Worldwide Underground with Gabriel Teodros 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.
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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