Cultural Manifesto

Michael Cleveland is one of Indiana’s greatest living musicians and one of the most celebrated fiddlers in the history of bluegrass. Kyle Long speaks with Cleveland about his remarkable career and his lifelong connection to the Indiana Fiddlers’ Gathering.

Celebrate Pride by looking back at Kyle Long’s 2021 conversation with LGBTQ+ activist Mary Byrne. A key figure in Indiana’s gay rights movement, Byrne also played an important but lesser-known role in the state’s music history as a promoter and curator of women’s music. She owned and operated Labyris, a feminist and lesbian bar near downtown Indianapolis that became a vital gathering place for music and community.

Before she found an audience as a musician, Lizz Vega built a following online live-streaming video games. Today, the self-taught musician and songwriter still streams live, but her broadcasts now feature performances on harp, guitar and vocals. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Vega currently lives in Marion, Indiana. Cultural Manifesto’s Kyle Long spoke with Vega to learn more about her work in music.

Explore the remarkable life and music of Indiana songwriter Stoughton “Bruz” Fletcher, a groundbreaking artist whose work challenged conventions of gender and sexuality decades before the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. Host Kyle Long will talk with author and researcher Tyler Alpern, whose book “Camped, Tramped and a Riotous Vamp” remains the definitive biography of Bruz Fletcher.

Hear words and music from Indianapolis-based singer, songwriter, and guitarist Naomi Pulver. She is building a growing audience for her finely crafted music, a sound that blends elements of pop, folk, and R&B with deeply personal songwriting. Raised in Colorado as the youngest of eight children in a multicultural household, Pulver began exploring questions of identity, family, and belonging at an early age — themes that continue to shape her music today.

Born in Colombia, Edmar Castañeda is celebrated worldwide as one of the most innovative harpists in modern music. His work combines the folk traditions of his homeland with contemporary jazz. A Latin Grammy nominee, Castañeda has collaborated with artists including Wynton Marsalis and Béla Fleck and introduced his music to millions through the soundtrack of Disney’s Encanto.

For over 30 years, Rusty Redenbacher has been a fixture of the Indianapolis music scene, performing as a vocalist with rock and hip-hop groups including The Mudkids, Birdmen of Alcatraz, and The Last IV. He joins Kyle Long to discuss his history in music, including battling Eminem at Scribble Jam in 1997, and his latest project, Rusty Redenbacher is Nasty Slim, which expands his skill set to producing beats.

Asian American musicians are shaping Indiana's sound — and this week, Cultural Manifesto celebrates AANHPI Heritage Month with music that proves it. Hear from Indiana artists with roots in Afghanistan, Vietnam, China, India, Myanmar, and beyond.

Hear Kyle Long’s conversation with Bloomington-based musician Jermaine Butler— also known as Jermaine from the South — an artist who defies easy categorization. Butler's submission to NPR's Tiny Desk Contest, titled "Dan Vi-Çila”, earned a coveted Top Shelf selection, drawing praise from Tiny Desk producer Bobby Carter and guest judge Tierra Whack. He is set to unveil a new project rooted in the culture of his home state — rapping in Louisiana Creole.

Indianapolis-based rapper, musician, and writer Foosie discusses his debut album, “All-American Ghetto.” The album draws on his life — from growing up in Indianapolis’ Mapleton-Fall Creek neighborhood to serving a 20-year prison sentence. During his incarceration, he learned to play acoustic guitar and developed his voice as a writer through the Indiana Prison Writers Workshop. In this conversation, Foosie reflects on that journey — and on the music and family that shaped him, including his uncle, Vonzell Wheeler of the legendary Naptown soul group The Vanguards.

In 1968, a group of young Indianapolis broadcasters made history — they built their own radio station from scratch, without a license, and dared the FCC to stop them. For four years, Radio Free Naptown brought underground music to the city, from Captain Beefheart to Gil Scott-Heron, broadcasting from makeshift locations that at one point even included a horse pasture. They didn’t call it pirate radio; they called it bootleg. Co-founders Steve Everitt and Don Worsham tell the inside story of Radio Free Naptown.

Hear a conversation with members of Software, a feminist synth-rock band that broke barriers for women and LGBTQ+ musicians in 1980s Indianapolis. Software performed at iconic venues including The Vogue and The Hummingbird. The band also played at Labyris, a feminist bar in downtown Indianapolis that served as a safe space for the city’s lesbian community. A new anthology of Software’s music, Haven’t You Had Enough, will be released on Record Store Day

Celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month with music from the Indianapolis bassist Herman “Trigger” Alpert. Born in Indianapolis in 1916 to Russian Jewish immigrants, Alpert rose to national prominence in the golden age of big band jazz. Despite his remarkable contributions to American music, Alpert remains largely overlooked in his hometown — an unsung figure whose legacy deserves greater recognition in Indianapolis jazz history.

Cultural Manifesto producer Kyle Long recently uncovered a collection of lost tapes featuring Indianapolis jazz legend Steve Allee performing live in local clubs in the 1970s — recordings Allee didn’t even know existed. Many of the tapes document his work with the Von Ohlen/Carter Big Band, a long-running Indianapolis ensemble co-led by drummer John Von Ohlen and saxophonist Chuck Carter. Hear excerpts from these rare recordings, along with Allee’s reaction.

Indianapolis designer Jerry Lee Atwood carries the tradition and spirit of classic Western wear forward with custom pieces that have appeared in Vogue magazine and in the wardrobes of Post Malone, Lil Nas X, Diplo, and Charley Crockett. WFYI’s Kyle Long spoke with him about a new exhibition of his work at the Eiteljorg Museum.

Bob Dylan turns 85 this May — and he’s still on the road. Hear how Dylan’s musical career has been influenced by the legendary blues duo, Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell.

For two decades, Take That Tuesday has been a cornerstone of Indianapolis hip-hop DJ culture—providing a space for both emerging and veteran turntablists to share music outside the constraints of commercial club environments. WFYI’s Kyle Long recently spoke with the event’s hosts, DJ MetroGnome and J. Moore.

Celebrate Women’s History Month by honoring the women who helped build Indiana’s punk, new wave, alternative, and noise scenes. Join us for words and music featuring Sally’s Dream, Software, Debbie Jaffe, Joyce Fidler, and Lynn Shipley,

In the third edition of our new segment, “40 Indiana guitar pioneers every Hoosier should know,” learn about the South Bend guitarist Willie Woods, best known for his work with Jr. Walker & the All Stars.

Listen to an interview with the Indianapolis-based composer, performer, and instrument builder Rob Funkhouser. His latest album, “Respiratory Cycle”, features two immersive, long-form suites, “Exhale” and “Inhale.”

Celebrate the life and work of Will Geer by exploring his friendship and artistic partnership with Woody Guthrie. Together they toured the country, performing in union halls and at labor benefits. Geer used his theatrical skills to amplify Guthrie’s music and political message.

In the second edition of our new segment, “40 Indiana guitar pioneers every Hoosier should know,” learn about the Gary, Indiana, guitarist Donald Kinsey, who played with artists including Bob Marley, Albert King, and Peter Tosh.

Listen to a conversation with Cesar Maldonado, founder and artistic director of Mariachi Herencia de México. Based in Chicago, the ensemble grew out of the Mariachi Heritage Foundation, a nonprofit organization devoted to preserving and advancing mariachi music through youth education.

Listen to Kyle Long’s interview with “Mr. Las Vegas” Wayne Newton. With a career spanning more than seven decades, he is among the most enduring figures in American popular entertainment. But Newton’s career began much earlier, in the 1950s, when he was still a child, singing country music alongside his brother, Jerry.

Bad Bunny’s performance at the Super Bowl last Sunday was the most-watched halftime show in history, placing Puerto Rican music squarely at the center of American pop culture. For decades, Puerto Rican music has enjoyed widespread popularity here in the Hoosier State. We’ll celebrate the Puerto Rican music pioneers of Indiana.

This month on American Masters, PBS will present “Sun Ra: Do The Impossible” — a new documentary celebrating the life and legacy of Sun Ra, one of the most visionary figures in jazz music. Sun Ra’s early work was shaped by Hoosiers, including trumpeter Art Hoyle, saxophonist/flutist James Spaulding, and recording engineer Bud Pressner.

Kyle Long speaks with Nia I’man Smith, who is a scholar and radio host based in Bloomington, Indiana. She’s currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology at Indiana University Bloomington. Smith is also the creator and host of Sonic Blacknuss, a biweekly program on Bloomington’s community radio station, WFHB.

Explore music featuring the Princeton, Indiana producer and engineer Robert Hosea Williams (also known as R. José Williams), best known for his work with Gil Scott-Heron.

For more than a decade, Sofar Sounds has connected music fans with intimate, unconventional concert experiences in cities across the globe. After a hiatus, the project is returning to Indianapolis—thanks to local ambassador Surina Gangwani, who is relaunching the series with a renewed focus on community.

Last December, Martin University announced it would close, citing years of financial strain and declining enrollment. The closure brings to an end a legacy that began more than 50 years ago with Boniface Hardin.

Neko Case is a critically acclaimed singer-songwriter known for her distinctive voice and genre-defying albums. She discussed her new album, “Neon Grey Midnight Green,” and her upcoming performance in Indiana with WFYI’s Kyle Long.

Listen to an interview with Brandon Meeks, an Indianapolis–based jazz bassist, bandleader and hip-hop producer, widely recognized as a key figure in the city’s contemporary jazz scene. He is best known for his work with acclaimed saxophonist Rob Dixon and as a member of the hip-hop jazz trio Native Sun.

Scott Matelic is an Indianapolis-born hip-hop producer and DJ whose sound emerges from the crate-digging traditions of DJ culture, blending sample-based production with soulful textures and psychedelic atmospheres. He discusses his new album Dead Weightt with Kyle Long at WFYI studios.

Join us as we honor some of the notable Indiana musicians and music figures who passed away in 2025. These are artists who shaped funk, rock, music education, and global psychedelia — including Gray Babson, DeMorris Smith, Ron Hedrick, Toby Myers, Gladys Stone Wright, and Stan Densk

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.

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.

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.

This is the first edition of a new Cultural Manifesto segment titled “40 Indiana Guitar Pioneers That Every Hoosier Should Know,” featuring the Evansville, Indiana guitarist Jackie Clark. He played and recorded with some of the greatest legends in rock and R&B music, including Ike and Tina Turner, Iggy Pop, Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones, and Bobby Womack.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Listen to an interview with John Green, an award-winning author and YouTuber, discussing his new nonfiction book, Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection, his work in public media, and his deep roots in Indianapolis. Green’s previous novels have sold over 50 million copies and inspired several major film adaptations.

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.

Take a deep dive into the world of PASIC during its 50th edition, PASIC 50, held in Indianapolis. Listen to an interview with the Indianapolis-based composer, performer and instrument builder Rob Funkhouser. Plus, conversations with past PASIC performers and honorees, including Elayne Jones, Giovanni Hidalgo, Susie Ibarra, Cindy Blackman Santana, Daru Jones, and more.

WFYI's Kyle Long features Echoes of Indiana Avenue co-host Herman 'Butch' Slaughter on this segment from Cultural Manifesto.

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.

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. Hear Kyle Long's interview with Sanders, along with music from the Local Honeys, who opened the ceremony.

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.