Cultural Manifesto
Each week on Cultural Manifesto, Kyle Long reveals stories and sounds from the creative frontlines of the past and present. Through music, archives and artist interviews, discover how creators shape meaning with sound, in Indianapolis and well beyond. Tune in each week to this WFYI Public Media show for discoveries that will delight your ears and expand your understanding of our shared world.
Episodes
December 17, 2025 • 26 mins
Listen back to the moments and releases that shaped Indiana music in 2025, from long-overdue archival discoveries to new Hoosier artists breaking out on the national stage.
Hear music from the legendary Indianapolis funk band Rapture, Seymour’s CMA-nominated singer-songwriter Stephen Wilson Jr., Gary’s critically acclaimed rap icon Freddie Gibbs, Bloomington’s Iraqi music ensemble Salaam featuring Hamid Al-Saadi, Indianapoli...
Mark as Played
December 17, 2025 • 20 mins
Justin Bland is the creator and host of Made Man Improv, a popular improv comedy showcase based in Indianapolis. Under his direction, Made Man Improv has built a loyal audience and a recognizable brand within the local arts scene. But after years of sold-out performances, Bland is ending the Made Man Improv series this month. In this conversation with WFYI’s Kyle Long, Bland looks back on the history of Made Man Improv.
Mark as Played
December 10, 2025 • 28 mins
Listen to a conversation with the virtuoso multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and bandleader, Ricky Skaggs. Born in Kentucky in 1954, Skaggs has played a central role in shaping modern bluegrass and country music. A child prodigy, he first performed on stage with Bill Monroe at age six, and at age seven he appeared on national television with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs.
Before turning 18, Skaggs had already performed with ...
Mark as Played
December 10, 2025 • 6 mins
On this episode of Cultural Manifesto, we’ll hear the first edition of a new segment titled “40 Indiana Guitar Pioneers That Every Hoosier Should Know.” Over the next year, we’ll be sharing the music and history of Indiana guitarists who made notable contributions to music. Some of these musicians are world-famous; some you may not have heard of. This is not a ranked list, and it won’t be presented in any particular order. We’ll...
Mark as Played
December 4, 2025 • 4 mins
This archived episode from 2021 pays tribute to one of the co-founders of the legendary Vee-Jay Records, Vivian Carter. Vee-Jay Records is considered to be the most successful Black-owned record label of the pre-Motown era.
Mark as Played
December 3, 2025 • 23 mins
Landon Caldwell is a multidisciplinary artist and composer based in Indianapolis. His music blends experimental composition, improvisation, and ambient textures to create spaces that invite reflection and deep listening. His installation and sound-based work has been presented at venues including the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Indiana State Museum, and The Terminal Kyoto in Japan.
Landon is a vital presence in Indiana’...
Mark as Played
November 26, 2025 • 43 mins
Listen to a special episode celebrating National Native American Heritage Month. Learn how Native American musicians are reinventing traditional culture in the 21st Century, featuring interviews with the experimental pow wow group Medicine Singers, and the hip-hop artist Supaman.
Medicine Singers is a Native American musical collective that blends traditional Indigenous music with modern experimental genres like electronic,...
Mark as Played
November 19, 2025 • 3 mins
Host of NPR's Alt Latino Felix Contreras talks with Kyle Long about Latino identity and what inspires his show on this archived segment from 2016.
Mark as Played
November 19, 2025 • 42 mins
Listen to an interview with Juan Díes, a Grammy-nominated musician, educator, and folklorist best known as the co-founder and executive director of Sones de México Ensemble, Chicago’s premier Mexican folk music collective.
Díes has a special connection to Indiana. Before his rise as a cultural leader in Chicago, he spent formative years in Indiana. He graduated from North Central High School in Indianapolis and studied at E...
Mark as Played
November 12, 2025 • 26 mins
Listen to an interview with John Green, an award-winning author and YouTuber. Green is best known for his work in young adult literature — his novels, including The Fault in Our Stars, Looking for Alaska, and Paper Towns, have sold over 50 million copies and inspired several major film adaptations.
Green’s latest book, Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection, is a nonfiction work t...
Mark as Played
November 11, 2025 • 4 mins
Cherish Love, an award-winning performer, is Sister Rosetta Tharpe in the Indiana Repertory Theatre's production of 'Marie & Rosetta,' a musical about the rock and roll legend's life. For more information about the production, visit irtlive.com.
Mark as Played
November 6, 2025 • 52 mins
This November, Indianapolis will host PASIC 50 — the 50th edition of the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. The event brings together thousands of drummers, percussionists, educators, and music industry professionals from around the world for concerts, clinics, and an extensive expo hall. PASIC is recognized as the largest annual gathering of drummers and percussionists in the world. The convention covers every ar...
Mark as Played
November 5, 2025 • 4 mins
Kyle Long features Echoes of Indiana Avenue co-host Herman 'Butch' Slaughter on this archived segment from Cultural Manifesto.
Mark as Played
October 29, 2025 • 16 mins
Recently, Terre Haute, Indiana welcomed two of the nation’s most prominent political figures — Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Sanders visited the city to receive the Eugene V. Debs Award. WFYI’s Kyle Long was on hand to capture the sounds, music, and speeches that defined the evening. Listen to Long’s interview with Sanders, along with music from the Local Honeys; the Kentucky-based duo opene...
Mark as Played
October 29, 2025 • 36 mins
Hear interviews with members of the cast and creative team behind the Indianapolis Repertory Theatre’s production of Marie and Rosetta —including actors Cherish Love, Jaela Cheeks-Lomax, and music director Morgan E. Stevenson.
Marie and Rosetta, written by George Brant, explores the powerful artistic partnership between gospel music legends Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Marie Knight. The production runs at the Indianapolis Repe...
Mark as Played
October 22, 2025 • 51 mins
Listen to an interview with the keyboardist, composer, and computer music pioneer Brad Garton. He’s best known for his work with the legendary West Lafayette, Indiana punk band Dow Jones and The Industrials, but Garton’s work in music spans from progressive rock to experimental composition.
Brad Garton was raised in Columbus, Indiana, in a family with strong local ties. His father, Robert D. Garton, served for decades in th...
Mark as Played
October 15, 2025 • 9 mins
Listen to an interview with NPR’s Ailsa Chang; she recently spoke with WFYI’s Kyle Long to discuss the importance of supporting public media. You hear her every weekday as co-host of All Things Considered, NPR’s flagship evening news program. Chang grew up in Northern California, the daughter of parents who emigrated from Taiwan. She began her professional life in law, earning a J.D. from Stanford University in 2001 and completi...
Mark as Played
October 15, 2025 • 30 mins
In 1983, four Bloomington musicians — Chrissie Dickinson, Cynthia Hammond, Jenny Davis, and Emily Jackson — bonded over their shared love for the music of Patti Smith, X, and The Clash. Together they formed Sally’s Dream, a post-punk band that went on to perform across the Midwest and later in Boston.
Sally’s Dream earned strong reviews from the Indiana music press and shared stages with national acts like Fishbone, Romeo Vo...
Mark as Played
October 8, 2025 • 12 mins
Aida Cuevas is an iconic Mexican singer celebrated as The Queen of Ranchera Music. Born in Mexico City in 1963, Cuevas began her career as a teenager performing on radio before rising to national fame in the late 1970s with her powerful, classically trained voice and commanding stage presence. She has released more than 40 albums and sold over 11 million records. Cuevas is renowned for her masterful interpretations of traditiona...
Mark as Played
October 8, 2025 • 20 mins
Jude Noel is a music journalist and critic whose work has appeared in Pitchfork, The Fader, and Bandcamp Daily. In his recent Bandcamp feature, “Indy Is Next,” Jude shines a spotlight on Indianapolis’s growing independent music scene, tracing the city’s creative energy through its artists, venues, and DIY communities. He writes that Indianapolis’s “best artists braid genres and influences in bizarre yet satisfying ways, chasing ...
Mark as Played
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Betrayal Weekly is back for a brand new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack. And make sure to check out Seasons 1-4 of Betrayal, along with Betrayal Weekly Season 1.