This month, we talk to Culture Caravan host, Julian Booker, about his show and how it came to be!
What is the inspiration behind Culture Caravan?
I’ve been a fan of international music for many years now, with my initial introduction (like many) being the music of Bob Marley and Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti. Once I saw Antibalas (the NYC-based Afrobeat orchestra) live in 2005 or 2006, I was hooked, and I’ve been exploring ever since. When the opportunity to host and produce Culture Caravan came along, I jumped at the chance, and it has given me that much more reason to explore the world of music, which is unimaginably vast.
If at all, how different is your personal music taste from the music that you choose for the show?
I have a really wide-ranging taste in music and as much as I can, I try to find the good or interesting in everything I hear, no matter what the genre. There are times when there are new releases that I wouldn’t, say, listen to much in my spare time, but I feel are important to feature...but for the most part, I play stuff that I really believe in and hopefully the listeners do too!
What is your method for choosing a setlist?
I typically start with a new release and build from there...I try to go back and forth between new releases and older or “classic” ones and I also regularly feature music from the same country or genre in the same set. I’ve done some themed shows and of course pay tribute to artists in instances of a recent passing or maybe they’ve become active after a long period of being out of the public eye...but it almost always starts with new music; one of the greatest services public radio can provide is an audience for new artists that may not otherwise have a foothold in the broader “market” or industry...when (music-focused) public radio is best it is introducing the listener to something novel and in turn it is providing artists with an audience. I definitely try to maintain that from week to week.
What is one of your favorite memories of first starting out with Culture Caravan?
I produce the show in Philadelphia for a radio station in western North Carolina that is played on public radio outlets in Alaska, California, Colorado, Delaware, Maryland (of course!), Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee and Wisconsin. That’s kind of crazy! The fact that there are programmers and listeners in so many places who believe in the worth of the show is still hard to believe, and it means so much to me to be able to share this music with so many people...every time a new station comes on as an affiliate, I get really excited.
That's a wrap! Be sure to explore the world of music with Culture Caravan, Saturdays at 3pm (WESM and WSDL) and Thursdays at 8pm (WESM)