RNZ: Voices

In part two of our series with funny folk, we're joined by Summer Xia and Annie Guo who found comedy through chance in New Zealand. Produced by Kadambari Raghukumar.When Summer Xia and Annie Guo came to New Zealand, performing in front of a crowd was certainly nowhere on their model minority dreams.Not taking themselves too seriously helped with their Kiwi orientation. Roasting friends, family and their new immigrant selves eventually lef them to the world of standup comedy. So in this second part to Accidental Comics, Annie Guo and Summer Xia speak to Kadambari Raghukumar about what humour is to them; how it manifests in their bilingual brains and when do jokes on our collective immigrant experience run out of steam?They both take to the stage at the NZ International Comedy Festival this May, to share their jokes on navigating life as first-gen Chinese immigrants in New Zealand.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In this four-part series, Kadambari Raghukumar talks to folks with jokes -  people from overseas who've ended up as stand-up comics out of chance - their comedy, an outcome of coming to New Zealand. Edd Rivera came to New Zealand thinking it was somewhere in Europe. True story and he's been here eight years on. Comedy by chance, comedy to cope with moving countries. Produced by Kadambari Raghukumar.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Javier Murcia's got his hands full rather literally. The sculptor is a master at casting in clay and bronze, the intricacies and subtleties of the human form. In this episode, he chats with Kadambari Raghukumar about his explorations in form and beyond. Hearing Javier Murcia talk about his process as he breaks down each step of making from clay, a human figure, sounds like a class in anatomy. It's close.In this episode of Here Now, Kadambari Raghukumar chats to the sculptor in his studio at Avalon Studios, Lower Hutt, about everything from Spain to Wellington, traversing his personal and artistic journey.Between recording his 5 hour long full-render sessions for his online sculpting workshops, to casting hundreds of his signature figurative pieces, Javier Murcia has been up against time, and that's nothing new. A scan around his studio and it's easy to see how prolific he has been. Javier's best known for figurative sculpture, a testimony to his acute understanding the human body and movement – from the poses to the proportion.Murcia was born in Spain and moved to New Zealand to explore work in the film industry, ending up at Weta Studios for several years in an "amazing bubble" as he calls it.Working with the human form though, goes back to an interest from his childhood, growing up surrounded by books on anatomy, thanks to a physiotherapist father. While it could seem figurative sculpting is more relatable the more realistic it is to the real human form, but that's not the case Javier says – whether, distorted or keeping with reality, it's a language unique to the maker.Part of Javier's more recent exploration is a newer collection that plays with with enamel, sand, epoxy resin, and a diametric move away from his work with human form. He calls it MaTI – or Matter and Time - they're large, intriguing, circular pieces of illuminated and textured work - outcomes of his curiosity to see where, if pushed, his skills and artistic language can take him.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Reggae artist Protoje who graced The Bowl stage at WOMAD Aotearoa this year, speaks to Kadambari Raghukumar in this episode on all things from patties to performances. The world's awash with so many mixed messages about Jamaica but what makes the intrigue endure is this incessant stream of positivity, upfulness and the calibre of music that the country puts out.One of Jamaica's reigning reggae icons Protoje performed at The Bowl stage at this year's WOMAD Aotearoa and Kadambari Raghukumar got to chat with him, pre-show. The conversation goes from chatting about his parents, politics, patties of course, to the idea of why most people nowadays may associate Jamaican music just dancehall. "People here today they're gonna see me a reggae music artist from Jamaica, their perception of what Jamaican music is going to be also that and other stuff. I think it's just visibility. It's about doing the work, being on the ground, playing the shows, being active and spreading that energy globally. it's action, you know? I can do it by going out there and playing music and letting people see the type of songs we have to offer, which we do on a global scale."Protoje along with other artists like Kabaka Pyramid, Lila Ike are all part of a group of artists emerging out of Jamaica responsible for spearheading what's been a roots reggae revival of sorts, focussed on conscious music. "I think we all have some message and if we listen to each other, I'm sure we can decipher the message that all of us have. I just feel that I've been fortunate to have a platform and to share the thoughts that come up in my head on lonely nights and people get to hear it."Born Oje Ken Ollivierre and raised in St Elizabath, Jamaica, both of Protoje's parents were reggae and calypso singers - Lorna Bennett and Mike Ollivierre - but there's no sense of pressure when it comes to him carrying forward a legacy he said. "I don't look at it like that. It's all a good cycle. I'm My parents live within me, I just do the music that I do. I'm privileged to work with my mum. She's my manager. So she gets a second time to live through music and she's excited."Protoje's even keel attitude is hard to ignore, unaffected and unperturbed by the high energies of a festival like WOMAD. "It's life sometimes. Your emotions up and down. For me, especially if I have a show. I'm chill, I'm easy. I save my energy for stage because it's real energy. You're giving your energy to people. So I try to just keep it balanced, as low key as possible."Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

This year's WOMAD Aotearoa saw reggae icon Queen Omega draw crowds - she spoke to Kadambari Raghukumar about how it began for her. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Making that settling-in process a little easier, the small and welcoming Happiness House has been making an big impact on several lives in Queenstown. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Here Now looks back at some the conversations we had with women this past year on the series across all sorts of topics - Colombian stereotypes, medicine, comedy and academics. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Over 7000 people have been killed since January this year in the conflict that's ongoing in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kadambari Raghukumar talks about the impact of the war with Congolese with family members in the east of the country. Congoloese diaspora in Auckland gathered at a rally last month to bring attention to ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where since January this year alone, nearly 7000 people have been killed.About the size of Western Europe, Democratic Republic of Congo – the DRC - has almost 72 % of the world's coltan resources and a wealth of other mineral resources from gold to zinc.Vying for control over the east's vast mineral reserves are more than 100 armed groups.Precious untapped minerals in Congolese soil have globalized impact of the conflict. Several multinational corporations are vested in the resources while Congolese minerals are an inextricable part of our own everyday lives from phones, batteries, electric cars.For the past 30 years, DRC has been racked by multiple conflicts that have been called the First and Second Congo Wars that took seed in 1996 contested between ethnic and militant groups on the frontiers with Rwanda and Uganda, and the protracted Kivu conflict in the east, that's now intensified.Amongst all the armed groups fighting in the region, the most prominent is the M23 – whom the UN as well as the US and several other countries allege are backed by Rwanda – is violently taking control of the resource-rich territory, Kivu. It's a region nearly five times the size of Rwanda.M23 are mostly led by ethnic Tutsis, who say they needed to take up arms to protect the rights of the minority group in the east of DRC.Rwanda rejects allegations that it supports the group with arms and funding.In this episode of Here Now, Kadambari Raghukumar talks to Congolese in Auckland on how the ongoing conflict in their homeland is affecting them.The conversation features Redoland Tsounga, Eddy Mokonzi and Nyota. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Artist Nadia Freeman's performance, The Girmit, explores a slightly unconventional approach to telling the story of how Indians came to be taken to Fiji in the 1800s. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

What does culture-centred communication look like in a suburb of Palmerston North trying to shift narratives around it's reputation? Professor Mohan Dutta and Venessa Pokaia join Kadambari Raghukumar in this second part to the conversation on CARE's work. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Exploring cultural communication around sex and health, Fullbright scholar at Massey University Prof Angela Cooke-Jackson talks to Kadambari Raghukumar about her experiences as an academic working with Black and indigenous communities. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Ahilan Karunaharan returns with his final in a trilogy of plays - A Mixtape for Maladies with Ambika GKR in a leading role. Kadambari Raghukumar talks to them about the making of the play that premieres at the Auckland Arts Festival this March. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

As New Zealand courts India seeking deeper bilateral ties, what does the ideal relationship look like and what's in it for us? Sunit Prakash talks to Kadambari Raghukumar on his views as a tech consultant going between the two countries. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

As the year comes to an end, five activists in the diaspora reflect on the wars in Palestine, Sudan and Lebanon and how it has affected them. This episode features Eva Maria, Avigail Allan, Rana Hamida, Ala Farah and Fatima Sanussi.This week, we hear the personal reflections of 5 women who this past year have organized or participated in activism over crisis and conflict far from Aotearoa.How has it personally affected them? What have they learned? And what comes next?We hear from Aucklanders Fathima Sanussi and Dr Ala Farah from Sudan - where over 8 million are said to be displaced as the fighting between the Rapid Support Forces and the government army has continued for over a year now.As the year comes to an end with Christmas cheer, the war in Gaza continues, as do the rallies in downtown Auckland, calling for an end to it. In this episode we talk to Israel-born Avigail Allan, Lebanon-born Eva Maria and Syrian-born Palestinian Rana Hamida, on their activism this past year.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Finally getting to forge their futures on New Zealand soil is a long-awaited moment for so many would-be Kiwis at the citizenship ceremony. Ruwani Periera went to one to find out what that is all about. Finally getting to forge their futures on New Zealand soil is a long-awaited moment for so many would-be Kiwis at the citizenship ceremony. Ruwani Periera went to one to find out what it's all about. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The nail salon industry is booming but still largely unregulated. Vietnamese couple Tri Phung and Ngi Dinh are trying to challenge the status quo by turning their focus on the health and safety of both, client and their nail techs. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Musician Vallé talks to Kadambari Raghukumar about rediscovering his connection to Papua New Guinea, his music and running his barbershop alongside everything else. WATCH A VIDEO ON THIS STORY HEREGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Christine Keller was the Head of Textiles at the Otago Polytechnic for 5 years, but things changed in 2010 when her role was made redundant. Turns out it was the perfect time to chase her aim to find sustainable alternatives to period care and started Sew On Period Care to involve the community and make reusable sanitary pads. Karthic SS chats to her in this episode.

Combating climate change, protecting biodiversity and sustaining food systems of the world were top of the agenda at the COP16 in Cali, Colombia. In this episode, Kadambari Raghukumar was in Colombia to talk to two New Zealanders attending the world's largest biodiversity conference with the aim to bring a Kiwi perspective to some of the planet's biggest challenges.

Canterbury's Polish history goes back over a century and in this episode, Kadambari Raghukumar sits down with two of the community's most active history enthusiasts to learn about how bogs became fertile vegetable gardens thanks to the blood, sweat and tears of early Polish settlers.

Two young Sri Lankans talk to Phil Vine about a film-making voyage of discovery in their homeland - telling stories of farming hardship and investigating where our food really comes from.

In Wellington this month and next, a series of public programmes mark the 50th year of the Dawn Raids. In this episode of Here Now Kadambari Raghukumar talks to artist Liana Leiataua and Pacific historian Rachel Yates Pahulu around their thoughts and experiences of events of the 70s that inform their work. 

This week on Here Now, Kadambari Raghukumar checks out some arts and culture events lined up in the capital for the next few weeks ahead. The podcast features chats with musicians performing at Wellington Jazz Festival - Alda Rezende and Seth Boy; and Abhi Chinniah about her photography on display in the NZ Portrait Gallery.

What's a New Zealand citizenship ceremony really like? For hundreds of new citizens each year, this is a long-awaited milestone event - one of which producer Ruwani Pereira attends in this episode, alongside would-be Kiwis about to forge their future on New Zealand soil.

A hundred years ago Haining and Frederick Streets in central Wellington were the heart of the capital's Chinese quarter. Today, all but a few fragments are gone. Wellington Chinese Historian Lynette Shum takes producer William Ray on a tour of the Wellington's long lost Chinatown.

As the cost of living hits home, what practical, money-saving tips can we learn from some of New Zealand's diverse cultures? In this cross-over episode with RNZ's money saving podcast, Thrift, Katy Gosset joins a cooking class at Canterbury's Refugee Resettlement and Resources Centre.

Canterbury-based botanists Dr Julie Barcelona and Pieter Pelser met in the US in the mid 2000s and it was their shared love for plants in tropical jungles that brought them together. What ensued has been years of botanical discovery and adventure - and some peculiar romantic gestures.

Leandro Vasquez of Abada Capoeira Auckland joins Kadambari Raghukumar in this episode to talk about celebrating the sense of community, art and camaraderie born out of this art.

For many years, Rohingya Muslims have been fleeing their homes in Myanmar to find refuge here in New Zealand. Rashid Ansorali is one of them. He tells Liz Garton about his journey and why he now helps organise events that bring the Auckland Rohingya community together.

Drawing from her Zimbabwean background, mental health nurse Sandra Zvenyika talks about navigating a career in her new adopted home.

From being a cultural producer and advocate, to a doctoral candidate- Makanaka Tuwe has been a bit of an icon in Auckland's African diaspora for several years now. In this third part of the series, she chats about what that journey's been like. 

Social constructs, race and identity are topics that are perpetually on Dr Camille Nakhid's radar and in this episode of Here Now, she chats about her lengthy career in New Zealand with research and activism for minority communities.

In part one of four conversations, four black women in New Zealand share their experiences of carving out careers for themselves in New Zealand to becoming leaders in their own fields - from medicine to mental health. 

Nalini Singh is a best-selling author of a very particular genre - paranormal romance - and she's now finding a creative reset in writing murder mysteries set in New Zealand. 

Bringing the best of Pan African cinema to New Zealand each year, the African Film Festival returns this month. 

Zurkhaneh - an ancient Persian system of athletics combines martial arts, music, strength and spiritual devotion and is picking up serious momentum in Canterbury. 

From having to start afresh as a refugee in New Zealand to adjusting to a whole new life as a new amputee- Naeem Hashemi's life is a remarkable story of grit and faith. 

Twenty-five years ago when the Kosovo war ended, nearly 800,000 Kosavar Albanians were left displaced. Some went to Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro and a small number arrived in New Zealand as refugees. 

What's it like for a new refugee to arrive in New Zealand, get resettled and start a new life here? This month we are marking World Refugee Day with 3-part series on stories on refugee resettlement in New Zealand. 

The Pacific and Nordic regions couldn't be further from each other but in this episode Phil Vine's out to find discover some uncanny similarities between NZ and Iceland, and where we really are poles apart. 

A year into the civil war, millions of Sudanese have been forcibly displaced while diaspora here are desperately holding on to hope for their family members directly impacted. Produced and presented by Kadambari Raghukumar.

Tucked away in west Auckland, a bird rescue centre has been attracting people with experience from around the world keen to help rescue injured NZ avians.