Episode One
Our podcast targets those who may feel like they’re drowning amidst seeing and living the disproportional effects of Covid-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement. Our podcast is titled “Living in Color.” The title stems from sociologist's Lisa Cacho’s concept of social death, where legal policies and media representations frame them in a way that alienates them from the protections of everyday life. In a systemic way, individuals or groups work to detach themselves from the repercussions associated with the color of their skin or their citizenship status. Living as BIPOC, marginalized, or undocumented people is a very different experience that is reproduced within flawed institutions and the influence of the media in the United States. To combat these rigid assumptions, we’ve interviewed people and how they have navigated through their current daily life and how prevalent death has been. They share the stories of their connections with Ofrenda making, Dia de Muertos, and how their connections have been foundational in daily traditions, deeply held truths, and rituals regarding life and death. Our theme of combating social death in our podcast ties into El Centro de La Raza’s theme of “LIVE! MASK UP! STAND UP AND SPEAK UP!” this year, through our interviewees expressing gratitude towards essential workers and people fighting, in general, and for BLM, and for those who are being ostracized, outcasted, alienated and imprisoned by the general public. We will use these sounds to paint the imagery of the elements in the Ofrendas for the listeners. In our podcast, the four elements found in Ofrendas will appear sonically throughout the podcast when: our interviewees discuss their personal experiences and connections with Ofrendas and celebrating death as a continuation of life. We are going to be showing the 4 elements by using sound effects: the sound of rain (water), fire crackling (fire), drums (earth), and windchimes (air). Our podcast discussed how our overarching theme could bring solace and hope for people listening.
Podcast producers: Zack Barnes, Silvana Segura, Valentino Reyes, AnnaMarie Shearlock, and Michelle Lopez
Podcast "Ofrenda Past, Present, and Future: Sharing Memories, Healing through Art, and Bridging Communities." (55 Minutes)
The power of the ofrenda to bring people together is widely experienced during Dia de Muertos celebrations the world over. Rooted in ancient Aztec tradition and an important part of Mexican culture, the ofrenda has the power to build bridges– between past, present, and future, between the lands of the living and the dead, and between communities and generations. By connecting participants to their sense of memory, the ofrenda creates a space to honor ancestors, family history, and cultural traditions. It is a grounding form of art representing the present moment. Often filled with delicious foods and wonderful smelling flowers, ofrendas bring families and communities together in celebration of life and acknowledgment of death and loss. Creating ofrendas offers hope and healing for the future. Teaching the practice to younger generations ensures the tradition will live on. Sharing it with broader communities builds bridges and creates a resilient network of people.
Episode 3 was created and produced by Alejandra Gama, Rachael Sage Payne, Adi stein, and Fernanda Guadalupe de Luna.
No comments:
Post a Comment