WMM presents Women of Folk Alliance International + Kelley Hunt + Rachael Sage + Nani Noam Vazana

Wednesday MidDay Medley
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning
Wednesday, February 1, 2023

WMM presents the Women of Folk Alliance International + Kelley Hunt + Rachael Sage + Nani Noam Vazana

Wednesday MidDay Medley features Music & Interviews with Women of the 35th Annual Folk Alliance International Conference, February 1 – 5, 2023, in Kansas City. Native, Black, Queer, Haitian, Mexican, Korean, British, Sephardic, Iberian, Kansan, these are just a few of the points of diversity at this year’s amazing FAI Conference. We’ll spin tracks from: Leyla McCalla, Lady Nade, Rachael Sage, Poetica, Joy Clark, Kamica King, Van Dyke Parks & Verónica Valerio, Janice Jo Lee, Elexa Dawson, Kelley Hunt, and Nani Noam Vazana. More information at www.folk.org

At 10:15 AM, we talk with Rachael Sage – NYC based Singer, Songwriter, Visual Artist, Performer, Activist, Producer. She is the Founder, President & Label Owner, of indie label, MPress Records. Sage was named one of the Top 100 Independent Artists of the Past 15 Years by Performing Songwriter Magazine. The New York Times describes Sage as “alternately channeling her inner Fanny Brice and Jewish Norah Jones”. Sage attended Stanford University where she hosted a nighttime college radio show as “Full Moon Rachael”. She studied theater with professors such as playwright Anna Deavere Smith, and graduated in 1993 with a degree in drama. For one year, she was in the Actors Studio MFA program. On March 6, 2020, Sage released her 14th studio album, CHARACTER. Described as an “inspirational tribute to survivorship”, the album was written as Sage was recovering from endometrial cancer. She expressed the hope that “these songs honor just how resilient the human spirit can be, and remind us that sometimes it’s ok to not be ok.” Rachael Sage is an official Showcase Artist at FAI performing Thursday, February 2, at 9:00 PM, Benton’s 20th Floor, in Washington Park Place 3 at the Weston Kansas City at Crown Center, 1 East Pershing Road, KCMO. More information at www.rachaelsage.com

At 11:00 AM, Kelley Hunt – pianist, singer, songwriter, and teacher joins us in our 90.1 FM Studios. In 2006, Hunt was inducted into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame. Lawrence, Kansas based, Kelley Hunt was born in KCMO. She attended University of Kansas in 1977. Hunt’s own musical influences include: Ruth Brown, Ann Peebles, Wanda Jackson, Jay McShann and Mary Lou William. In 1995 Kelley released her debut album KELLEY HUNT. Her song from that album, “If I Don’t Dance” was used in the film, Dance with Me in 1998. The LIVE album INSPIRATION, followed in October 2000. Her 2004 album, NEW SHADE OF BLUE, peaked at number 9 in the Billboard Top Blues Albums chart. Her 4th album, MERCY was issued in 2009, and the Minneapolis Star Tribune noted “Surprises don’t often crop up on the well-trodden blues circuit. This Kansan is a full-blown phenomenon: powerhouse singer, hardboogieing pianist, polished songwriter…” In 2011, GRAVITY LOVES YOU was released with 12 new songs. Kelley released the single “Heartland”, in 2013 with Sam Bush on mandolin. On 2014 Kelley released her critically acclaimed album THE BEAUTIFUL BONES. On November 4, 2022 Kelley Hunt released her seventh album WINTER SOULSTICE on her label 88 Records. Kelley Hunt is an official Showcase Artist at FAI performing Saturday, February 4, in Shawnee Mission Rm., at the Weston Kansas City at Crown Center, 1 East Pershing Road, KCMO. More information at: www.kelleyhunt.com

At 11:30 AM, we talk with Nani Noam Vazana who is one of the only artists in the world that write and compose new songs in the endangered Ladino language. In her new album ‘Ke Haber’ (What’s New) she captures the spirit of the ancient, matriarchal language and culture and propels it into the 21st century with socially pertinent lyrics, celebrating migration, gender and female empowerment. Noam “Nani” Vazana plays Greenwood Social Hall, 1715 Belleview Ave,. KCMO on Monday, January 30 at 6:30 PM. Noam “Nani” Vazana is also a 2023 Official Showcase Artist at Folk Alliance International Conference performing Saturday, February 4, at 9:00 PM in Washington Park Place 3 at the Weston Kansas City at Crown Center, 1 East Pershing Road, KCMO. More information at www.nanimusic.com

Show #979

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