Sonic Watermelons

Film from the Latino Diaspora And Ronald Kevin Lewis Visits Sonic Watermelons *** Original Episode Title: From Consumer to Producer: The Providence Latin American Film Festival Visits Sonic Watermelons* *** Original Episode Date: August 23, 2016 *** Name of Guest: Jose Ramirez and Ron Crosson Providence Latin American Film Festival *** Original Episode Summary: The world is a big place with big ideas and lots and lots of music. That is the tagline of Sonic Watermelons, but remove the word music and replace it with movies, and we might be talking about the Providence Latin American Film Festival (PLAFF), coming up in September. Today on Sonic Watermelons, we talk more about PLAFF with Programming Coordinator and Treasurer Ron Crosson and Sonic Watermelons' own Jose Ramirez, who is serving in his first year as Co-Director of the festival. What does the process look like to move from attending and consuming the culture and media at a film festival to curating, selecting and arranging the pieces of

Original Episode Title: #GetBlissed on Sonic Watermelons* *** Original Episode Date: Tuesday July 19, 2016 *** Name of Guest: Christine Paige, Owner Bliss Salon, Providence, RI *** Original Episode Summary: Are you part of #teamnatural or do you play for #teamrelaxed? Are those extensions or is that your real hair? Those are just some of the questions that come up when the topic of hair comes up around Black women, other women of color, and...well, a lot of folks, actually. Today on Sonic Watermelons, we'll talk about some of these issues and we'll dive deeper thanks to our special guest, Christine M. Paige, licensed cosmetologist, master stylist and owner of Bliss Salon in Providence, RI. Paige, who is an avid social media user (follow #getblissed and find her on Facebook under "Christine M. Paige" to follow her "Live" videos), has not only been sharing her skills and #blackgirlmagic through one-on-one appointments at Bliss Salon, but also through live hair demonstrations, model and runway styli

Original Episode Title: Talking Black Businesses and More with Lisa Ranglin: Sonic Watermelons, July 26, 2016 *** Original Episode Date: Tuesday, July 26, 2016 *** Name of Guest: Lisa Ranglin, President, RI Black Business Association *** Original Episode Summary: What else can we do? From the the counter-top sit-ins we saw during the Civil Rights movement of yesteryear, to the Black Lives Matter demonstrations we've seen recently across the country and globe, "what else can we do" is a question that many have asked following mass protests and direct action campaigns held for decades. Consider this for a contemporary look: In the days and weeks since the killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile by police, social media sites and Black news spaces have posted about the need to support Black businesses and Black-owned banks as one way to do more to support and bring resources to the Black community. But here in RI, one question to ask is how are Black businesses doing? Today we talk to Lisa Ra

Original Episode Title: Back to School with James Monteiro *** Original Episode Date: Tuesday, August 9, 2016 *** Name of Guest(s): James Monteiro *** Original Episode Summary: The stores are stocked with notebooks, pens, and backpacks. The flyers are hitting our newspapers and stuffed in our mailboxes. If you have a kid in your house, they are probably scrambling to get that summer reading finished (started?) and dreading the start of a new school year. Back to School means something a little different for tonight's guest though. James Monteiro runs the Prison Bridge Program through College Unbound. We're going to spend our time talking about the program, it's impact on the students who participate, and the fellowship that James was awarded to keep his work going. Get your #2 pencils out and join us for another amazing hour of Sonic Watermelons. *** Contact Info for Guest: www.collegeunbound.org *** More Info About the Guest, Topics and/or Podcast: A lot has been said about the school

SUMMER FESTIVALS, PART DEUX And Fall Flicks for Family and You: A SONIC WATERMELONS PODCAST *** Original Episode Title: Finding Your Roots with Afropunk, Film Festivals and More: Sonic Watermelons, August 2, 2016 *** Original Episode Date: Tuesday, August 2, 2016 *** Name of Guest(s): Conversation with #SonicWatermelons’ team members Reza Clifton and Kabir Lambo. *** Original Episode Summary: Music, movies and art: these are all great past-times and hobbies, but they are also great ways to relax and release. That is why we're taking some time on today's Sonic Watermelons to talk about some of the events, gatherings, and big parties coming up in RI, New York, and beyond. We'll share dates and details about Afropunk, the Providence Latin American Film Festival, the next Roots Picnic and more. To get you warmed up, we'll share original reporting and synopses of previous and recently past events, like the Afro-Latino Festival and Art on the Ave. The world is a big place, with big ideas, and lots and

Christopher Johnson Visits Sonic Watermelons Y Las Vidas Negras Importan *** Original Episode Title: *Spoken Word, Speaking Truth: A Conversation with Christopher Johnson, June 28, 2016 *** Original Episode Date: Tuesday, June 28, 2016 *** Name of Guest(s): Christopher Johnson, poet, playwright, actor, director *** Original Episode Summary: Christopher Johnson has spanned a wide spectrum of stages in Providence, from spoken word to writing and acting in plays and poetry nights. AS220, Everett, and Brown University have all hosted him and tonight we have the pleasure of his company. We will talk about his local productions as well as his exploits nationwide and what he has on tap for the near future. *** Contact Info for Guest(s): www.facebook.com/Christopher-Johnson-Spoken-Word-Artist-96403640897 https://soundcloud.com/tranzitthawt-1 *** Audio from the podcast also comes from the Jesse Williams 2016 BET Awards speech: On June 26, 2016, the television network BET held its annual awards progr

RI Food Fight and Afro-Latino Festival on Sonic Watermelons Original Episode Title: Choosing from the cream of the crop with Jim Nellis and RI Food Fights *** Original Episode Date: Tuesday, June 14, 2016 *** Name of Guest(s): Jim Nellis, Founder, RI Food Fights *** Original Episode Summary: With the nation sitting up and taking notice of the impressive food scene in RI, multiple James Beard Award nominated chefs, and festivals celebrating the abundant seafood, it'd be silly to take Little Rhody for granted when it's feeding time. Our guest tonight on Sonic Watermelons is RI Food Fights founder Jim Nellis, who will tell us about how he is using social media and a healthy dose of competition to make sure that you are exploring all of the options that Providence and the rest of Rhode Island has to offer. Listen in tonight as we talk burgers, tacos, ice cream, cookies....are you getting hungry yet? *** Contact Info for Guest(s): www.rifoodfights.com Twitter: @RIFoodFights Facebook: @RIFoodFights

Original Episode Title: Santa Mamba: Bringing Extra Sazón From RI to the World *** Original Episode Date: Tuesday, March 22, 2016 *** Name of Guest(s): Santa Mamba Gio Murillo Aaron Wade Nicholas Wade Shawn Denault *** Original Episode Summary: Spices are one of the many things that sets apart Latin American countries from the rest of the world and makes people fall in love with the cultures! Santa Mamba uses a special blend of sazon and music to bring joy to the masses. It's best to share their own words as testament of what they're made of: "Where many bands who fall under the broad classification of “Latin” consist of musicians with a shared ethnic heritage, our story is different. We all come from different places and grew up in different times. Some of us come from small American towns where there was little access to anything outside of mainstream pop culture. Some of us grew up in American cities with strong ties to Italian and Portuguese traditions. And we have members who were born in Lati

Original Episode Title: *Hip Hop and Its Global Outreach: Kufa Castro Pontificates, 5/17/16 *** Original Episode Date: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 Name of Guest(s): Kufa Castro, hip hop artist, poet, actor *** Original Episode Summary: *Hip Hop music has gotten into almost every nook and cranny of our planet, thanks to the hard work and dedication of it's sons and daughters who will not rest until their voices are heard. Kufa Castro is one of those kids and he'll speak to us about how Hip Hop has influenced his life. Join us as we converse with this multi-talented artist about acting, poetry and of course being a Hip Hop Emcee. For a taste of what's in store, check out www.soundcloud.com/kufacastro *[slightly modified] Contact Info for Guest: Twitter: @kufacastro Soundcloud: @kufacastro https://www.youtube.com/user/kufacastro/videos *** More Info About the Guest, Topics and/or Podcast: Kufa Castro is a local actor, poet, and hip hop artist bringing his love for the genre to the masses, Born in th

Original Episode Title: Cocktails and Crowdsourcing with the Pinball Wizard Mike Maven-5/24/16 *** Original Episode Date: TUESDAY, MAY 24, 2016 *** Name of Guest(s): Mike Maven, founder, Shelter Arcade Bar, Providence, RI. *** Original Episode Summary: You have this great idea for a business so you do what every self-respecting millennial would do: put together a little video, post it on Kickstarter or Indiegogo, then sit back and wait for the money to roll in. Well, that's not exactly how it works. Our guest on Sonic Watermelons tonight is Mike Maven and he has successfully completed a Kickstarter campaign to bring you the Shelter Arcade Bar, opening soon in Olneyville. Mike will give us the inside scoop on crowd-sourced funding and what it takes to open a business in Providence. And he just happens to be half of the Providence-based duo The Silent Shoals so, as always, there will be music. Shelterarcadebar.com *** Audio from the podcast also comes from... PVDFest, 2016, Audio recorded by J

Original Episode Title: Sonic's Guide to Summer 2016! 5/10/16 *** Original Episode Date: May 10, 2016 *** Name of Guest(s): Special reporting by Sonic Watermelons’ Team Members: 1) Co-producer Jose Ramirez; 2) Social Networking Coordinator Jessica “Jezebel PVD” LaBrie. *** Original Episode Summary: The wonderful weather is finally upon us and with it comes the fun in the sun accompanied by many wonderful events including music festivals. Today we'll try to give you an easy guide to follow on how to get busy this summer! http://rootspicnic.com http://afropunkfest.com/brooklyn/ http://pvdfest.com http://www.newportwaterfrontevents.com/reggae-festival/ http://thesteelyard.org *** Audio from the podcast also comes from 2014-present reporting by Reza Rites: “Interview with Danay Suarez, Part 2: Different Festivals, Different Countries, One People," is an audio podcast produced by Sonic Watermelons Founder and Executive Producer, Reza Rites. Produced almost a year after she saw Cuban Hip Hop Emc

Original Episode Title: Black, Lavender and Brown All Over: A Conversation about Rites and Reason Theatre and Africana Studies, April 5, 2016 *** Original Episode Date: April 5, 2016 *** Name of Guest(s): Elmo Terry-Morgan, Artistic Director of Rites & Reason Theatre, Associate Professor, Department of Africana Studies, and Department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies *** Original Episode Summary: The Black Lavender Experience is coming up and Mojoscape recently passed. If these things don't sound familiar to you, then today is your show! Tune in today, Tuesday April 5 for a conversation about upcoming plays and initiatives coming out of Rites and Reason Theatre at Brown University. With details and insights from our guest Professor Elmo Terry-Morgan, we'll hear about "theatre and conversations sparked by queer artists of color" and how academia and art come together at Brown and beyond to contribute to national and global dialogues around Blackness. *** Contact Info for Guest(s): https://

Phil Eil Visits Sonic Watermelons, April 12, 2016 **** Original Episode Title: We have freedom to access information but do we really? Phil Eil tells us a story or two about the FOIA. *** Original Episode Date: April 12, 2016 *** Name of Guest(s): Philip Eil, former/final editor of the Providence Phoenix, adjunct lecturer at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), freelance journalist *** Original Episode Summary: On today's show we speak with Phil Eil, a local journalist and the former - and final - editor of the Providence Phoenix, who has a passion for the truth. One area his passion has taken him is around the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). We have learned that this journey has had valleys and peaks. There are road blocks on the path to getting the truth and apparently our Goverment is a giant one. [Below is] an excerpt from a Vice.com article about his FOIA battle with the feds; the link to the full article will be posted below also. "If you took President Obama at his word, this was

SONIC WATERMELONS PODCAST: Jared Paul Visits Sonic Watermelons, April 26, 2016 *** Original Episode Title: From Bigging Up Bernie to Packaging Records: Jared Paul Visits Sonic Watermelons *** Original Episode Date: April 26, 2016 *** Name of Guest(s): Jared Paul, Slam Poet, Spoken Word Performer, Hip Hop Artist *** Original Episode Summary: What does it mean to be an activist and an artist? What is life like when you're picketing or campaigning by day and rapping and reciting poetry by night? Today on Sonic Watermelons, we'll be talking to poet, hip hop artist, labor and justice activist, Occupy Providence member, and Bernie Sanders enthusiast Jared Paul!! Hear more about his new record, his life performing and protesting for the people, his views on the elections and the primaries that took place today (LIVE BROADCAST) April 26, 2016, in RI, "vegan cooking" and more. *** Contact Info for Guest(s): www.jaredpaul.org Twitter and Instagram: @JaredPaulLive Facebook: www.facebook.com/JaredPaulLiv

SONIC WATERMELONS PODCAST: STEAM Box RI Visits Sonic Watermelons, March 15, 2016 *** Original Episode Title: The Day the Robots Went to Japan and More on SXSW: Steam Box Visits Sonic Watermelons, March 15, 2016 *** Original Episode Date: March 15, 2016 *** Name of Guest(s): Roberto Gonzalez, STEAM Box Founder and Director Julie, STEAM Box Student Estrella, STEAM Box Student Amara, STEAM Box Student *** Original Episode Summary: From "diffusing virtual bombs," coding and programming computers, and sending teams to Japan, you might think that Steam Box is a branch of the CIA. In fact, they're a three a year old organization working to "buil[d] employable skills through Technology in Youth Driven Programs." Or at least that's what they're Twitter account says. We'll learn more, plus squeeze in tidbits about South by Southwest (SXSW) TODAY on Sonic Watermelons, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. *** Contact Info for Guest(s): www.steamboxri.com Twitter: @STEAMBoxRI Facebook: www.facebook.com/STEAMBoxRI

SONIC WATERMELONS PODCAST: The Extraordinary Rendition Band (ERB) Visits Sonic Watermelons, March 26, 2016 *** Original Episode Title: An Extraordinary Visit From An Extraordinary Band: ERB Visits Sonic Watermelons *** Original Episode Date: March 26, 2016 *** Name of Guest(s): Extraordinary Rendition Band Jess B (Lady J) Avi Mike Tori Jonathan *** Original Episode Summary: Is there a difference between the type of marching bands we know in high schools and the street marching bands who play at festivals and parties? Are there rules for who can join such a band or instruments that are rejected? Is there a difference between partying with marching bands in Providence and partying with them in Austin? Tonight on Sonic Watermelons, we'll talk with members of the Extraordinary Rendition Band (ERB) about how they rock, what's coming up, and why ERB is sharing their music and movement from coast to coast. *** Contact Info for Guest(s): http://extraordinaryrenditionband.com/ Twitter: @ERBBand

SONIC WATERMELONS PODCAST: SXSW and Touring with the Rice Cakes: Roz Raskin Returns to Sonic Watermelons, March 8, 2016 *** Original Episode Title: An Hour of Music and Art Talk SXSW Style with Roz Raskin! 3/8/16 *** Original Episode Date: March 8, 2016 *** Name of Guest(s): Roz Raskin *** Original Episode Summary: Hi friends, it's that time of year again; are you ready? No, I'm not talking about hay fever season. I'm talking about South by Southwest (SXSW), the three part "interactive," music, and film festival held annually in Austin, TX (sxsw.com). Who's heading to SXSW this year? Why do people get so excited? Is it true that the President and First Lady Obama will be in attendance? Join your regular Sonic Watermelons hosts, plus return guest Roz Raskin of Roz and the Rice Cakes, who will talk about what she expects when she heads down this year, and maybe sing about too during a live set! *** Contact Info for Guest(s): www.thericecakes.com www.facebook.com/rozandthericecakes https://www.i

Original Episode Title: What is LOVESICK? Punk Rock takes over Sonic Watermelons *** Original Episode Date: March 1, 2016 *** Name of Guest(s): Josh (Drummer, Lovesick) *** Original Episode Summary: What is LOVESICK? Punk Rock takes over Sonic Watermelons When we hear about kids from Providence, we mostly hear about the negative side of the city. The story of how a schoolyard friendship turned into on of the most rocking punk bands in the city's history could get buried under all of the negative press...but not these guys. LOVESICK rocks too hard to be overlooked. That's why they've been mentioned in Rolling Stone Magazine. That's why they're here today! *** Contact Info for Guest(s): Soundcloud.com/lovesickpvd YouTube.com/channel/UCWW8adS8PXATjY9SX7p_8Vw Facebook.com/lovesickbank *** More Info About the Guest, Topics and/or Podcast: LOVESICK is a punk band from Providence comprised of Josh, Manny, and Nathan. Drummer Josh joins us on Sonic Watermelons to talk about how the band got it's st

Original Episode Title: Celebrating Art with Monique Johnson *** Original Episode Date: February 23, 2016 *** Name of Guest(s): Monique Rolle Johnson *** Original Episode Summary: Monique was a big part of the "Race Matters" exhibition which you still have a chance to check out, here are more details: "Race Matters" an exhibit honoring Black History Month by celebrating racial and cultural diversity and examining the long history of horrible acts of racism across the nation and the world through the visual arts. *** Contact Info for Guest: http://portfolios.risd.edu/moniquerollejohnson *** More Info About the Guest, Topics and/or Podcast: Monique Johnson is a RISD alum who is currently teaching and creating art with a goal of social justice and change in the community. Race Matters is an art show consisting of approximately 20 artists who are using their art as a platform to show cultural diversity and the issue of race and social justice. *** Sonic Watermelons Contact Info: www.bsrlive.co

Original Episode Title: Can One Organization Do It All? Learn About West Elmwood Housing and their Sankofa Initiatives *** Original Episode Date: February 9, 2016 *** Name of Guest(s): 1) Sharon Conrad-Wells, Executive Director of West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation; 2) Angie Bannerman Ankoma, Board Chair of West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation. *** Original Episode Summary: Can One Organization Do It All? Learn About West Elmwood Housing and their Sankofa Initiatives Can one organization do it all? Today on Sonic Watermelons we're talking with Sharon Conrad-Wells and Angie Bannerman Ankoma about West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation, the Sankofa World Market, and the new Sankofa Apartment Project, which is underway now. From affordable housing to healthy eating, West Elmwood Housing is making a big impact and Conrad-Wells (Executive Director) and Bannerman Ankoma (Board Chair) are here to tell us more. *** Contact Info for Guest(s): www.westelmwood.org Facebook.com/we