Featured Episode
New York Voices: 813
About This Episode
We go underground to spend time with some musicians that provide the soundtrack for your commute with this profile of four artists from the MTA's Music Under New York Program (MUNY), including Jeremiah Lockwood, Alex LoDico, Natalia Paruz (also known as the "Saw Lady") and The Ebony Hillbillies, one of the last black string bands in America. The MTA Arts for Transit currently manages over 100 performers, ranging from jazz ensembles to opera singers to Latin guitarists. With over 125 different performances a week at 25 locations throughout the MTA system, MUNY performers add a dose of musical flair to the city's excitement and chaos. Since 1985, the "MTA's Music Under New York" program has been bringing live performances to subway stations all accross the city. These four acts have been providing the soundtrack to New York commuters for years. Rafael Pi Roman catches up with the musician known as "Stew", who is the lead performer and co-creator of the Tony-nominated musical "Passing Strange". They talk about the search for what Stew calls "the Real," the experience of living as a black expat in Europe, and what it has been like for an underground rock musician who doesn't like musicals to suddenly become a Broadway star.
Chapters
- Chapter 1: Passing Strange
Rating
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