Looking For A Podcast? Try 'Fugitive Waves'
Davia Nelson (left) and Nikki Silva (aka The Kitchen Sisters) are the producers of the Fugitive Waves podcast. You can hear an episode and find more recommended podcasts at earbud.fm. Patrick Bolger/The Kitchen Sisters hide caption
Jenna Weiss-Berman, director of audio at Buzzfeed, says Fugitive Waves, produced by Davia Nelson and Nikki Silva, offers a gorgeous and complete soundscape. "When you're listening to the Kitchen Sisters, you never hear a host or a narrator, you really just hear the people whose stories are being told," she says. Click here to listen to "The French Manicure," Weiss-Berman's favorite episode. And for more great podcast recommendations, visit earbud.fm.
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JENNA WEISS-BERMAN: My name's Jenna Weiss-Berman. I'm the head of audio at BuzzFeed.
(MUSIC)
WEISS-BERMAN: The podcast I chose is the "Fugitive Waves," which is the Kitchen Sisters' podcast, because the soundscape is so gorgeous, and it's so complete.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "RED RIVER VALLEY")
UNIDENTIFIED SINGER: (Singing) And the cowboy who love you so true...
WEISS-BERMAN: And the episode is the "French Manicure - The Long Shadow of Shirley Temple."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "AT THE CODFISH BALL")
SHIRLEY TEMPLE: (Singing) Next Friday night, you're all invited to...
WEISS-BERMAN: When you're listening to the Kitchen Sisters, you never hear a host or a narrator. You really just hear the people whose stories are being told.
(SOUNDBITE OF PODCAST, "FUGITIVE WAVES")
YUENG CHUAN: I'll do manicure, pedicure many time. My name is Yueng Chuan (ph), and I live in San Jose.
WEISS-BERMAN: This episode is all about Vietnamese immigrants who are now working as manicurists in the U.S. And if you listen, you hear all sorts of amazing elements.
(SOUNDBITE OF PODCAST, "FUGITIVE WAVES")
UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: In your guide to United States citizenship...
WEISS-BERMAN: So you start out by hearing the tapes that this woman is listening to to learn English.
(SOUNDBITE OF PODCAST, "FUGITIVE WAVES")
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #1: (Speaking Vietnamese).
UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: The feeling.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #1: (Speaking Vietnamese).
UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: The sound.
WEISS-BERMAN: And then she starts talking about her love of Glen Campbell, and you hear Glen Campbell.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WICHITA LINEMAN")
GLEN CAMPBELL: (Singing) I am a lineman for the county.
(SOUNDBITE OF PODCAST, "FUGITIVE WAVES")
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #2: I left Vietnam in 1972.
WEISS-BERMAN: So I think that this style combining so many different interesting audio elements really kind of puts you in the place that is being talked about. So when you listen to this, you can really picture everything that's going on. The audio just kind of surrounds you and brings you in.
(SOUNDBITE OF PODCAST, "FUGITIVE WAVES")
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #2: When I was young, I heard a song, you know, "California Dream." I thought, wow, San Francisco - everybody wearing their flower in their hair. I make my wish. When I grow up...
KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:
That's a bit of the podcast "Fugitive Waves," a favorite of Jenna Weiss-Berman, head of audio at BuzzFeed. Listen to the full episode and find many more recommendations at earbud.fm, NPR's guide to great podcasts.
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