Worldwide Underground with Gabriel Teodros

My guest today is a Worldwide Underground legend who just released one of the best projects of the year, and her name is Maimouna Youssef a.k.a. Mumu Fresh! In this episode we talk about Maimouna's journey in music, the years that went into her latest project The Healing, her family's influence, and some of the stories behind her collaborations with The Roots, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and so much more.Thank you to everyone who subscribes here on the Substack, and if you've missed any of the past episodes our archives include conversations with Meklit, Saul Williams, Maaza Mengiste, Malkia Devich Cyril, Faris Cuchi & Bahi Shewaye, Nikkita Oliver, Kimmortal, Ijeoma Oluo and so many more. My new remix album Embers is out in the world now too!Appreciate your ears and hearts.Worldwide Underground is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and to support this work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Gabriel Teodros: Worldwide Underground at gabrielteodros.substack.com/subscribe

My guest on today’s episode is an incredible singer, songwriter, composer, visionary, organizer, and she happens to be my cousin, the one and only Meklit Hadero!Meklit just released a brand new six-song EP entitled Ethio Blue, and in addition to the new music, she has also been hard at work on Movement, which is a podcast, radio series, live show and community building initiative exploring the intersection of migration and music.We get into all of this, along with life as a parent in the pandemic, some of our shared experiences in Ethiopia, solidarity with Palestine, and more on today’s show.Meklit also happens to be one of the voices featured on my remix album Embers which releases this week! And as a special for y’all… I’m releasing it on Bandcamp a few days early. As in… right now.Thank you to everyone who has been rocking with us thus far!It’s still medicine in the music, all ways. Get full access to Gabriel Teodros: Worldwide Underground at gabrielteodros.substack.com/subscribe

Since the last episode of Worldwide Underground came out, I’ve been hard at work on a new remix album that I just sent off to mastering this week, and I’m back to the podcast now with someone who knows a lot about remixes.DJ Phatrick has become my favorite turntablist over the past six months, as he has been so consistent at channeling our collective grief and rage about the ongoing genocide in Gaza into remixes and scratch routines that I haven’t seen any other DJ’s really touch. We hope this episode (and all of these episodes) inspires you to use whatever tools you have within your reach to advocate for justice, and I also just wanted to celebrate DJ Phatrick’s brilliance and have you check out his Instagram page. If we lived in the same city I would be trying to hire him for every single gig!I want to thank everyone who subscribes to gabrielteodros.substack.com, and stay tuned for a new drop from the Embers project, next week! Get full access to Gabriel Teodros: Worldwide Underground at gabrielteodros.substack.com/subscribe

Today on the Worldwide Underground we are joined by Faris Cuchi and Bahi Shewaye. They are two of the co-founders of House of Guramayle, which is a collaborative intersectional platform created by exiled Ethiopian activists who are now based in multiple different countries. House of Guramayle advocates for the rights and health of the Ethiopian LGBTIQ+ community back home and abroad, and the work they do just means so much to me. Faris and Bahi are both artists and storytellers in their own right, they host an Amharic language podcast called Alen, and we get into the multiple ways they are building community and standing up for the sanctity and dignity of all humanity, especially in these times of witnessing multiple genocides. You can find more information about all of the work they are doing at houseofguramayle.org Get full access to Gabriel Teodros: Worldwide Underground at gabrielteodros.substack.com/subscribe

My guest today is Maaza Mengiste, an incredible writer whose first novel Beneath The Lion's Gaze was the first work of historical fiction about the Ethiopian revolution I had ever read, and a book that had me in tears since it was so very close to home. Her second novel, The Shadow King, was another work of historical fiction inspired by the many different roles women played in the second Ethiopian-Italian war, and in 2020 Maaza edited an anthology titled Addis Ababa Noir featuring some of the most brilliant writers in the Ethiopian diaspora today. Just last year, Maaza had a life changing experience at the Palestine Festival of Literature, and she has been an outspoken advocate for the Palestinian cause ever since. We talk about all that and more in today's episode of the Worldwide Underground.What I thought would be a music podcast, has evolved into long-form conversations on the art and politics of storytelling, across all mediums. Thank you to everyone who has been here for the ride. Worldwide Underground is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and to support this work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Gabriel Teodros: Worldwide Underground at gabrielteodros.substack.com/subscribe

If you are having a hard time with the state of the world these days, me too. My guest on today’s episode is someone who gives me hope, and I hope they can do the same for you. K!MMORTAL is an incredible emcee / vocalist / producer / visual artist / actor from Unceded Coast Salish Territories who released a song I felt deep in my soul just a few months ago titled “Stop Business As Usual”. Days after releasing the song, they went on a month-long homeland journey to the Philippines where they got to perform with youth organizers who are fighting for a Free Palestine over on that side, and we talked about the whole journey as well as Kimmortal’s roots in the Vancouver music scene, their albums Shoebox and X Marks The Swirl, and a few deep cuts too.I want to thank everyone who supports this work, and let you I’ve got another music episode on the way (it’s been a time) for all the Substack subscribers. ALSO… for my people in the Northwest: I’ll be performing with the great Nikkita Oliver and Kimya Dawson this Sunday, February 25th at the Capitol Theater in Olympia, WA. Tickets are still available here: https://olympiafilmsociety.org/kimya-dawson/ and all proceeds are going to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.See y’all soon. Get full access to Gabriel Teodros: Worldwide Underground at gabrielteodros.substack.com/subscribe

My guest on today’s episode is Malkia Devich-Cyril, an activist, writer and public speaker on issues of digital rights, narrative power, Black liberation and collective grief. In the wake of seeing over 100 journalists murdered in Gaza, and companies like Meta’s ongoing censorship of voices who are speaking up for Palestinian lives, more conversations about what media justice means in this time are sorely needed. I couldn’t think of a better person to have this conversation with than Malkia, as we learn in today’s conversation they actually helped coin the term “Media Justice”, and went on to declare the Media Justice movement is a “fight for a future where we are all connected, represented and free.” There are so many jewels in this episode.I want to thank everyone who has been supporting the ride here on the Worldwide Underground thus far!This week Ijeoma Oluo and myself are on the road in support of Ijeoma’s brand new book BE A REVOLUTION, which you can find now wherever books are sold, and the remaining tour dates are all linked up here: harpercollins.com/pages/revolutionAnd also, just announced! On February 25th at The Capitol Theater in Olympia, WA, Kimya Dawson, Nikkita Oliver and myself will be doing a benefit show for the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. Tickets for that show are available here: olympiafilmsociety.org/kimya-dawson/More soon. Get full access to Gabriel Teodros: Worldwide Underground at gabrielteodros.substack.com/subscribe

On January 30, 2024 Ijeoma Oluo launches her third book BE A REVOLUTION: How Everyday People are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World - And How You Can, Too.I’ve had a front row seat these last few years in seeing Ijeoma research, conduct interviews, and write this vitally important text, and I’m so excited the rest of the world now gets to read it too! I really feel like penned a classic for our generation with this one. In our conversation for the podcast today we talk about the process behind the book, the life of a writer, the music Ijeoma listens to in her office, and so much more.We also talk about the importance of first week book sales! And Ijeoma has a series of events coming up in support of that first week starting in Brooklyn, NY on January 30th, followed by events in Washington, DC, Baltimore, Atlanta, Detroit, Toronto and two events in Seattle, WA on February 8th and 9th. You can order the book now and get tickets for any of the events at this link: https://www.harpercollins.com/pages/revolutionEnjoy this episode, and hope to see y’all at the events next week!Worldwide Underground is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and to support this work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber at https://gabrielteodros.substack.com/ Get full access to Gabriel Teodros: Worldwide Underground at gabrielteodros.substack.com/subscribe

My guest on the podcast today is “the people’s mayor” Nikkita Oliver, an incredible artist / organizer / attorney / educator / writer and Executive Director of Creative Justice, an organization that is coming into it’s 10th year of working with young people most impacted by the school to prison to deportation pipeline. On Monday, January 15th, Creative Justice celebrates the grand opening of a new cafe in Washington Hall, honoring the legacy of our dear friend Rahwa Habte and Hidmo. On this episode we talk about Creative Justice, Nikkita’s roots as an artist, the power of our collective stories, and we hint at some future collaborations too. (If you want to hear Nikkita and me on some music together, check the last few albums: From the Ashes of Our Homes and History Rhymes If It Doesn’t Repeat.) To find more information and to support Creative Justice head to https://www.creativejusticenw.org Get full access to Gabriel Teodros: Worldwide Underground at gabrielteodros.substack.com/subscribe

My guest today is Merawi Gerima who released his debut film Residue to critical acclaim in 2020, and he has gone on to direct episodes for shows like Ava DuVernay’s Cherish The Day and the Black girl superhero show Naomi. His parents are the legendary filmmakers Haile Gerima & Shirikiana Aina, and he grew up in Washington, DC before relocating to his current home in Chicago. These days Merawi has been outspoken, consistent, and clear about the need for solidarity between the Black & Palestinian liberation struggles, and he’ll be the first to let you know that he is an “organizer first, filmmaker second.” We get into all this and more on today’s episode of the Worldwide Underground.…and speaking of Chicago!Ijeoma Oluo and myself will both be appearing at The People For Gaza, a daylong festival in Orland Park, IL on New Years Day, with all proceeds going to Pious Projects and their on the ground teams in Palestine. You can find more information about the event, and put up on the campaign at piousprojects.org/peopleforgazaSee y’all soon.Worldwide Underground is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and to support this work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Gabriel Teodros: Worldwide Underground at gabrielteodros.substack.com/subscribe