Hyphenated: Music + Identity

Just a quick note.... This is the final episode of the second season. I had hoped to have 10 episodes, or at least eight, and so I apologize to you, the listener, for that, but unfortunately there were many complications, both with my moving, with artists who dropped out, or who just didn't work out. Nevertheless, I'm very grateful for those who did take the time and put their trust in me to tell their stories. I very much intend to continue this project and will begin recording new episodes again in the fall and look forward to presenting them to you at that time. Have yourselves a great summer. And don't forget you can follow us on facebook and instagram to know when the new season begins, as well as subscribing via your podcast app or platform of choice. And if you haven't listened to all the episodes, summer is a great time to do so.Louis Matute is the son of a German mother and a Honduran father, but was born and raised in Switzerland. When he began pursuing a career as a jazz guitarist, he began to notice elements of Central and South American music finding their way into his compositions. These rhythms and melodies were also accompanied with feelings of sadness, nostalgia, and melancholy that seem to have been almost genetically transferred into him from his father. It has always been difficult for his father to tell him the stories of what happened to his family and why they fled Honduras. And so, Louis has put himself on a journey to uncover and understand the roots of these feelings he has. In the meantime, he has created his own folklore in his music to fill that space.Please like and subscribe. Also, consider buying some of today's artist music or adding them to your streaming playlist. Or better yet, go see them play live. A playlist of music in this episode, transcript, as well as links to more information about the artist, can be found at our website http://www.hyphenated.eu. It's also where you can find other episodes and discover more hyphenated artists. And if you'd like to support this series, please tell a friend.

6/16/25 • 17:43

Just a brief note, we'll be taking another short break. Getting ready to record some more episodes, so we should be back by the beginning of May to finish up this second season. And as always, thanks for subscribing and spreading the word.Before Rebecca m'Boungou was conceived, in the 1980's, her French mother became entranced by Congolese music, and followed that fascination to the country where she became the first white woman to dance with the National Ballet. And that's where she also met the man she would marry and have a child with. Rebecca was born and raised in the Basque Country and felt accepted as just another French girl, while at the same time understood she was different. And while her parents' marriage didn't last, it was her mother's love and respect for Congolese culture that she then gifted to her daughter. But yet, being “a half-white, French girl,” has led to identity conflicts. She understands these conflicts may just be in her head, such as is she legitimate to talk about Congo, or is she taking space away from someone who is from Brazzaville? But what she does understand is that her music allows her to celebrate her other culture, and helps her feel she is not just “another pessimistic human in this world.”Please like and subscribe. Also, consider buying some of today's artist music or adding them to your streaming playlist. Or better yet, go see them play live. A playlist of music in this episode, transcript, as well as links to more information about the artist, can be found at our website http://www.hyphenated.eu. It's also where you can find other episodes and discover more hyphenated artists. And if you'd like to support this series, please tell a friend.

4/4/25 • 19:02

Meral Polat was focused on her successful acting career until she received a letter with a poem from her father in response to her question: “What does it mean for you to be human?” This poem would eventually led her to create the Meral Polat Trio (featuring Chris Doyle of Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra on keyboards). Being the daughter of Alevi Kurdish disapora parents, being born and raised in Amsterdam, being an actress and a musician, she doesn't take for granted the privileges and freedom in Europe. But she has always been in a dialogue with her multiple identities both within herself and with the world around her and this has now found expression in her music which they've dubbed: "Kurdish Soul."  [episode photo © 2024 Stuart Acker Holt]Please like and subscribe. Also, consider buying some of today's artist music or adding them to your streaming playlist. Or better yet, go see them play live. A playlist of music in this episode, transcript, as well as links to more information about the artist, can be found at our website http://www.hyphenated.eu. It's also where you can find other episodes and discover more hyphenated artists. And if you'd like to support this series, please tell a friend.

3/15/25 • 24:25

Just a brief note, we'll be dropping three new episodes every two weeks, and if all goes well, there will be a few more after that before the summer break. Thank you all for tuning in, subscribing, and sharing this little project with your friends. We've surpassed 1000 downloads and I thank you very much. And if you're not subscribed, please do, so you won't miss any of these new episodes.Ëda Diaz has created her own country  -- "FranColumbia" or maybe "the French-Columbia Republic." Her father is Columbian and her mother is from Little Brittany. At various points in her life she felt drawn to one identity, then at another point pulled towards the other. It left her feeling fragmented until she realized that she can be both 100% Columbian and 100% French. And this is reflected, as well, in her music which celebrates all of her identity in one. For as she likes to say, "You can't cut up something that is love like it is sausage."Please like and subscribe. Also, consider buying some of today's artist music or adding them to your streaming playlist. Or better yet, go see them play live. A playlist of music in this episode, transcript, as well as links to more information about the artist, can be found at our website http://www.hyphenated.eu. It's also where you can find other episodes and discover more hyphenated artists. And if you'd like to support this series, please tell a friend.

3/1/25 • 19:20

Welcome to a very special holiday edition of Hyphenated. As it's the season of giving, we're dropping a new episode featuring Youka Snell of the band Mitsune.But in return, you have to give something back. So how this is working is that I'm inviting you to click on the link in the show notes below to make a donation to Doctors Without Borders. CLICK HERE TO DONATE! (https://tilt.fyi/6rNeZ6p5hf)Once you've done that, you will receive via email a link to a Google Drive folder where you can listen to and/or download the episode and also a PDF of the episode transcript.If for some reason you are unfamiliar with Doctors Without Borders, they are an organization of doctors and healthcare professionals who volunteer to go to areas of conflict, disease, outbreaks, natural and human-made disasters. Since their founding in 1971, they've helped tens of millions of people and grown from a group of 13 doctors and journalists to an international movement of nearly 70,000. Please give what you can.So let me thank you in advance for your donation as well as your continued support of this project. Meanwhile, Hyphenated will return in the new year with new episodes of artists exploring the boundaries and frontiers of music and their identity. So as always, please like and subscribe to ensure you get the latest episodes in your podcast feed.Happy holidays.EPISODE SUMMARY:Youka didn't really consider what it meant to be half-Japanese until she reached adulthood. As she says, she was just busy “doing her thing and growing up in Australia” and training as a violinist. But once she began to explore this side of herself, she found herself “magically” drawn to the shamisen, the traditional Japanese lute instrument. And now based in Berlin, she and her bandmates in Mitsune are making shamisen music for our not-so-traditional times.Please like and subscribe. Also, consider buying some of today's artist music or adding them to your streaming playlist. Or better yet, go see them play live. A playlist of music in this episode, transcript, as well as links to more information about the artist, can be found at our website http://www.hyphenated.eu. It's also where you can find other episodes and discover more hyphenated artists. And if you'd like to support this series, please tell a friend.

11/25/24 • 01:35

Just a quick note.... We'll be taking a break for the next month as I settle into my new apartment and record some new episodes. Be sure to subscribe so you will be alerted of the latest episodes. See you soon....Carmen Souza was born and raised around Lisbon, Portugal, while her parents had both emigrated from Cape Verde. Just out of her teens, she auditioned for a gospel choir and there met her soon-to-be producer, Theo Pascal, who turned her on to jazz. And for the last quarter century they've been mining an original blend of jazz and Cape Verdean music they've created. But growing up, Souza quickly became aware that in Portugal she wasn't considered to be "true" Portuguese, regardless of what her passport said. Mostly based now in London, Carmen often taps in to these conflicts of identity and acceptance in her lyrics, which she mostly sings in Creole. But she believes the world can get past prejudice and that music serves as a border-busting means to that end.Please like and subscribe. Also, consider buying some of today's artist music or adding them to your streaming playlist. Or better yet, go see them play live. A playlist of music in this episode, transcript, as well as links to more information about the artist, can be found at our website http://www.hyphenated.eu. It's also where you can find other episodes and discover more hyphenated artists. And if you'd like to support this series, please tell a friend.

11/3/24 • 19:08

Laíz likes to say "she carries many nations on her back." And what she means is that she has absorbed influences from around the globe which has helped her build a wide and all-encompassing worldview. However, she began her life boxed in a very restrictive relgious culture within Brazil. But then at an early age, she was given a choice to change that, and it exploded her worldview. Moving to Berlin as a teenager, she began meeting other immigrants, and started adding pieces of each of their cultures into her concept of "world." These experiences found an expression thru music and rap. Culture became her new word for "god." And when it came time to record her first album, the musicians that came calling, aka the New Love Experience, represented all four corners of the planet. Her mission is to spread what she has learned from others to us, that we should never stop learning, and never stop expanding our understanding of the world, ourselves, and others.Please like and subscribe. Also, consider buying some of today's artist music or adding them to your streaming playlist. Or better yet, go see them play live. A playlist of music in this episode, transcript, as well as links to more information about the artist, can be found at our website http://www.hyphenated.eu. It's also where you can find other episodes and discover more hyphenated artists. And if you'd like to support this series, please tell a friend.

10/21/24 • 23:49

Welcome to Season 2 of Hyphenated. When I thought of creating this audio documentary series, I had no idea if anybody out there would be interested. Yet I felt it an important subject to explore. And with strictly word of mouth – you telling someone who told someone else this series has had over 700 downloads to date..... More than I had imagined.If you're new here, My goal is to put the spotlight on artists who are contributing to a conversation and our understanding about the global hyphenated culture we live in today, weaving their words and music to create a portrait of their journey to find themselves and their home.I've decided this season to expand the borders of the project to include artists from all over Europe, not just within the EU. Also, last season I had hoped to drop episodes every two weeks and it got a bit complicated because I was moving from one city to another. Thankfully I will finally be settled again next month but I didn't want to wait to have all the episodes recorded to launch the new season so I've decided to have a much looser schedule. I'll be releasing the first two episodes over the next two weeks then take a break come back with a second group of three episodes, then take a break and return for another five episodes. If that sounded a little bit confusing, well, I highly recommend you subscribe on whichever platform or app you use for podcasts to ensure you always receive word of the latest episode when it drops. You can also subscribe via our website and get updates by liking our Facebook page. In a few days, I'll drop the first episode of the new season just before I head to WOMEX, the annual World Music Conference, where I'll hopefully be meeting and recording several artists for the season while there. The first episode of season 2 spotlights Brazilian, German, MC and rapper Laiz, who at 25 years of age has seemed to have accumulated more insight into the world than many twice her age. Then in two weeks, you'll meet Capo Verde, Portuguese jazz singer Carmen Souza. Souza and her partner Theo Pascal have been making an original style of Creole flavored jazz for nearly two decades now. So thank you for letting me into your ears and I hope you enjoy this new season. As always, the best way to support this endeavor is to please tell a friend. So stay tuned and thank you.Please like and subscribe. Also, consider buying some of today's artist music or adding them to your streaming playlist. Or better yet, go see them play live. A playlist of music in this episode, transcript, as well as links to more information about the artist, can be found at our website http://www.hyphenated.eu. It's also where you can find other episodes and discover more hyphenated artists. And if you'd like to support this series, please tell a friend.

10/17/24 • 02:45

Just a brief note before we begin this episode. As noted in the last post, I've been a bit overwhelmed with moving and also had complications with booking the next couple of artists. And so I fell behind in my goal to have 10 episodes for this season. Therefore, I've decided to try to uncomplicate my life. And for that reason, this will be the final episode of season one. So please don't delete Hyphenated from your podcast app. Stay tuned and we will be back soon. I already have some commitments from a couple of artists for the second season which will launch in the fall. For those of you who have been following this project and for those of you who have participated in this project, I thank you. It's meant so much to me to make this audio documentary series and bring it to you.... And now on with the show.Defne's grandparents and then her parents migrated to Germany from Turkey. And they had a dream of integration for Defne, the child born in this other country. To not just straddle between two cultures, but to be a fusion of the two. But as she grew up, it could sometimes seem more of a burden than a dream for her. On her first album, Yasamak, she turned to the words of a dissident Turkish poet who dreamed of a better world for her song lyrics. While this experiment in cultural fusion was critically acclaimed, she felt she was now boxed in as “the jazz singer who sings in Turkish.” So for her second album, Unravel, she broke out of that box singing in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, having spent time living in the States, Spain, and Brazil. On her most recent album, Hope, she “collaborated” with 19th century American poet Emily Dickenson, again marrying a poet's words to song in which she still hopes, and offers to give us hope, to keep hope alive, of that dream for a better world. Please like and subscribe. Also, consider buying some of today's artist music or adding them to your streaming playlist. Or better yet, go see them play live. A playlist of music in this episode, transcript, as well as links to more information about the artist, can be found at our website http://www.hyphenated.eu. It's also where you can find other episodes and discover more hyphenated artists. And if you'd like to support this series, please tell a friend.

5/31/24 • 23:02

This is Hyphenated, and I'm your host Ron Deutsch. I regret to tell you that there is no episode this week. I spent the last month moving, and I'm still in the process of it all, and so I fell behind in the schedule. But rest assured, there will be a new episode in your feed in two weeks' time.And just to fill you in, there will be a total of three more episodes to complete this first season. season, making a total of ten episodes. I will then take a summer break and then start working on season two, which I hope to launch in the beginning of October. I also want to take a moment here to thank you all for downloading and following this project, and especially a big shout out to all the artists who have given their time and shared their stories.When I decided to start I I knew there were stories out there to find, but wasn't sure if I could find them, if the artist would be willing to share them, wasn't sure if I could then capture them and make something that honored their stories. And finally, I didn't even know if there was gonna be an audience out there for this. And I have to tell you, it's been even more amazing than I imagined. So thank you, thank you very much. And do subscribe on your favorite podcast site or app to be sure to receive the latest episodes. And please spread the word. The best way for a project like this to grow is by word of mouth. So take care, be well, and we'll see you in two weeks with a new episode.Please like and subscribe. Also, consider buying some of today's artist music or adding them to your streaming playlist. Or better yet, go see them play live. A playlist of music in this episode, transcript, as well as links to more information about the artist, can be found at our website http://www.hyphenated.eu. It's also where you can find other episodes and discover more hyphenated artists. And if you'd like to support this series, please tell a friend.

5/14/24 • 01:46

Carol Luna's father was a political prisoner in 1970's Uruguay. He was given an opportunity to leave the country and move his family to Sweden. A year later, Caro (aka Caroline) was born. Because her father's ancestors were originally from Germany, while she strongly felt her Latin American roots, to others she didn't look the stereotype. She learned to take control of her dual identities, showing one or the other depending on the situation. She studied music in Cuba for a time and had an active career performing in both Sweden and Latin America. But when her mother developed and eventually died of Alzheimer's, she found herself unable to compose music. That was until she was given an opportunity five years later to record an album that became a therapy to start creating anew.Please like and subscribe. Also, consider buying some of today's artist music or adding them to your streaming playlist. Or better yet, go see them play live. A playlist of music in this episode, transcript, as well as links to more information about the artist, can be found at our website http://www.hyphenated.eu. It's also where you can find other episodes and discover more hyphenated artists. And if you'd like to support this series, please tell a friend.

4/29/24 • 20:13

Paolo thought of himself as 100% Italian, but coming from a Sicilian father and Moroccan mother, he still saw something other than that in the mirror. He began his career making pop music, but, in 2020, after buying an Algerian mandole on a whim, just as the pandemic lockdown began, he found himself on a journey in his home recording studio which connected him to both his personal and musical ancestry. And after that journey, he now sees himself not as something other, but something more.English translation read by Marco Caroselli.Please like and subscribe. Also, consider buying some of today's artist music or adding them to your streaming playlist. Or better yet, go see them play live. A playlist of music in this episode, transcript, as well as links to more information about the artist, can be found at our website http://www.hyphenated.eu. It's also where you can find other episodes and discover more hyphenated artists. And if you'd like to support this series, please tell a friend.

4/14/24 • 17:49

Ganna was born just a few months before the collapse of the Soviet era in a small village in Ukraine. As she grew up, she watched as neighbors, friends, and relatives all left to go west. Eventually her family joined the exodus and moved to Germany. But as a 13 year old, she found herself in a world so different, and with no one really to help her navigate her new environment, and struggled to fit in. Once old enough to chart her own path, she returned to Ukraine, but discovered it was no longer her home, either. Again, she felt like an outsider. It wasn't until a chance meeting with a musician at a jazz festival on the Black Sea coast, did it begin to become clear that making music was the key to her self-actualization.Well, we've reached the halfway point in what will be this first season. I've got almost all the guests locked in to take you to the end of June when I'll take a summer break. I do hope this series has been as interesting for you as it has been rewarding for me to produce. Please like and subscribe. Also, consider buying some of today's artist music or adding them to your streaming playlist. Or better yet, go see them play live. A playlist of music in this episode, transcript, as well as links to more information about the artist, can be found at our website http://www.hyphenated.eu. It's also where you can find other episodes and discover more hyphenated artists. And if you'd like to support this series, please tell a friend.

3/31/24 • 25:43

Luzia was born of Angolan parents living in Poland during the communist era. When she was five, the family returned to Angola where Luzia found herself surrounded by children who looked like her but didn't see her as one of them. Then at 15, the family returned to a post-communist Poland, where once again she had to work for societal acceptance. It's only until she meets her partner, Polish DJ Jakub "Mentalcut" Smogur,  that together, through music, Luzia finally finds a place to call home.One of the joys of this vocation is getting to meet and interview so many interesting people. While I have enjoyed meeting and chatting with all the artists I've gathered for this project, I really had so much fun getting to know Luzia + Jakub. I hope you enjoy spending some time with them as much as I did.  The photo for this episode is actually that of Luzia in Poland as a child on her way to schoolPlease like and subscribe. Also, consider buying some of today's artist music or adding them to your streaming playlist. Or better yet, go see them play live. A playlist of music in this episode, transcript, as well as links to more information about the artist, can be found at our website http://www.hyphenated.eu. It's also where you can find other episodes and discover more hyphenated artists. And if you'd like to support this series, please tell a friend.

3/14/24 • 22:09

Two violin students - Marvin from France and Akram from Tunisia -  live next door to each in Belgium and hear each other practicing. Finally, Marvin decides to knock on Akram's door and introduce himself. They quickly become good friends, roommates, and decide to form a project, the Aleph Quintet, to express their cross-border friendship - blending jazz improvisations and North African rhythm and melodies. The quintet also includes another Tunisian-born musician, Wajdi Riahi on piano, and has received accolades including “Journées Musicales de Carthage” in Tunisia as well as the “Prix de la presse musicale” in France. But every year, they have to reckon with government bureaucracy which could end their project.This episode was very special for me as it was the first one I recorded for this project. I tossed the idea around for almost a year before deciding to give it a shot during the WOMEX convention last year. When I was done speaking with Akram and Marvin, I knew I was on to something. And the next day, the two came over and gave me a heartfelt thanks for giving them a platform to tell their story.  It meant a lot and really sealed the deal on making this project a reality.Please like and subscribe. Also, consider buying some of today's artist music or adding them to your streaming playlist. Or better yet, go see them play live. A playlist of music in this episode, transcript, as well as links to more information about the artist, can be found at our website http://www.hyphenated.eu. It's also where you can find other episodes and discover more hyphenated artists. And if you'd like to support this series, please tell a friend.

2/29/24 • 14:38

Sevana Tchakerian was born and raised in Paris, a child of the Armenian diaspora. She began taking music lessons at three and eventually received a master's degree from the Sorbonne in musicology. But while her studies were in western classical music, she always had a deep connection to traditional Armenian folk. In 2015, she moved to Armenia to run music workshops for rural children. Five years later, war broke out and she decided to stay on and met her musical partner, Armenian guitarist/producer Gor Tadevosyan. While continuing to do workshops together, now for child refugees fleeing the war zone, they founded Jinj. Mixing western music and Armenian folk, they dubbed their sound: “Armobeat.” But what exactly is “Armobeat?” Sevana says it's not really a definition, but rather a name to give them the freedom to explore what they are, whatever that may be.... but always grounded in melodies from a country struggling to be free. (Gor's English voice generated by ElevenLabs.)Please like and subscribe. Also, consider buying some of today's artist music or adding them to your streaming playlist. Or better yet, go see them play live. A playlist of music in this episode, transcript, as well as links to more information about the artist, can be found at our website http://www.hyphenated.eu. It's also where you can find other episodes and discover more hyphenated artists. And if you'd like to support this series, please tell a friend.

2/14/24 • 14:45

For our first episode I'm honored to introduce you to Angolan-French musician Lucia de Carvalho. Lucia was born in war torn Angola. At the age of six her mother took her and two of her sisters to Portugal where they wound up in an orphanage. Almost 10 years later, she and her sisters were adopted by a family in northern France. And this is when her journey to discover herself really begins.Please like and subscribe. Also, consider buying some of today's artist music or adding them to your streaming playlist. Or better yet, go see them play live. A playlist of music in this episode, transcript, as well as links to more information about the artist, can be found at our website http://www.hyphenated.eu. It's also where you can find other episodes and discover more hyphenated artists. And if you'd like to support this series, please tell a friend.

1/29/24 • 19:20

This is an introduction to Hyphenated: Music + Identity,  an audio documentary series about immigrant and second generation immigrant musicians in the EU navigating their "hyphenated" identity through their music. It's about borders and frontiers both within themselves and their music. I hope to put some light on these artists, give them space to tell their story, and to introduce you, the listener, to new music and perhaps new perspectives on the world. Created and produced by veteran music+film journalist Ron Deutsch.Please like and subscribe. Also, consider buying some of today's artist music or adding them to your streaming playlist. Or better yet, go see them play live. A playlist of music in this episode, transcript, as well as links to more information about the artist, can be found at our website http://www.hyphenated.eu. It's also where you can find other episodes and discover more hyphenated artists. And if you'd like to support this series, please tell a friend.

1/27/24 • 03:08