Here Now

A selection of award-winning films comes to New Zealand this month, showcasing contemporary Latin American and Spanish cinema at the 24th Latin American Film Festival of New Zealand. Colombia's Ambassador to New Zealand, Isaura Duarte Rodríguez, and Massey University's Professor Leonel Alvarado join us in this episode to talk about the golden age of Latin American cinema, a reflection of life in the continent and touring the festival around New Zealand.

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Pushing through challenges in the sport and the industry in New Zealand, martial arts clubs like Kings Academy continue to support up and coming fighters to pursue their dreams of making it to international MMA rings. In this episode we go behind club doors to chat about strategy, gym culture, and what it takes to train champions with coach Vahid Unesi, and fighters Mose Afoa and Arshia Ebadi. Produced by Kadambari Raghukumar.

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Every year, swimmers gather in Alexandra, South Island, united in sheer mental grit. No wetsuit. No neoprene. Just a standard swimsuit, a cap, and a ton of endurance. Laetitia Berten, director of the Ice Swimming Championships joins us in this episode to talk about how she got into the sport - and why. This episode was made by Claire Concannon and Kadambari Raghukumar.

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North of Auckland, Warkworth has seen an influx of people from a specific Pacific nation –all there for a very particular reason. A community built from scratch thanks to one man and his vision. Phil Vine with this episode.

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Since forming in 2017, food redistribution charity EKTA has had more volunteers join and has seen steady growth - but the queues of people it serves has almost doubled. Keeping it all going in the face of a cost crisis, are it's reliable force of volunteers, often made of a mix of people - new migrants, refugees, retirees to former beneficiaries of the charity's help.

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Often when diaspora or indigenous communities interact with civic spaces—hospitals, libraries, universities—the architecture itself can sometimes either signal belonging or a sense of alienation. Three Resene Student Design Award winners want to shift this by centering more Pasifika values and concepts into built environments and housing in New Zealand, to reflect the diversity of people that inhabit them. This episode features Mila Makasini, Amelia Lee Chee and Sarah McLeod-Venu in conversation with Kadambari Raghukumar.

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Samantha Krieg went from chef de partie at one of Canada’s top restaurants by age 20, to a doctoral research in structural engineering and earthquake resilience, at the University of Canterbury. Underpinning in all, was a feminist passion for shifting gender bias and breaking barriers for women at the workplace. The Order of the White Rose scholarship recipient, joins Kadambari Raghukumar in this episode.

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L'Aurore a bilingual French English class has been seeing an growing interest in Christchurch with some parents wanting to raise their children in full immersion of the language. Rachel Graham went to check out how it all works.

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Professor Alex Tan's entire life's work has centred around creating 'sophisticated citizenry' when it comes to global issues and awareness, specifically in the Indo-Pacific region. He spoke to Rachel Graham in this episode.

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Mandy Bell fled the immigration crackdown in the US with her Kiwi husband and their two children, and Sara Gibson watched from Auckland as protestors in her Minnesota hometown were killed by ICE agents. Gwen McLure speaks to them in this episode.

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Creating platforms where independent writers' works can be amplified and shared, is what drives spaces like Spoor and Nowhere, some of Auckland's up and coming bookstores featuring writers from across Asia. In this episode, Blessen Tom chats with the people behind the bookstores.

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It wasn't until Francesca Contaldo lived in New Zealand that she actually began to explore the realms of ancient tattoo art from her part of Italy, Puglia. In this second episode on tattooing, she joins Kadambari Raghukumar to chat about how that came to be.

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The Khmer connection runs deep for Cambodia-born tattooist Buntheun who joins us in this episode to talk about exploring the ritualistic art in his homeland.

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Brothers Tapan and Donny Mukerji became part of the Big Buddy programme to mentor boys without father figures in their lives and found their lives changing for the better, alongside. There are currently more than 100 boys across Auckland waiting to be matched with a Big Buddy through this programme and the brothers hope more men will consider stepping forward.

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Africa Day is marked in May and this year Kadambari Raghukumar is out meeting people dedicated to strengthening community wellbeing understanding of mental health. This episode features DRC born Genevieve Kayembe and Zimbabwe-born Dr Michelle Musakwa.

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Every year, Kai Rotorua's kumara harvest attracts a group of volunteers keen to connect with sustainable practices and te ao Maori. This year, the harvest circle widened even further, with students from across South Asia joining the mahi on a spring day.

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That moment when 'ink kisses paper' is every letterpress artist's most anticipated. In this episode, Kadambari Raghukumar revisits a Wellington printery that's been working with the craft for over 60 years. She's joined by book historian Sydney Shep, archivist and Guy Ngan's daughter Liz Ngan.

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In her latest work, A Chop that Breathes, printmaker Kerry Ann Lee incorporates letterpress and typographic ornaments that once belonged to artist Guy Ngan. Talking of her longstanding love for type and letterpress as a tool for exploring stories of identity, Kerry Ann Lee joins Kadambari Raghukumar in this episode.

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Music, mental health and a real ‘maker’ mentality – key words in everyday life for Carlos Reigelhuapt Landreani, who is exploring new frontiers of using music therapy for mental health and treatment. There are fewer than 100 registered music therapists across New Zealand, and in this episode, the Nicaragua-born registered therapist talks about how he arrived at this relatively uncommon career choice.

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Cuba has been under US trade sanctions since 1962 and the past few months have further challenged the Caribbean nation, with tightened economic blockades by America. University of Canterbury lecturer Dr Josephine Varghese and Ambassador Luis Morejon Rodriguez talk to Kadambari Raghukumar in this episode.

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This week, from RNZ's Country Life, Gianina Schwaneke takes us from Italy to Wellington's south coast. Growing and eating great food is central to the Cuccurullo family who've been cultivating tomatoes from seeds first sourced in Capri in the 1960's.

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Booker Prize winner of 2022, Shehan Karunatilaka is in conversation with Kadambari Raghukumar about his plans after returning to New Zealand.

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Rajni Kumar landed in New Zealand from small-town Punjab about 20 years ago with zero English and no idea what she would end up doing for work. Over the years since, she's grown her thriving seedling business from ground up – NZ Veggies, successfully navigating the landscape and language all at once.

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The bombings on Iran come after weeks of negotiations between Iran and US. Iranians living in New Zealand talk to Kadambari Raghukumar about their views on the war that's killed over 1000 people so far.

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Born in Japan, Mayu Tangaito traveled across the globe to join the Royal New Zealand Ballet 2012. She’s since become one of the most recognizable faces of New Zealand ballet. In this episode she talks to Kadambari Raghukumar about making a come back after injuries and becoming a mother.

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Multi-instrumentalist Esmail Fathi grew up during the early years of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, when most music came under a ban. In Christchurch, today he leads the Persian traditional music ensemble Simurgh—alongside fellow multi-instrumentalist Liam Oliver. In this episode Esmail reflects on a wealth of his memories, at a time of turmoil and transition in Iran.

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Enhancing aural and oral health in New Zealand is what's been driving selector, curator and DJ GoldTooth after migrating from the UK. In this episode, GoldTooth talks to Kadambari Raghukumar about growing up as Eelam Tamil immersed in the global sounds of London.

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From Rio Grande Do Sul in southern Brazil, singer and musician Henrique Morales joins Kadambari in this episode of Back to Basics - sounds that he grew up with.

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Back to Basics delves into the foundational music artists grew up with, before moving to New Zealand. In this episode, Kadambari Raghukumar is in conversation with Auckland-based, Nigeria-born singer Ch!nonso. From Ijebu Pleasure club to releasing music under his own name, Ch!nonso is now an unmistakable voice in Auckland’s music scene with a style that bridges his worlds. Starting off in church choirs and university boy bands in Nigeria, Ch!nonso was a 2025 APRA Silver Scroll finalist in New Zealand with artist Mazbou-Q's 'Torque'. So, when we go back to basics what were the foundational sounds for Ch!nonso?

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To wrap up the year, some of the conversations on the podcast that took us from Trinidad to Spain and Germany to Zimbabwe - some of our fave Here Now episodes from across the year.

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Growing up, Ankur Bassi was certain he would one day play cricket for India, and he worked hard every day to get there. But a freak injury meant it would never happen. So, Ankur found a new dream - as a coach - and a new home, too, at Eastern Suburbs Cricket Club in Wellington, New Zealand.

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The Dalmatian community in Auckland has embedded itself in Westie Culture, but it wasn’t always so. The Dallies as they call themselves have faced considerable discrimination, bias and resistance - Phil Vine with this episode.

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A marathon in its second year brings Kiwis and Afghans together - former refugees, community members, and allies—who are crossing the finish line not just for themselves, but to keep a vital movement alive, celebrating Afghan culture one stride at a time.

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Self-published children’s author and a keen student of the local Salsa Club, Argentina-born Adriana Litchfield joins Justine Murray to talk about her culture and creative outlets in a new community.

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Today, in Darfur, we are seeing history tragically repeat itself as the RSF carries out atrocities across the region. From afar in NZ, families who once escaped the violence of 2003, share a sense of grief and hope over the current conflict in Sudan.

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A Nelson makes cheese the way their family would - in Italy. Flavia and Flavio Spena made a career shift along to bring Italian tradition to the region and have successfully turned their artisan cheese brand into a local hit.

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30 years ago a set of instruments from Bali were brought to University of Canterbury and formed the first Gamelan ensemble in Christchurch, under the guidance of Professor Elaine Dobson. Three decades on, after a short period of disuse the ensemble was reestablished in 2017 under Justin DeHart and celebrates a milestone this month.  The podcast features Prof Justin DeHart and I Made Kartawan who's visiting from Bali, where he is faculty at ISI - The Indonesian Institute of Arts. Gamelan is cultural taonga with spiritual roots in the Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim histories of the islands of Bali, Java and Sumatra. With its hypnotic and sometimes haunting sounds, the Gamelan makes for quite a remarkable sight - a set of percussive instruments intricately carved, sometimes painted bright red and gold, and struck with hammer-like mallets. Gamelan is more than just music or entertainment but a seen as a vehicle for spiritual connection and an integral part of rituals, worship and tradition.

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Filmmaker Shamin Yazdani tackles a personal dilemma in her latest documentary - to freeze her eggs or not. She chats to Kadambari Raghukumar about the journey she went on as she explores the topic through conversation with some close ones.

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A collective of former refugee women come together in Christchurch to share stories, kai and community.

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As home-based early childcare picks up in popularity, Barnardos-employed mother and daughter duo Iman and Hanin Taqieh speak about how it helped change their lives as new mums. Making shifts in their careers to become homebased educators was a decision that gave them flexibility and purpose after their family moved here from Jordan. Hanin Taqieh is community coordinator with Barnardos where she leads the home-based portfolio supporting over 40 home-based educators in Auckland – including her own mum Iman, who's herself, been with Barnardos for twenty years as an educator. In this episode - what's the incentive, both for parents and educators?

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Last week, New Zealand upped its ante by lowering the cap on Russian crude oil as part of its sanctions, while about 20,000 people rallied in Auckland calling for sanctions against Israel. In this episode, what's the sentiment on the ground when it comes to sanctions against Israel and Russia? Kadambari Raghukumar talks to Alex Kirichuk, Taimor Hazou, Katrina Mitchell Kouttab and Juliet Moses.

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Breaking Bread this week features Kadambari Raghukumar in conversation with Agha Naqshbandi and his wife Wahida Niazi, who are mastering with pride, their Afghan skills of breadmaking in the South Island.

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The humble pide, is a historic staple from Anatolia and at this bakery in West Auckland, Mustafa Suphy and Anil Ozbal sing praises of their Turkish traditions of baking while enjoying a fresh pide, washing it down with a Turkish coffee.

Credits:

Video and images:

DOP/Editor - Craig Gladding

Director/ Producer - Ka

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No Ethiopian meal is complete without this fermented staple accompaniment and in today’s podcast, Kadambari Raghukumar is breaking bread with her Ethiopian friends in West Auckland at Goju, with injera.

Credits:

Video and images:

DOP/Editor - Craig Gladding

Director/ Producer - Kadambari Raghukumar

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This one's for the carb connoisseurs amongst us - Breaking Bread features our community's beloved bakers and in this first part, master baker Meinolf Kraeling is in conversation with Kadambari Raghukumar, about his deeply ingrained German love for bread.

Credits:

Video and images:

DOP/Editor - Craig Gladding

Director/ Producer - Kadambari Raghukumar

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What started out an a backyard experiment for Nelson-based Yuki Fukuda, her patch of rice paddy is now showing promise of growing further. Yuki’s an ecologist and is deeply concerned with the state of world when it comes to climate change. Growing food, rice, particularly, is an extension of her consciousness around the topic

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Rami Riachi's love for chess is creating a generation of players in Nelson through his workshops and classes throughout the region. How did the Argentinian win the hearts and minds of chess fanatics here in New Zealand?

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Dr Phoebe Li and Cameron Sang talk to Kadambari Raghukumar about their contribution toward constructing a more nuanced picture of how New Zealand's Chinese community grew beyond goldfields.

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We all love a good crunchy apple – but how do they stay like that for months after being picked? Find out in this episode featuring South African-born scientist Nicolette Neiman in Hawkes Bay. We may be well out of apple picking season but there's no dearth of the fruit when it comes to our tables even in the thick of winter – here or overseas through exports for that matter. For plant physiologists like Nicolette the thrill is in finding ways to make that possible – delivering to the world, a crunchy fruit fix practically anytime of the year.

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In our final part to the series, Leandro Vasques (cavaco), Jay Moyo (bass) and Manjit Singh (tabla) meet for the first time for a session in RNZ's studio.

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For so many of us in the diaspora the music we grew up immersed in and for some, trained in, remains a bedrock to our lives here in New Zealand. Whether its Samba, gospel or Hindustani classical music, the sounds of our childhood continue in ways to inform choices, stir up memories and for many help actually make new tracks in a new home. Jabulani a.k.a Jay Moyo, talks about his musical upbringing in this episode.

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In what’s being called the 12 Day War, 627 people have been killed in Iran by Israeli strikes and nearly 5000 injured, and Iran's retaliatory bombardment has killed 28 in Israel. In this episode, we're taking a break from the ongoing series Back to Basics, to speak to two Iranian New Zealanders who've spent the last few weeks in despair and worry about the fate of their families in Iran and that of their homeland.

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In our second part to this series, we dive into another sonic universe - the fascinating connection between ancient Indian musical tradition and the more modern sounds of Indian film and folk music. While Bollywood and Bhangra are an inextricable and now cliched part of the modern Indian music experience, the real bedrock upon which all that is built really is classical Indian music. Join Manjit Singh and Kooshna Gupta as we look at Indian music beyond bhangra and Bollywood.

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The unmistakable sounds of Brazil, even to the untrained ear are an instant invitation into the world of carnival and caipirinhas – but that’s the good stuff. Some of these sounds come from places of struggle and solidarity and in this first part of Back to Basics, Leandro Vasques talks about the history behind some genres, his musical influences and what life as a Brazilian muso in Auckland is like for him.

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With his latest book, globally renowned skin cancer surgeon Dr Sharad Paul, reflects on habits and tweaks that may just allow us to hack into genomics to optimize our performance. Produced by Kadambari Raghukumar.

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Pepa Torre first came to New Zealand in the mid 90s. In her recent multimedia art installation called "23, 24, 25…Life U-Turns...Fate?", Torre looks back at 25 years of exploring time and experiences that define her idea of self.

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In our final episode of Accidental Comics - We're with guests Sameena Zehra and Eddy Rodriguez both of whom stepped into the world of comedy after coming to New Zealand.

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This week, Scotland to Auckland was a circuitous route for comic David Stuart who came seeking love and a laugh - he's gets there in the end. Produced by Kadambari Raghukumar.

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In part two of our series with funny folk, we're joined by Summer Xia and Annie Guo who found comedy through chance in New Zealand. Produced by Kadambari Raghukumar.

When Summer Xia and Annie Guo came to New Zealand, performing in front of a crowd was certainly nowhere on their model minority dreams.

Not taking themselves too seriously helped with their Kiwi orientation. Roasting friends, family and their new immigrant selves eventually lef them to the world of standup comedy. So in this second part to Accidental Comics, Annie Guo and Summer Xia speak to Kadambari Raghukumar about what humour is to them; how it manifests in their bilingual brains and when do jokes on our collective immigrant experience run out of steam?

They both take to the stage at the NZ International Comedy Festival this May, to share their jokes on navigating life as first-gen Chinese immigrants in New Zealand.

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In this four-part series, Kadambari Raghukumar talks to folks with jokes -  people from overseas who’ve ended up as stand-up comics out of chance - their comedy, an outcome of coming to New Zealand. Edd Rivera came to New Zealand thinking it was somewhere in Europe. True story and he’s been here eight years on. Comedy by chance, comedy to cope with moving countries. Produced by Kadambari Raghukumar.

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Javier Murcia's got his hands full rather literally. The sculptor is a master at casting in clay and bronze, the intricacies and subtleties of the human form. In this episode, he chats with Kadambari Raghukumar about his explorations in form and beyond.

Hearing Javier Murcia talk about his process as he breaks down each step of making from clay, a human figure, sounds like a class in anatomy. It's close.

In this episode of Here Now, Kadambari Raghukumar chats to the sculptor in his studio at Avalon Studios, Lower Hutt, about everything from Spain to Wellington, traversing his personal and artistic journey.

Between recording his 5 hour long full-render sessions for his online sculpting workshops, to casting hundreds of his signature figurative pieces, Javier Murcia has been up against time, and that’s nothing new. A scan around his studio and it’s easy to see how prolific he has been. Javier’s best known for figurative sculpture, a testimony to his acute understanding the human body and movement – from the poses to the proportion.

Murcia was born in Spain and moved to New Zealand to explore work in the film industry, ending up at Weta Studios for several years in an "amazing bubble" as he calls it.

Working with the human form though, goes back to an interest from his childhood, growing up surrounded by books on anatomy, thanks to a physiotherapist father. While it could seem figurative sculpting is more relatable the more realistic it is to the real human form, but that’s not the case Javier says – whether, distorted or keeping with reality, it’s a language unique to the maker.

Part of Javier's more recent exploration is a newer collection that plays with with enamel, sand, epoxy resin, and a diametric move away from his work with human form. He calls it MaTI – or Matter and Time - they're large, intriguing, circular pieces of illuminated and textured work - outcomes of his curiosity to see where, if pushed, his skills and artistic language can take him.

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Reggae artist Protoje who graced The Bowl stage at WOMAD Aotearoa this year, speaks to Kadambari Raghukumar in this episode on all things from patties to performances. 

The world’s awash with so many mixed messages about Jamaica but what makes the intrigue endure is this incessant stream of positivity, upfulness and the calibre of music that the country puts out.

One of Jamaica's reigning reggae icons Protoje performed at The Bowl stage at this year's WOMAD Aotearoa and Kadambari Raghukumar got to chat with him, pre-show.  The conversation goes from chatting about his parents, politics, patties of course, to the idea of why most people nowadays may associate Jamaican music just dancehall.

"People here today they're gonna see me a reggae music artist from Jamaica, their perception of what Jamaican music is going to be also that and other stuff. I think it's just visibility. It's about doing the work, being on the ground, playing the shows, being active and spreading that energy globally. it's action, you know? I can do it by going out there and playing music and letting people see the type of songs we have to offer, which we do on a global scale."

Protoje along with other artists like Kabaka Pyramid, Lila Ike are all part of a group of artists emerging out of Jamaica responsible for spearheading what's been a roots reggae revival of sorts, focussed on conscious music.

"I think we all have some message and if we listen to each other, I'm sure we can decipher the message that all of us have. I just feel that I've been fortunate to have a platform and to share the thoughts that come up in my head on lonely nights and people get to hear it."

Born Oje Ken Ollivierre and raised in St Elizabath, Jamaica, both of Protoje’s parents were reggae and calypso singers - Lorna Bennett and Mike Ollivierre - but there's no sense of pressure when it comes to him carrying forward a legacy he said.

"I don't look at it like that. It's all a good cycle. I'm  My parents live within me, I just do the music that I do. I'm privileged to work with my mum. She's my manager. So she gets a second time to live through music and she's excited."

Protoje's even keel attitude is hard to ignore, unaffected and unperturbed by the high energies of a festival like WOMAD.

"It's life sometimes. Your emotions up and down. For me, especially if I have a show. I'm chill, I'm easy. I save my energy for stage because it's real energy. You're giving your energy to people. So I try to just keep it balanced, as low key as possible."

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This year's WOMAD Aotearoa saw reggae icon Queen Omega draw crowds - she spoke to Kadambari Raghukumar about how it began for her.

One of the hottest female reggae artists on the scene right now, born Jenelle Osbourne,Queen Omega, chats to Kadambari Raghukumar in this Here Now episode at WOMAD Aotearoa.

While the carnival in Trinidad And Tobago may have been and gone earlier in March, she came flying that Trinny flag high at the festival in Taranaki.

Born in San Fernando, Queen Omega's rise to reggae fame has been a slow burn of sorts. She's been performing all her life but for people who haven't quite followed her journey or aren't reggae fanatics as such, it could seem like that viral reel, the Little Lion Sound dub plate with the Dr Dre tune, made the world sit up and notice her.

"For me, it really did a great thing because a lot of people who don't listen to reggae get to know who Queen Omega is. I was grateful because it feels good to know that after all that years that I'm now getting some traction."

But beyond that one dub plate, Queen Omega, Queenie, she's also called fondly, has taken on this role of blazing a trail for female artists in reggae, performing alongside greats like Buju Banton, Don Carlos - people she grew up listening to.

"I give thanks for the pioneers before because if it wasn't for Bob Marley and all the legendary singers before, I grew up listening to Skatellites, Don Carlos, I grew up to listen to Burning Spear all the foundation artists. If it wasn't for them, I would not get the inspiration to do reggae.

"It's just brick upon brick, and I'm also leaving my legacy behind. Because when a lot of women see me now, then they would know we could do it.We don't have to show skin. We could perform."

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Making that settling-in process a little easier, the small and welcoming Happiness House has been making an big impact on several lives in Queenstown.

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Here Now looks back at some the conversations we had with women this past year on the series across all sorts of topics - Colombian stereotypes, medicine, comedy and academics.

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Over 7000 people have been killed since January this year in the conflict that's ongoing in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kadambari Raghukumar talks about the impact of the war with Congolese with family members in the east of the country.

Congoloese diaspora in Auckland gathered at a rally last month to bring attention to ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where since January this year alone, nearly 7000 people have been killed.

About the size of Western Europe, Democratic Republic of Congo – the DRC - has almost 72 % of the world’s coltan resources and a wealth of other mineral resources from gold to zinc.

Vying for control over the east’s vast mineral reserves are more than 100 armed groups.

Precious untapped minerals in Congolese soil have globalized impact of the conflict. Several multinational corporations are vested in the resources while Congolese minerals are an inextricable part of our own everyday lives from phones, batteries, electric cars.

For the past 30 years, DRC has been racked by multiple conflicts that have been called the First and Second Congo Wars that took seed in 1996 contested between ethnic and militant groups on the frontiers with Rwanda and Uganda, and the protracted Kivu conflict in the east, that’s now intensified.

Amongst all the armed groups fighting in the region, the most prominent is the M23 – whom the UN as well as the US and several other countries allege are backed by Rwanda –  is violently taking control of the resource-rich territory, Kivu. It's a region nearly five times the size of Rwanda.

M23 are mostly led by ethnic Tutsis, who say they needed to take up arms to protect the rights of the minority group in the east of DRC.

Rwanda rejects allegations that it supports the group with arms and funding.

In this episode of Here Now, Kadambari Raghukumar talks to Congolese in Auckland on how the ongoing conflict in their homeland is affecting them.

The conversation features Redoland Tsounga, Eddy Mokonzi and Nyota.

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Artist Nadia Freeman's performance, The Girmit, explores a slightly unconventional approach to telling the story of how Indians came to be taken to Fiji in the 1800s.

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What does culture-centred communication look like in a suburb of Palmerston North trying to shift narratives around it's reputation? Professor Mohan Dutta and Venessa Pokaia join Kadambari Raghukumar in this second part to the conversation on CARE's work.

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Exploring cultural communication around sex and health, Fullbright scholar at Massey University Prof Angela Cooke-Jackson talks to Kadambari Raghukumar about her experiences as an academic working with Black and indigenous communities.

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Ahilan Karunaharan returns with his final in a trilogy of plays - A Mixtape for Maladies with Ambika GKR in a leading role. Kadambari Raghukumar talks to them about the making of the play that premieres at the Auckland Arts Festival this March.

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As New Zealand courts India seeking deeper bilateral ties, what does the ideal relationship look like and what's in it for us? Sunit Prakash talks to Kadambari Raghukumar on his views as a tech consultant going between the two countries.

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As the year comes to an end, five activists in the diaspora reflect on the wars in Palestine, Sudan and Lebanon and how it has affected them. This episode features Eva Maria, Avigail Allan, Rana Hamida, Ala Farah and Fatima Sanussi.

This week, we hear the personal reflections of 5 women who this past year have organized or participated in activism over crisis and conflict far from Aotearoa.

How has it personally affected them? What have they learned? And what comes next?

We hear from Aucklanders Fathima Sanussi and Dr Ala Farah from Sudan - where over 8 million are said to be displaced as the fighting between the Rapid Support Forces and the government army has continued for over a year now.

As the year comes to an end with Christmas cheer, the war in Gaza continues, as do the rallies in downtown Auckland, calling for an end to it.  In this episode we talk to Israel-born Avigail Allan, Lebanon-born Eva Maria and Syrian-born Palestinian Rana Hamida, on their activism this past year.

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The nail salon industry is booming but still largely unregulated. Vietnamese couple Tri Phung and Ngi Dinh are trying to challenge the status quo by turning their focus on the health and safety of both, client and their nail techs.

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Musician Vallé talks to Kadambari Raghukumar about rediscovering his connection to Papua New Guinea, his music and running his barbershop alongside everything else.

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Christine Keller was the Head of Textiles at the Otago Polytechnic for 5 years, but things changed in 2010 when her role was made redundant. Turns out it was the perfect time to chase her aim to find sustainable alternatives to period care and started Sew On Period Care to involve the community and make reusable sanitary pads. Karthic SS chats to her in this episode.

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Combating climate change, protecting biodiversity and sustaining food systems of the world were top of the agenda at the COP16 in Cali, Colombia. In this episode, Kadambari Raghukumar was in Colombia to talk to two New Zealanders attending the world's largest biodiversity conference with the aim to bring a Kiwi perspective to some of the planet's biggest challenges.

A couple of weeks ago delegates from around the world met at what was at the world's biggest nature protection conference, the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, or simply, COP16.

New Zealand had a few representatives at the conference participating in these crucial discussions.

In this episode we feature Lisbon-born, Wellington-based Bruno Marquez, President of the International Federation of Landscape Architects and Manu Caddie, co-founder of Rua Bioscience.

While it naturally was a ten-day period dotted with a lot of music and culture, the Colombian government going all out with wanting to create an impression, the reality that was being discussed by delegates was a little less fun.

The planet faces an unprecedented crisis with habitats vanishing, and up to a million species face extinction and the lives and livelihoods of billions of people who depend on them are at threat.

The reason why being at COP16 is so critical for someone like Bruno Marquez is that landscape architecture goes well beyond aesthetics and covers nearly everything from urban settlement to biodiversity loss and social inequity - all topics that are under scrutiny here at COP16, with a focus on giving the platform to indigenous groups to secure their role in decision-making.

Manu Caddie known best for his work focussed on development for pharmaceuticals, natural health products and bio-derived composites, participated in dialogues with indigenous groups from Colombia around the push to recognize natural genetic resources and allocate funds for profits made from them, be that through biotech or pharmaceuticals.

After brutally lengthy debates, some of which ended in disarray around the lack of funding for conservation, COP16 also had some benchmark outcome - like the first ever agreement that recognises people of African descent and Indigenous Peoples as key drivers in conserving nature. 

The historic decision allows them to participate in future decisions on nature conservation and rules on the use of genetic information.

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Canterbury's Polish history goes back over a century and in this episode, Kadambari Raghukumar sits down with two of the community's most active history enthusiasts to learn about how bogs became fertile vegetable gardens thanks to the blood, sweat and tears of early Polish settlers.

Polish settlers Christchurch

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Two young Sri Lankans talk to Phil Vine about a film-making voyage of discovery in their homeland - telling stories of farming hardship and investigating where our food really comes from.

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In Wellington this month and next, a series of public programmes mark the 50th year of the Dawn Raids. In this episode of Here Now Kadambari Raghukumar talks to artist Liana Leiataua and Pacific historian Rachel Yates Pohulu around their thoughts and experiences of events of the 70s that inform their work. 

In Wellington this month and next, a series of public programmes mark the 50th year of the Dawn Raids, as part of efforts following the formal apology issued in 2021 by former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

In this episode of Here Now Kadambari Raghukumar talks to artist Liana Leiataua and Pacific historian Rachel Yates Pohulu around their thoughts and experiences of the craickdowns of the 70s that inform their work.

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This week on Here Now, Kadambari Raghukumar checks out some arts and culture events lined up in the capital for the next few weeks ahead. The podcast features chats with musicians performing at Wellington Jazz Festival - Alda Rezende and Seth Boy; and Abhi Chinniah about her photography on display in the NZ Portrait Gallery.

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Finally getting to forge their futures on New Zealand soil is a long-awaited moment for so many would-be Kiwis at the citizenship ceremony. Ruwani Periera went to one to find out what that is all about.

Finally getting to forge their futures on New Zealand soil is a long-awaited moment for so many would-be Kiwis at the citizenship ceremony. Ruwani Periera went to one to find out what it's all about.

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A hundred years ago Haining and Frederick Streets in central Wellington were the heart of the capital's Chinese quarter. Today, all but a few fragments are gone. Wellington Chinese Historian Lynette Shum takes producer William Ray on a tour of the Wellington's long lost Chinatown.

A hundred years ago Haining and Frederick Streets in central Wellington were the heart of the capital's Chinese quarter. Today, all but a few fragments are gone. Wellington Chinese Historian Lynette Shum takes producer William Ray on a tour of the Wellington's long lost Chinatown.

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As the cost of living hits home, what practical, money-saving tips can we learn from some of New Zealand's diverse cultures? In this cross-over episode with RNZ's money saving podcast, Thrift, Katy Gosset joins a cooking class at Canterbury's Refugee Resettlement and Resources Centre.

A cross-over episode with RNZ's money saving podcast, Thrift.

For more cost-cutting tips follow and listen to Thrift: www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/thrift

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Canterbury-based botanists Dr Julie Barcelona and Pieter Pelser met in the US in the mid 2000s and it was their shared love for plants in tropical jungles that brought them together. What ensued has been years of botanical discovery and adventure - and some peculiar romantic gestures.

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Canterbury-based botanists Dr Julie Barcelona and Pieter Pelser met in the US and in the mid 2000s and it was a love, or obsession really for plants of tropical jungles that really brought them together – what ensued has been years of shared discoveries and adventures, and some peculiar romantic gestures.

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Leandro Vasquez of Abada Capoeira Auckland joins Kadambari Raghukumar in this episode to talk about celebrating the sense of community, art and camaraderie born out of this art.

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At a stadium in Auckland, close to a hundred people including a large number from the Brazilian community, have gathered to celebrate a Batizado, a graduation of sorts, of new capoeiristas. Maestros and instructors from Australia are here too, and coloured belts are being awarded to visibly excited capoeiristas.

For Rio de Janiero born Leandro Vasquez, this is the big day he's been helping organize for his capoeira school, Abada Capoeira, which he's been involved with for over a year as an instructor.

He talks to Kadambari Raghukumar in this episode about how this cultural treasure from his home country is becoming popular all the way here in New Zealand.

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Social constructs, race and identity are topics that are perpetually on Dr Camille Nakhid's radar and in this episode of Here Now, she chats about her lengthy career in New Zealand with research and activism for minority communities.

As an indigenous Trinidadian with Lebanese, African and Indian roots, AUT's Dr Camille Nakhid has been a leading voice in studies on Aotearoa's multiculturalism and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and constructs of identity and indigeneity.

In this second of our four-part series, Kadambari Raghukumar talks to Camille talks about championing the cause for Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) through her research and activism.

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In this episode of Voices, Kadambari Raghukumar talks to arts practitioners about the latest New Zealand on Air music fund to support pan-Asian artists and musicians in New Zealand.

A new music fund from NZ on Air will soon be open to Kiwi musicians and artists of pan-Asian descent.

In this episode of Voices, Kadambari Raghukumar talks to some of the arts practitioners who helped get the New Music Pan-Asian fund up and running. 

This conversation features Yee Yang 'Square' Lee of SquareSums&Co, Swap Gomez of Yoko-Zuna, Clarissa Chai from the education programme Asians in Music, and Teresa Patterson, Head of Music at NZ on Air.

https://youtu.be/rEjpbrZ_cz8

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Each year, hundreds of high school students compete in New Zealand's Race Unity Speech Awards. For many past winners, the awards have been a career springboard. In this episode of Voices, three past winners talk about how the awards help young Kiwis find their voices.

"There are many race-related issues New Zealand still needs to address and the Race Unity Speeches are one small part of that journey we need to be undertaking" - Māori cultural advocate Aperahama Hurihanganui.

Aperahama Hurihanganui

Each year, hundreds of high school students compete in New Zealand's Race Unity Speech Awards.

For many past winners, the awards have been a career springboard.

In this episode of Voices, three past winners talk about how the awards help young Kiwis find their voices.

Listen to the episode

This episode of Voices features 2022 Race Unity Speech Awards finalist Leo Mwape, 2015 winner Mira Karunanidhi and 2010 winner Aperahama Hurihanganui - the first national champion to deliver his speech entirely in te reo Māori.

https://youtu.be/zs92E50omoE

https://youtu.be/7eRwKYRhKeI

https://youtu.be/NxXi3NEBdDg

https://youtu.be/-tBH3rENbYI

Related:

Two young speakers named joint national champions at the 2022 Race Unity Speech Awards

Jess Jenkins - winner of the 2021 Race Unity Speech Awards

Zoha Shuaib - runner-up at the 2018 Race Unity Speech Awards

Takunda Muzondiwa - finalist at the 2019 Race Unity Speech Awards

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In this episode of Voices, Filmmaker Hweling Ow talks to Kadambari Raghukumar about her latest play "Not Woman Enough" directed by Sananda Chatterjee.

Malaysia-born Hweiling Ow is best known for her horror films that've got millions of hits online, and last week she turned her eye to theatre with Not Woman Enough which was directed by Sananda Chatterjee and presented by Proudly Asian Theatre (PAT).

The story revolves around three Asian women going through three distinct chapters of their lives, is in-your-face funny and confronting, starring Isla Mayo, Anjula Prakash, and Shervonne Grierson.

Listen to the full conversation with Hweiling Ow and Isla Mayo here on this week's Voices episode as they talk about what it means for them as Asian creatives to part of a vibrant theatre scene and why platforms like Proudly Asian Theatre are essential to the community.

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Nowroz Ali first spoke to Voices from Kabul in 2021, while he waited for one of the evacuation flights operated by New Zealand Defence Force. In this episode Kadambari Raghukumar catches up with him, a year and a half after he arrived in NZ.

Nowroz Ali Atayee was a former interpreter for NZDF and when the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, along with hundreds of others, Nowroz was waiting in limbo to leave the country on one of New Zealand's mercy flights.

Kadambari Raghukumar spoke to him in September 2021 in this episode, and this week, we catch up with him over a year after he finally arrived in New Zealand on an evacuation flight. He was joined by his siblings Sultan Ali, Marvah and Tamanna, a month later in late 2021.

In this episode we talk to him about what it's been like settling into New Zealand, and to his sisters about the ban on women's education imposed by the Taliban.

Listen to the full conversation here:

Listen free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts or any good podcast app.

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The forgotten community of Banaba who were displaced from their homes to the Pacific island of Rabi in 1945, are seeking justice and restoration of their island. Banaba was all but destroyed by over 80 years of phosphate mining by British Phosphate Company (BPC) of which New Zealand was part of. Produced by Kadambari Raghukumar.

In this episode of Voices, we meet with a delegation of Banaban people including elders, who travelled from their Pacific island of Rabi to attend a recent climate march and an art exhibition highlighting their  story.

The community of Banaba were displaced from their homes to the Pacific island of Rabi in 1945 due to large scale destruction caused by extractive mining of phosphates by British Phosphate Company (BPC) of which New Zealand was part.

What does restoration and rehabilitation of their homeland of Banaba look like and how have they been campaigning for it? Listen to the full conversation in this episode:

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In this Voices episode, we're talking to volunteers coming together to help the Hawkes Bay's community back on its feet again after Cyclone Gabrielle.

A month on from Cyclone Gabrielle ripping through the north Island, volunteers in Hawkes Bay are busy doing whatever they can to chip in and help the community there back on its feet again.

In this episode of Voices, Kadambari Raghukumar talks to some of them on the ground - Tui Kanthavong, Rizwana Latiff of the Hawkes Bay Multicultural society and Harry Singh of Sri Ravidass temple in Hastings.

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Professor Bruce Glavovic talks to Kadambari Raghukumar in this episode about natural disasters and why not just a scientific, but a social science perspective is crucial if we are going to adapt and be prepared for more turbulent climate in the years to come.

In the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle and the flooding in February, we talk to policy adviser and professor Bruce Glavovic about his global career in critical disaster studies.

South Africa-born Glavovic is an advocate for the importance of looking at not just the geography but the human geography of disaster-prone regions - what are the root causes that make some communities more vulnerable than others in the face of a changing climate?

Listen to this week's Voices podcast episode in which Bruce Glavovic talks to Kadambari Raghukumar:

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In this episode, we hear about how a Massey University electronics engineer took his love for robotics to school students in Rotorua. Produced by Kadambari Raghukumar.

Kartikay Lal came to New Zealand as a 15-year-old with a pre-existing obsession for all things mechanical - picking them apart, fixing them and learning how things work really. That became a love for robotics when he discovered electronics as a student. In this Voices episode, we speak to him about this journey that's seen him help students in Rotorua enter national and international robotics competitions.

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How do te reo Maori words find their way in to children's speech in New Zealand and what context do they signify? In a With a new Marsden research grant, two linguists plan to investigate this.

Dr Andreea Calude of Waikato University was born in Romania, is a polyglot and a linguist.

She has long been fascinated with te reo Maori and in her latest research, along with Dr Hemi Whaanga of Massey University, she looks at the significance of te reo loan words into New Zealand English in the world of young learners.

"Language is a vehicle, but if you take the wheels off, it's not going anywhere"

Dr Hemi Whaanga

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Gaia Dell'Arriccia left the south of France to research seabirds on Auckland's coastal islands. When Kadambari Raghukumar visits, it's peak breeding season and the Italy-born scientist is busy gathering data about the birds' lives. In this episode of Voices, Gaia tells how life a long way from the Med has been going.

Gaia Dell'Arriccia left the south of France to research seabirds on Auckland's coastal islands.

When Kadambari Raghukumar visits, it's peak breeding season and the Italy-born scientist is busy gathering data about the birds' lives.

In this episode of Voices, Gaia tells how life a long way from the Med has been going.

Listen free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts or any good podcast app.

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In part 2 of 2 episodes on design and decolonization, we speak to Kerry Ann Lee. Produced by Kadambari Raghukumar.

How do you create culturally respective design practices? How do you get past that 'imposter syndrome' when you feel the need to represent your cultural background through your aesthetic as a designer?

These are questions that are constants when you come from other cultures and work in an increasingly plural and diverse design world.

In this episode, Kadambari Raghukumar speaks to Kerry Ann Lee during the graduate show Exposure, about her views on decolonizing of design and the part young and upcoming designers play in the practice

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In Part 1 of 2 episodes on design, decoloniality and culturally safe practices, Kadambari Raghukumar speaks to Dr Diana Albarran Gonzalez on Mexican design and textiles that became trendy in recent years, thanks to Fridamania.

The hyper-commercialization of Frida Kahlo's image has seen it being indiscriminately deployed in the form of those very controversial Barbies a few years ago, to socks, stationary,  makeup, you name it - 'Fridamania' world over has been framed in this cult-like phenomenon.

While Fridamania took Kahlo's story and style to the world, it's also been responsible for a disassociation from hugely significant aspects of Kahlo's identity beyond just her personal style.

In this Voices episode, Mexico-born Dr Diana Albarran Gonzalez of Elam School of Art, shares her views on Fridamania, growing up in Mexico, culturally respectful practices for designers - and her practice of decolonizing design.

We need to understand design is political. It's more comfortable if you're in power, to talk about the 'universality of design'.

Dr Diana Albarran Gonzalez is a lecturer at Elam school of Art-  and indigenous Mexican design and textiles are her thing.

Diana recently gave a talk at at a sold-out lecture series at Auckland Gallery's Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera exhibition that runs until January 2023.  She sees the show as an opportunity for audiences to look at the symbolism and significance of Frida Kahlo beyond her pop icon, revolutionary chic status that's caused 'Fridamania' world over.

Diana's an advocate for the recognition of the contribution of unacknowledged indigenous weavers and artisans from Mexico and Guatemala - without whom the textiles and garments that Frida Kahlo famously wore, would never exist.

Through her talk, Diana shed light on the indigenous significance of the embroidered Huapils that Kahlo wore - the square blouses, her braids and the indigenous beliefs behind them, the Tehuana dresses, the rebozos - the square shawls, textiles she wore and even some motifs in her paintings.

"The hierarchies between art, design and craft that puts art above everyone.. so fine arts, it's European, and if it's indigenous from other countries - folk art? So who's making these these decisions, who's defining what is art?"

Diana's PhD was on the decolonizing of design, and even further, she speaks in this episode of "decoloniality" -  which is in effect, a confrontation of and delinking from Eurocentrism, and an untangling, especially when it comes to knowledge systems, taught through the western lens of 'modernity'.

Listen to the full story…

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This International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women, Latin American feminists in Auckland spoke to Kadambari Raghukumar about the issues the community faces when it comes to violence against women, in the context of the violent killing of Juliana Bonilla Herrera in Christchurch earlier this year.

In February this year, 37-year old Colombian, Juliana Bonilla Herrera was violently murdered by her neighbour, a convicted rapist being rehabilitated in the flat next door.

In the days and months after the death, Juliana became a symbol for Latin American feminists in New Zealand - her brutal killing sparked gatherings, discussions and activism from within the community desperately seeking answers and responses to violence against women in New Zealand.

Last week, to mark the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women, 25 November, a large group of Latin American women gathered near Auckland's Victoria Park.

Alejandra Perez, Alejandra Jaramillo and Juanita Rojas spoke to Kadambari Raghukumar about the issues their community faces and why they think New Zealand needs to recognize femicide.

Femicide in general terms refers to the killing of women because of their gender, at the hands of men, most often motivated by revenge or entitlement over women's lives and bodies.

In Latin America, femicide kills approximately 4000 women in each year but here in New Zealand it's difficult to estimate what that figure could be - it's not a category of its own.

According to the New Zealand Family Violence Death Review Committee, from 2008 to 2018 125 women were killed by their partners. Most are classified as homicide - a person killing another; but what activists like Alejandra want is a recognition of femicide.

Listen to the full interview on Voices this week:

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