May 01, 2009
Under the stage names Bostich and Fussible, Ramon Amezcua and Pepe Mogt make fantastic dance music that mixes Mexican folk with electronica. Based in Tijuana, they tell Kurt how living on the border feeds their music. Their latest album is called Tijuana Sound Machine.
Biology professor Hazel Sive teaches at MIT. She thinks science could benefit from showing a little more emotion, so she started scoring her classroom presentations with Pink Floyd and The Who. Produced by Ari Daniel Shapiro.
"I Am Art" is a daring show at New York City's Apex Art. It presents the work of four different plastic surgeons. On display are photos and videos of all types of procedures, from cleft palate reconstruction to cosmetic nose jobs. Produced by Studio 360's Sarah Lilley.
Last year listener Mark Solomon lost his job as a trial lawyer. He tells Kurt how the turn of events got him to pursue a brand new career as a sound engineer and designer.
In the 19th century, the First Congregational Church of Detroit was a safe-house along the Underground Railroad. Today the church houses the "Underground Railroad Living Museum." For Therese Peterson, playing an Underground Railroad hero inspired her own act of bravery. Produced by Zak Rosen.
British artist Jeremy Deller worries that America has forgotten about the war. So he created a traveling art exhibit -- "It Is What It Is: Conversations About Iraq" -- to bring the war to us. Produced by Josie Holtzman.
The kora is a 21 string instrument played all over West Africa. And Toumani Diabate is considered the greatest kora player in the world. He tells Kurt how growing up he loved the music in spaghetti westerns. Diabate also plays live in the studio.
Studio 360 is a co-production of
Public
Radio International and
WNYC New York Public Radio, and is funded in part by
Ken and Lucy Lehman, the
National Endowment for the Arts, and the Lily Auchincloss Foundation. Studio 360's American Icons series is supported in part by the
National Endowment for the Humanities. Our series on creativity and science is supported in part by the
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Our series on Underground Heroes is supported in part by the New York State Music Fund, established by the New York State Attorney General at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. 
