Ep. 52: Island Life w/ Musician Leyla McCalla; Professor Godfrey Baldacchino; Author Mary Taylor Simeti; Writer Alice Albinia; Mitchell Kuga, Maura Walz & Yung Kha on HBOs White Lotus

New York born Haitian American musician, Leyla McCalla shares her upcoming album Breaking the Thermometer, a vivid portrait and soundtrack of the stories and memories of Haiti. Leyla is classically trained and plays the cello, banjo and the guitar.

Her recent record explores the archives of Radio Haiti - the first Creole speaking radio on the island. Leyla is also the former member of GRAMMY Award-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops. On Stance, she chats with us about the influences behind her storytelling, heritage, and the origins of Radio Haiti.

Mitchell Kuga

Mitchell Kuga is a journalist and writer from Honolulu, Hawai’i, whose work centers literature, food, LGBTQ communities and emerging trends within popular culture. Mitchell’s words have appeared in Esquire, GQ, Bon Appétit, Condé Nast Traveler, The Fader, and other publications.

Expanding on his recent piece The White Lotus is As Clueless About Native Hawaiians As Its Characters, he reveals his thoughts in conversation with Stance on the pros and cons of the HBO TV Drama, White Lotus, and its portrayals of Hawai’i and Hawaiians.

Living in LA, Maura Walz is an American born award-winning journalist.

She writes, produces and edits work on the subjects of history, race, pop culture, fashion, and the criminal justice system.

Maura works with the mediums of podcasts, print, and television. In conversation with Stance on the HBO TV Drama, White Lotus, she shares her thoughts on the show’s storytelling, themes and characters.

Yung Kha is a London, UK, based film & entertainment publicist who has worked across film, music, theater and the arts for nearly two decades.

Yung oversees publicity for documentary specialists Dogwoof, and has worked on releases including Dreams of a Life, Blackfish, Dior and I, BAFTA winning The Act of Killing, The Kingmaker World Premiere in Venice, and the double Academy-award nominated Honeyland.

In conversation with Stance on the HBO TV Drama, White Lotus, Yung offers her views on the publicity received by the show and thoughts on the dynamic relationships between many of the characters.

Mary Taylor Simeti is the writer of several books on Sicilian food and culture. Originally from America, Mary has for sixty years been living in Sicily on her family run farm. Mary assists with the production of wine, olive oil, avocados, and other produce on the land.

Her writing presents an in-depth look into Sicily’s food culture through history. In particular, her publication Pomp and Sustenance: Twenty-five Centuries of Sicilian Food reveals the innovative and unique history of Sicilian cuisine.

Mary speaks with Stance through an anthropological lens, sharing how Sicily’s environment and communities shape its dishes, plus she shares some of her favourite and most authentic Sicilian meals.

Pomp & Sustenance: Twenty-five Centuries of Sicilian Food

London based award-winning author Alice Albinia is the writer of fiction and non-fiction, and her words have been published in the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and National Geographic.

Her upcoming futuristic, feminist novel, CWEN has been shaped by the past seven years spent traveling around the edges of Britain, piecing together ancient, medieval and modern myths of islands ruled by women.

Alice is also the author of Empires of the Indus and Leela’s Book. On Stance, Alice presents a reading of CWEN, sharing the discoveries from her travels in a portrait of female power and potential.

For over two decades, Professor of Sociology and Island Studies at the University of Malta, Godfrey Baldacchino has researched islands in connection with identity, small states, sociology, politics and labour rights.

Godfrey chats with Stance and breaks down exactly what makes up an island, how this ties into identity, and the impacts of the environment and migration.

Music Used in This Podcast:

Leyla McCalla Breaking the Thermometer Track Listing with thanks to ANTI Records:

You Don’t Know Me
Memory Song
Vini Wè
Nan Fon Bwa
Ekzile
Dodinin
Dan Reken

Front Page Image Credit: Leyla McCalla by Rush Jagoe