Saxophonist Andre Ward, who has been on the contemporary jazz scene for over 25 years, joins Underground Magnolia Podcast to talk about  his latest album, "Africa Rising" and his storied background.  The Chicago native discusses the following:"Africa Rising," as a whole, tells a story about love and relationships to a conscious beat of Black Excellence. Retellings of The Emotions' 1977 classic, "Don't Ask My Neighbor's" and Sade's 1992 hit, "Kiss of Life."Earth, Wind & Fire being his favorite group and why the band's influence can be heard throughout his new album.Working with vocalists Chantel Hampton and Janice Dempsey on new release.Being part of Lalah Hathaway's band while students at prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston.Touring with Freddie Jackson for 9 years, with 4 as his musical director.Going solo and releasing his first album in 2001.His love for hometown Chicago.For more on Andre Ward, check out his Instagram @andrewardmusic.MUSIC:All music is from Andre Ward's album, "Africa Rising."About Underground Magnolia Podcast:Desiréia Valteau is the creator, producer, writer, and host of all content. Editor:  https://ypeditor.com/CONTACT:Underground Magnolia website: (https://www.undergroundmagnolia.com/)Instagram: @UMPodcastDV (https://www.instagram.com/umpodcastdv/)Twitter: @undergroundmagnoliapodcast(https://www.instagram.com/undergroundmagnoliapodcast/) Send questions/comments and requests to [email protected]. To be featured on the podcast, send an email.© 2023 Underground Magnolia, LLCSupport the show

This episode of Underground Magnolia Podcast features Lenny Green, the host of the popular syndicated radio show, “The Quiet Storm with Lenny Green.”Listen in to hear Lenny discuss the following:Meaning of "Quiet Storm" Artists he spins during showGenre being more than just celebrating romantic love Recognizing "Quiet Storm" radio stars of the pastRecording show at homebase station, WBLS in New YorkHistory of navigating radio and becoming successful Staying  power of "Quiet Storm" radio formatKool and the Gang's "Summer Madness" as favorite songMother as biggest inspirationFor more on Lenny, check out his Instagram @lennygreenofficial.MUSIC:Theme: Jazz Addict’s Intro by Cosimo FoggMusic For Your Soul by MaysaKiss of Life by Andre WardSunset Drive by Tokyo Music Walker Chillin Out by Barradeen Day Ahead by Joe CrottyVintage Memories by Schematist CONTACT:Underground Magnolia website: (https://www.undergroundmagnolia.com/)Instagram: @UMPodcastDV (https://www.instagram.com/umpodcastdv/)Twitter: @undergroundmagnoliapodcast(https://www.instagram.com/undergroundmagnoliapodcast/) Send questions/comments and requests to [email protected]. To be featured on the podcast, send an email.Support the show

Taliah Givens, Senior Director of the United Negro College Fund's (UNCF) Student Professional Development Programs,  joins Underground Magnolia to tell listeners all about the organization's: Invitational Student Leadership ConferenceEntrepreneurial DivisionScholarships/InternshipsCareer Fairs80-year history of providing college scholarships and additional resourcesHBCUs and other institutions they representVice President Kamala Harris's huge impact on donation uptickImportance of still supporting the organization For more information on what UNCF offers, go to https://opportunities.uncf.org. For general information, go to https://uncf.org.MUSIC:Theme: Jazz Addict’s Intro by Cosimo FoggCome Along by Jay SomedayCoffee Shop by PYC MusicMiyazaki’s House by SchematistVlog Chill Electronic | EDGE by Alex-Productions CONTACT:Underground Magnolia website: (https://www.undergroundmagnolia.com/)Instagram: @UMPodcastDV (https://www.instagram.com/umpodcastdv/)Twitter: @undergroundmagnoliapodcast(https://www.instagram.com/undergroundmagnoliapodcast/) Send questions/comments and requests to [email protected]. To be featured on the podcast, send an email.Support the show

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and on this episode of Underground Magnolia Podcast, Tyra Valteau Sorapuru, a Mental Wellness Coach and Licensed Clinical Social Worker for over 30 years, joins in to discuss effective tools for all around healthy living.  We discuss the following: Balancing your feelings COVID-19 forcing African Africans and other People of Color to seek helpHelping  family and friends who need mental assistanceTips on what to look for in a therapist and/or psychiatristGoing beyond virtual only therapy How emotional health affects physical healthSetting boundaries and saying NO Links and additional information for mental health support:National Alliance on Mental Illness -  https://www.nami.org/Home Therapy for Black Girls - therapyforblackgirls.com Therapy for Latinx -  therapyforlatinx.comTherapy for Black Men - therapyforblackmen.orgPsychology Today - psychologytoday.com - lets you search by race, ethnicity, gender, and other parameters.Check with your local and state government Check with your your health insuranceConfirm therapists/psychiatrists licenses in the state you reside inMUSIC:Theme: Jazz Addict’s Intro by Cosimo FoggSunset Drive by Tokyo Music Walker Echoes Of The Soul by Ron Gelinas Chill Beats Pursuit by Ron Gelinas Chill Beats Merry Bay by Ghostrifter Official Made Of Wood by Joe Crotty Coffee Shop by PYC Music  CONTACT:Underground Magnolia website: (https://www.undergroundmagnolia.com/)Instagram: @UMPodcastDV (https://www.instagram.com/umpodcastdv/)Twitter: @undergroundmagnoliapodcast(https://www.instagram.com/undergroundmagnoliapodcast/) Send questions/comments and requests to [email protected]. To be featured on the podcast, send an email.Support the show

In this episode, host/producer, Desireia Valteau, is back with Part 4 of the long-awaited addition to the series, "Chasing DNA & Family Roots: Being Creole (Louisiana)."   Desireia interviews, Dr. Wendy Gaudin, a professor of 22 years in the disciplines of History and African American and Diaspora Studies at Xavier University of Louisiana, the renowned HBCU in New Orleans. She specializes in race, racial mixture in the Americas in French colonial contexts, Creole history, critical race studies, and more.  Desireia and Dr. Wendy will unpack the following:·        Definition  of a Creole ·        The relationship to slavery and colonialism ·        Misinformation about Creoles ·        Navigating social and political spaces while claiming Creoleness and Blackness·        Challenges of teaching topic Meanwhile, Dr. Wendy is working on her book, "Diasporic Creole: Coming Home to Louisiana," slated for release from LSU Press next year. Contact: Underground Magnolia website: (https://www.undergroundmagnolia.com/) Instagram: @UMPodcastDV (https://www.instagram.com/umpodcastdv/) Twitter: @undergroundmagnoliapodcast (https://www.instagram.com/undergroundmagnoliapodcast/)  Send questions/comments and requests to [email protected].  To be featured on the podcast, send an email.Support the show

Jazz pianist, bandleader, and educator Hey Rim joins this episode of Underground Magnolia Podcast to talk about her new album "Groovitude," that's packing a punch on the jazz charts.Listen in as we discuss:Why the album's dedicated to her father Standard jazz songs, original music, and Korean songs featuredWorking with Grammy-winning jazz drummer Terri Lyne CarringtonHow famed jazz pianist Oscar Peterson turned her on to jazz  while growing up in Seoul, KoreaFurthering her music interests by attending the prestigious Berklee College of Music Women in jazz beyond singingFor more on Hey Rim Jeon, go to https://www.heyrimjeon.comContact:Underground Magnolia website: (https://www.undergroundmagnolia.com/)Instagram: @UMPodcastDV (https://www.instagram.com/umpodcastdv/)Twitter: @UMPodcastDV (https://www.instagram.com/undergroundmagnoliappodcast/)Send questions/comments and requests to [email protected] you would like to be featured on the podcast, send an email.Support the show

This episode of Underground Magnolia Podcast shines the spotlight on jazz musician T.S. Monk, also the son of jazz legend Thelonious Monk.After a decade plus recording absence, he’s back with  the live album “Two Continents, One Groove.” The prolific jazz drummer, composer, and bandleader discusses:Why it took so long to release a new project.The meaning of the album's title.His band's contribution, including a song dedicated to his father that addresses the racism many musicians faced in the heyday of New York's live music club scene.Growing up with Thelonious Monk, his ongoing legacy, and the day the younger Monk realized who his father was.How other jazz greats such as Miles Davis, Max Roach, and John Coltrane were frequent visitors to the Monk home.The importance of jazz as an American art form created by African Americans.For more on T.S. Monk and Thelonious Monk, go to https://theloniousmonk.store/pages/legacy or on Instagram @tsmonkofficial.Buy the album at https://storyvillerecords.bandcamp.com/album/two-continents-one-groove.Contact:Underground Magnolia website: (https://www.undergroundmagnolia.com/)Instagram: @UMPodcastDV (https://www.instagram.com/umpodcastdv/)Twitter: @UMPodcastDV (https://www.instagram.com/undergroundmagnoliappodcast/)Send questions/comments and requests to [email protected] you would like to be featured on the podcast, send an email.Support the show

On this episode of Underground Magnolia Podcast, Doctor Bob Lee discusses: His longstanding career at WBLS, one of the most influential radio stations in the nation and the Black community.Being the President, Founder & CEO of the Make the Grade Foundation (https://makethegrade4u.org/), a non-profit that provides mentoring, tutoring, and aid to students of all ages in the NY tri-state area.Being the  author of several books that elevate African Americans and other People of Color. Order his books: https://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Bob-Lee/e/B08PQBZ9LN?ref_=dbs_p_pbk_r00_abau_000000)Contact:Underground Magnolia website: (https://www.undergroundmagnolia.com/)Instagram: @UMPodcastDV (https://www.instagram.com/umpodcastdv/)Twitter: @UMPodcastDV (https://www.instagram.com/undergroundmagnoliappodcast/)Send questions/comments and requests to [email protected] you would like to be featured on the podcast, send an email.Support the show

This episode of Underground Magnolia Podcast features Lorraine Lionheart, a singer and songwriter heating up the global music scene. Hailing from Botswana in Southern Africa and based in the UK, she boasts a sound that fuses traditional African music with contemporary Afropop. The sexy singer already has four independent albums and several singles under her belt that explore a new-ish African beat called amapiano.In addition to her music, Lorraine is a scholar, who is currently working on a Doctorate in Ethnomusicology and she is a lecturer, who does a masterclass on the “music of Africa.”  Her UK profile is also getting a lift. She has played for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and has been invited to sing for the Queen of England’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022. She along with other artists and choirs from Britain were asked by the Commonwealth to add their own twist to a song called “A Life Filled with Grace” and Lorraine gave it her signature Southern African treatment. Hear all about Lorraine by listening NOW to the episode.For more on Lorraine Lionheart, go to her Instagram @lorraine_lionheart.Contact:Underground Magnolia website: (https://www.undergroundmagnolia.com/)Instagram: @UMPodcastDV (https://www.instagram.com/umpodcastdv/)Twitter: @UMPodcastDV (https://www.instagram.com/undergroundmagnoliappodcast/)Send questions/comments and requests to [email protected] you would like to be featured on the podcast, send an email.Support the show

On this episode of Underground Magnolia Podcast,  Cynthia Hardy discusses how to excel in business, especially for Black Women, Women, and People of Color, Cynthia is the CEO and Founder of the Atlanta-based Pivot Global Partners. Her company is a global professional service firm offering, “change design and implementation services to mid-sized and larger organizations." Pivot Global raises a company’s performance, focusing on culture, organizational design, change management,  and other improvements. In addition to Pivot, the Xavier University of Louisiana (an HBCU) grad, is an attorney, a tech advisor, and bestselling author of “Crossing Meridians: Engineering Disruption to Become a More Effective Leader.” (Buy here: https://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Meridians-Engineering-Disruption-Effective/dp/1665512601)For more on Pivot Global Partners, visit https://pivotglobal.com.Contact:Underground Magnolia website: (https://www.undergroundmagnolia.com/)Instagram: @UMPodcastDV (https://www.instagram.com/umpodcastdv/)Twitter: @UMPodcastDV (https://www.instagram.com/undergroundmagnoliappodcast/)Send questions/comments and requests to [email protected] you would like to be featured on the podcast, send an email.Support the show