording act Wanderlust. He scored a radio hit on the Billboard charts with "I Walked" and landed prime opening gigs for The Who, Collective Soul and others. Since relocating to Los Angeles in 20…

Sterling Infinity combines electronic soul and synth rock Sterling began in gospel music where his songwriting abilities and extraordinary vocal range won the attention of gospel critics and the adulation of audiences. Soon he was singing not only at church venues, but also at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Avery Fisher, and the Jaco…