Podcasts: Vaya Con Muñoz
Vaya Con Muñoz
Vaya con Muñoz is hosted by Natalia Muñoz, a multimedia journalist from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Interviews and rants and raves on politics, culture and media, in English and en español. Airs Saturdays 10-11am and Sunday nights at 7pm.
Vaya Con Muñoz 12.16.17
Black women in particular sent Democrat Doug Jones to the U.S. Senate this week, helping to save the country from hate. And more than 22,000 write in votes, most probably from Republicans who could not abide Roy Moore, also were also crucial to send a decent man to the Senate over an alleged pedophile accused by several women. Troubling though that Moore still recieved 650,000 votes, about 20,000 less than Jones. What does that say about Alabama?
Filmmkaer Larry Hott reviews “Faces, Places,” a (mega feel good) film by Agnès Varda and photographer and muralist JR journey as they travel through rural France. Trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmHG5HXYc9w
Carmen Montes tiene nueve personas en casa a consecuencia del Huracán María – y de la corrupción política que debilitó la infraestructura. Carmen now has nine people living at home, six who recently arrived from Puerto Rico as a consequence of the destruction caused by a catastrophic combination of mother nature (Hurricane María) and man (corruption by politicians).
We also hear a snippet from a conversation The Washongton Post held with Anita Hill, who in 1991 dragged a reluctant Sen. Joe Biden and the nation into talking about the sexual harassment she suffered through from now-US Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas.
Ariadna Goenaga reseña la segunda temporada de “Stranger Things”. Sí que se deja ver, pero no es tan magnífica como fue la primera temporada. Sin embargo, Wynona Ryder es fabulosa la segunda vez.
Chucho Avellanet sings us out with “Brisas de Navidad.”
Vaya Con Muñoz 12.9.17
Kudos to Time magazine for spotlighting the women and men who called out sexual harassment and assault by powerful men. Link to “The Silence Breakers” story here: time.com/time-person-of-the-year-2017-silence-breakers/
Kudos to Emma Thompson for calling for societal change to end sexual harassment. We hear a snippet from her conversation with the BBC.
Lillian Torres y yo hablamos sobre el hostigamiento sexual y cómo es posible que aun exista a pesar de que la mayoría de los hombres son criados por mujeres.
Part 2 of our conversation with Betty Medina, executive director of Enlace de Familias en Holyoke. She breaks down how FEMA and MEMA works — or doesn’t — in helping Puerto Rican families arriving to our region. Lots of compassionate people but also lots of bureaucratic challenges hobble the process.
The governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rosselló, gets a lot of things wrong in my view but when it came to calling for the resignation of a lawmaker accused of gender-based violence, he gets it right.
We are sung out by Lucecita, “Amanecer Borincano.”
Vaya Con Muñoz 12.2.17
We hear a recording of Koko Taylor’s “I;m a Woman,” apt for this new era of sexual harassment finally being part of the public conversation about women and respect.
Florence-based filmmaker Larry reviews “Tickling Giants,” which Larry sums up as a compelling statement on “humor to power.” Trailer here: http://www.ticklinggiants.com/
Matt Szafranski, founder and edtor of Western Mass. Politics and Insight online, draws one of the most interesting political threads when he interwines MGM, Las Vegas, Nevada Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, Unions and Springfield. Whoaaaa!
We hear a snippet from Stephen Colbert’s interview with San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz this week. She lists some organizations that are helping Puyerto Ricans, half of whom still do not have electricty 2+ months after Hurricane María ripped through the island.
Shakira sings us out with “Hips Don’t Lie.”
Vaya Con Muñoz 11.18.17
Sen. Elizabeth Warren and New York Rep. Nydia Velázquez want Puerto Rico’s $74 billion to be forgiven because between that and Hurricane María, how in the world will Puerto Rico rebuild? Good point. But who will pay for the debt then?
The lights are either still out or go on and off and so that 1970s mega hit, “El Fuá (La Luz)” by Alfonso Vélez, comes to mind. We hear a bit of that song.
Larry Hott brings Roger Sorkin, another Florence-based filmmaker and founder of American Resilience (AmRes.org), a non-profit documentary film production company that produces films on the enviroment to bring together people of disparate views in order to help enact polcy changes that benefit all of us. Trailer of Sorkin’s fim, “Tidewater,” here: amresproject.org/tidewater-film
Part 1 of my conversation with Betty Medina Lichtenstein, executive director of the Holyoke-based Enlance de Familias, one of the organizations that is helping Puerto Ricans coming to the region because of the catastrophic effects of Hurricane María.
En nuestro segmento de De Todo Un Poco, Lillian Torres y yo hablamos sobre el hostigamiento sexual y cómo sería un día si los hombres se quedaran en su casas.
We are sung out by Estéro Bomba, “Soy Yo.”
Image from “Tideawater” used with permission.
Vaya Con Muñoz 11.4.17
Bye Bye Whitefish Energy! You were mean to Puerto Ricans, but that wasn’t the only thing that raised our ire. Charging $300 million to help restore our electric grid also was excessive, coming from a two-man outfit, and with a bad attitude to boot. ¡Adios, muchachos!
Florence resident Filmmaker Larry Hott reviews “Hare Krishna! The Mantra, the Movement and the Swami.” From the documentary’s director: “An unassuming 70-year-old Swami from India, arrives in New York City alone and without support or money. He carries only the ancient texts he has translated, and the firm faith in his teacher’s request: “offer spiritual wisdom to the people of the world!” Trailer here: vimeo.com/216907604
Also from Florence, Gia Bernini, author of “Corinander,” about her bilingual/bicultural life, is also a Colombian therapist who offers counseling in Spanish. What are the particular challenges in the Latino communities?
Lillian Torres, la ponceña por excelencia, y yo hablamos sobre Whitefish y como la “corruoción juega ajedrez otra vez” (Juan Luis Guerra).
We are sung out by Marc Anthnoy singing “Preciosa,” Puerto Rico’s other national anthem.
Vaya Con Muñoz 10.26.17
Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona, presented an eloquent defense of American values this week, at the same time of announcing his retirement from politics in a party led by Trump. Read full transcript here: nytimes.com/2017/10/24/us/politics/jeff-flake-transcript-senate-speech.html?_r=0Filmmaker Larry Hott reviews two coming of age documentaries about youngwomen.“For Akeem” directed by Jeremy S. Levine and Landon Van Soest. Say the directors: “For us, For Ahkeem is about an extraordinary young girl who never gives up.” Trailer here: http://forahkeemfilm.com/trailer/The other is “Bobbi Jean,” directed by Elvira Lind. Synopsis: “After a decade of stardom in Israel, American dancer Bobbi Jene decides to leave behind herprominent position at the world-famous Batsheva Dance Company, as well asthe love of her life, to return to the U.S. to create her own boundary breakingart. “ Trailer here: youtube.com/watch?v=JdtdFGNk3qoDoug Sweeney, a Westfield millenial with informed opinions, joins Larry, Monte Belmonte and me for a conversation on Trump, politics and American values.Alvilda Anaya Alegría of Guayama and Lillian Torres of Ponce and I talk about saving art post-Hurricane María.We are sung out by Lucecita, “De Ponce a Guayama.”Picture of “For Akeem” used with permission.
Vaya Con Muñoz 10.14.17
More than 32,000 Puerto Ricans have gone to Florda seince Oct. 3, and many more are expected throughout the US, especially the south and northeast. New York Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez wrote to Homeland Department because the death toll is unknown — anywhere from 45 to 450. We want to know.
Filmmaker Larry Hott reviews “Swim Team,” about a Special Olypics team for autistic youths. Trailer here: youtube.com/watch?v=2fxY2QkmTK4
Lillian Torres se recortó.
Billy Myers is the curator of “Seventh Generation: Native American Artists of the 21 Century,” an exhibit at Art for the Soul Gallery in Springfield. More info here:art4thesoul.org/
Lin-Manuel Sings us out with “It’s Almost Like Praying.”
Image of Billy Myers, curator, by permission from Art For The Soul Gallery.
Vaya Con Muñoz 9.30.17
Hurricane Corruption joined forces with Hurricane María in Puerto Rico. The manmade storm began in the 1990s, when US Attorney for Puerto Rico Guillermo Gil summarized the jaw-dropping theft of untold millions of public dollars by the Gov. Rosselló Administration this way: “Corruption has a name and it’s called the New Progressive Party.” The debt was compounded because of illegal multi-billion loans and spending on poorly concieved projects that resulted in the complete abandonment of the island’s infrastructure in order to pay back the loans with interest rates of 75 cents on the dollar. Gil sent many from the administration to prison, but the island’s health, education , publoc works and electrical grid was already in shambles.
Now Trump is going on Tuesday. Ay Dios mío. How many storms must Puerto Rico take?
Filmmaker Larry Hott reviews “Whose Streets,” about the street responses to the police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson MO in 2014. Trailer here: whosestreets.com/
Matt Szafranski unpacks the primaries in Holyoke and Springfield, where the political landscape is changing.
Lillian Torres, la ponceña, y yo hablamos sobre María.
Bruce Springsteen sings us out with “Devils and Dust,” for all of the Caribbean.
Image of what Puerto Rican (aka Boricua) hope and humor looks like.
Vaya Con Muñoz 9.23.17
Filmmaker Larry Hott reviews “Trophy,” which may change how you think of hunters. Trailer here: youtube.com/watch?v=GPPlH_yKgr4
Former State Rep. Ellen Story of Amherst talks national politics and why Hillary and Bernie should not be in limelight as much.
The ground-breaking women’s music 1975 album “The Changer and The Changed” is on the list of 150 greatest albums made by women between 1964 and the present. The list was compiled by nearly 50 women from across NPR and the public radio system and produced in partnership with Lincoln Center. Also on the list, “Fanny Hill,” by the rock and roll band Fanny, co-founded by Goshen resident June Millington with her sister Jean. Today, we talk with Cris and how she’s changed and stayed the same.
More about this list here: npr.org/2017/07/24/538387823/turning-the-tables-150-greatest-albums-made-by-women
We are sung out by Irma Thomas, “The River is Waiting.” Aleluya!
