This week, ballads tell stories about all kinds of real-life events, but after Hurricane Helene, one group of ballad singers felt some topics were still too raw. Also, the author of a new book on ancient Ohio credits a former grad student with introducing him to the region’s mysterious earthworks. And, the legacy of Affrilachian poet Norman Jordan includes a summer camp for teens to study their heritage.
Encore: Our Common Nature With Yo-Yo Ma, Inside Appalachia
Cellist Yo-Yo Ma playing at the New River Gorge National Park in Fayetteville, West Virginia.Austin Mann/WNYC
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Our Common Nature is a new podcast from WNYC. It features cellist Yo-Yo Ma and producer Ana González, as they explore America and talk to folks like West Virginia coal miners.
We follow Yo-Yo and his team as they venture into Appalachia. And we talk with González about meeting people where they are.
You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.
Our Common Nature: The Smokies, Mammoth Cave And W.Va. Coal
Yo-Yo and West Virginian country/folk artist Kathy Mattea perform for retired miners at Nuttallburg, a historic coal-mining complex.
Photo Credit: Austin Mann/WNYC
We’re sharing a new podcast from our friends at WNYC. It’s called Our Common Nature. It features cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who you probably know best from his rendition of Bach’s Cello Suite Number One in G Major.
In the podcast, Ma teams up with producer Ana González. They travel around the country, meeting people and hearing their stories and music. They visit parts of Appalachia, including West Virginia and the Smokies. We’re excited to share an excerpt from their travels.
Also, host Mason Adams speaks with González about what she and Ma had in mind for these trips — and what they learned along the way.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Yo-Yo Ma and Blue Dot Sessions.
Special thanks this week to WNYC for sharing their podcast with us.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Abby Neff is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
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