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The Team
Bob is a retired railroad engineer, union member and supporter of workers and their rights.
Mark was Treasurer for the Missouri Valley Folklife Society, and is the Registered Agent for Crosscurrents Culture. He is a folk programmer with Valerie Andruss on the KKFI 90.1 FM "Foolkiller Folk" radio show on Sunday morning, and is Co-host of the Classical Challenge on Wednesday night.
I discovered folk music in High School when my mother dragged me to a Joan Baez concert and I was hooked. A haunter of coffeehouses during my college years, after moving to KC I found both The Foolkiller and the Missouri Valley Folklife Society, produced concerts with them, and gradually worked my way into KKFI where I now help Bob, Diana, Kathy & Mark bring you Foolkiller Folk.
But wait - there's more! Also a big fan of live theater (which I studied in college) I became a supporter of Kansas City Actors Theater (I've seen every production they've ever done) and have been lucky enough to be able to combine theater and radio as KKFI's producer for KCART.
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Bob and Diana Suckiel on the “Foolkiller Folk” radio show.
We have been longtime supporters of folk music and we are performing musicians as well so the name of our program is Foolkiller Folk!
We are members of the old Foolkiller now known as CrossCurrents and we are involved in theater and local political activism.
We want to share the music we love with the rest of the community and share historical aspects of the music also. We want to help broaden our listeners’ knowledge of all kinds of folk music from all over the country, from the pre-war era to now.
What is CrossCurrents, formerly, Foolkillers? CrossCurrents is Kansas City’s Folk Arts Alliance. It is a nonprofit corporation in Kansas City which is dedicated to people creating their own culture. They produce concerts, plays, and community events, such as barn dances. This alliance encourages all interested people to get involved, no matter what level of talent they think they have. If you are looking for locally produced Folk music, Contra-dance, original acoustic music, women’s music, theatre or banjo-playing, join CrossCurrents.
By the way, if you wondered about “ Foolkillers” …
“We prefer crude vigor over polished banality. Remember, as one becomes enlightened, one KILLS the FOOL within.” — Jack Conroy.
Recent Episodes
October 3, 2021 Folk, Music
Celtic Galicia
Galicia is an autonomous community of Spain located in the northwest Iberian Peninsula. The area takes its name from the Gallaeci, the Celtic people living north of the Douro River during the last millennium BC. There are two languages officially and widely used today in Galicia: the native Galician, a Romance language, closely related to Portuguese with which it shares the Galician-Portuguese medieval literature; and Spanish, usually called Castilian.
It has long been thought that Galician music might owe its roots to the ancient Celtic history of the region. However, much modern commercial Galician traditional music of recent years has become strongly influenced by modern Irish, Scottish, and Welsh folk styles making Gallician the only non-Castilian-speaking music of Spain that has a significant audience beyond the country's borders.
Today Galicia is a strong player on the international Celtic folk scene, with elements of the pre-industrial Galician tradition becoming integrated into the modern Celtic folk style and repertoire. The distinctive elements of today's music, such as the bagpipes and flutes, were common at least as far back as the 1300s.
Today Mark & Val bring you from Galicia: Uxia, A Banda das Chechas (The Nursery Band), La Nua, Os Rosales, Carlos Nunez, Milladoiro, Leilia, Luar Na Lubre, Os d'Abaixo, Llan de Cubel, Xose Manuel Budino, Berroguetto, Susana Seivane, and Os Areeiras.
Tune in and enjoy!
Read MoreSeptember 19, 2021 Folk, Music
Guest DJ -Shane Yozzo
Long ago Mark and Val found their way into folk music via the 1960s folk revival and into British & Celtic trad from English folk-rock. They love to hear how other folks (particularly younger folks) found their way into folk music and what they're currently listening to and so are delighted to be joined by guest DJ Shane Yozzo. Shane's show is about traits of folk. You'll be hearing some old favorites of ours as well as a fair amount of music new to us. Shane says " I tried to keep some continuity with the 3-4 song sets, typically having a "traditional" folk track with which the other two play on, and attempting to round a number of bases. Some songs will have some traits and others will have yet more traits of folk, being an older and influential genre."
Read MoreAugust 29, 2021 Folk, Music
Annual Irish Fest Preview Show
The KC Irish Fest is coming up Labor Day weekend, so it's time for our annual Irish Fest Preview show. Thinking of going? We bring you a selection of who you're going to hear!
Read MoreAugust 8, 2021 Folk, Music
Sampler of the Great Irish Bands
So on our most recent drive to visit Mark's family we packed a bunch of CDs of long time Celtic favorites and then halfway through the trip we said "dang - this needs to be a show!". And here we are. We're bringing you The Dubliners; Patrick Street; Danu; De Dannan; Dervish; The Chieftains; Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh & Frankie Kennedy; Boys of the Lough; Clannad; Planxty; Norman Blake & Nancy Blake & Boys of the Lough; Teada; Altan; and the Bothy Band. But if this is an all Celtic program, shouldn't we be feeding in some of this year's KC Irish Fest entries you ask? Well then tune back in on Aug 29th for a full KC Irish Fest Preview show.
Read MoreJuly 18, 2021 Folk, Music
Mark & Val’s Mailbag
New (to us) music keeps coming in thick and fast. Today we bring you music that's mostly from the British Isles. You will hear (and maybe be introduced to): Ross and Ryan Cooper; Christina Alden & Alex Patterson; Anna Tam; Niamh ni Charra; Declan O'Rourke; Brian O hEadhra & Fionnag NicChoinnich; Jolly's; Janice Burns & Jon Doran; Alan Murray & Andrew Finn Magill; Bobby Horton; The Accidentals; and Brian Finnegan. As always, the playlist will be available on Spinatron (which you can find by clicking on Foolkiller Folk on the KKFI Schedule page, then clicking on to show, then the Spinatron link). See you soon!
Read MoreJuly 4, 2021 Folk, Music
July 4th Celebration & Remembrance with Mark & Val
Mark & Val's July 4th Celebration & Remembrance meanders through history and musical genres. We start off with John Phillip Sousa's Start & Stripes Forever; follow that with a section in which we remember the founding American myth of "a City Upon a Hill" via Aaron Copeland's Zion's Walls and Appalachian Spring; give a nod to the single family white picket fence American dream; honor the American Hispanic experience; recall the Civil War and the struggles over slavery; tuck in some Woody Guthrie; remember the Vietnam War; wrap up with Paul Simon's America; and end with Bruce Springsteen and Chimes of Freedom.
Read MoreJune 13, 2021 Folk, Music
Folk Music Sampler with Kathy & Val
Tune in this Sunday when KKFI DJs and Sustaining Members Kathy & Val bring you a sampler of local artists old and new, Black Americana Artists (thanks to Lady D's FB question & thread); LGBTQIA artists in honor of Pride month and much much more!
Read MoreJune 6, 2021 Folk, Music
Mark & Val’s Mailbag on Foolkiller Folk
Today we bring you a show of new to us music that's mostly English; mostly Trad; mostly released in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Read MoreMay 16, 2021 Folk, Music
(Mostly) Celtic/Northern European Mailbag
Another morning of new to us music (mostly released in 2020/2021) from Mark & Val.
Read MoreApril 25, 2021 Folk, Music
Celtic Mailbag
Yes - the music continues to come in thick and fast. This Sunday Mark & Val bring you some of our favorites in new (to us) Celtic music. Listen for Martin de Cogain, Micheal O Heidhin. Niamh Ni Charra, Cara Dillon, Nicole Ni Dhubhshlaine & Kyle Macaulay, Ellis Kennedy, Salt House, John Sheahan, Jenny Sturgeon, Catherine Koehler, The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc, Erin Ruth, The Haar, Youkston;Thorne;Khan, Rachel Walker, Garefowl, Rachel Sermanni, Arty McGlynn, Rachel Newton, and Rachel Walker and James Graham.
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