Hey it’s the Cultureverse production team here again with another amazing show recommendation for you! If you enjoy exploring folktales from around the world with Cultureverse, then we recommend another series from the TRAX network and Cocotazo Media. Timestorm is an audio drama adventure for the entire family. When the Ventura twins are yanked into another dimension, they meet a distant cousin who gives them an extraordinary mission: travel through time to witness their culture’s true history. Alexa and Beni visit three continents across the span of five centuries, meeting people who have left their mark on Puerto Rican heritage. In the twenty-first century, the twins navigate school, friendship, and family while keeping their time-traveling quests a secret. Listen to Timestorm wherever you find your podcasts or at TimestormSeries.com. And now, enjoy Timestorm - Episode 1: The Storm.

In this episode of our cultural adventure series, Sefi channels the great Samoan warrior goddess: Nafanua. This tale is based on the legendary oral history of Nafanua, the daughter of Saveasi'uleo, the king of the underworld, who once stepped in to end a great battle between eastern and western tribes of Samoa. Nafanua has 3 special tools that she uses: one was for herself, the TaFesilafa'i; one was for her adopted family, Fa'auli'ulito, and the other was called Ulimasao which was used for victory, to end war and bring peace. She is a historic figure that is often cited as being one of the great leaders of Samoa.  This podcast was produced by Studio Ochenta for Trax from PRX and was hosted by Kelly Marie Tran and Yara Shahidi. Sefi was voiced by Abby Leuelu. Nafanua was voiced by Aryn Rozelle; Laki was voiced by Jared Raman; Loto was voiced by EJ Espino and Coach T. was voiced by Irvin Kalugdan. Special thanks to our Cultureverse editorial team for this episode: Nicole Alefaio, Izik Moreno, and Terisa Tinei, who brought their Samoan experiences to this story.  Transcripts and additional resources to learn more about Samoan folklore and oral history at ochentastudio.com/cultureverse.

Hi Cultureverse Fans! We’re off this week but we wanted to share a brand new show that you might enjoy: Milky Way Underground! Lydia and Elijah are going through a lot: Lydia’s best friend isn’t talking to her, Elijah thinks he might have a crush on his best friend, and their father’s alcoholism threatens to tear their family apart. On top of this, Lydia and Elijah are both having stranger and stranger dreams… though neither of them realize their dreams mirror each other’s. Then one night, their dad goes missing. In an attempt to find him, Lydia and Elijah head into the subway. But something is… off about the station. Taking the first car that arrives, Lydia and Elijah find themselves in the middle of a far-off creek, with New York City nowhere in sight. Join siblings Lydia and Elijah on a fantastical, surreal journey through a mysterious dreamworld as they search for their missing father. Are the people they meet in this other world really who they say they are? Who—or what—seems to be protecting them? Can they trust their surroundings, or each other, or themselves? Milky Way Underground is a heartfelt journey of self-discovery fit for the whole family. Inspired by the films of Hayao Miyazaki and books like A Wrinkle in Time and The Giver, Milky Way Underground is about both the difficulties and the joy of growing up and becoming yourself. Journey further into the world of the show with bonus interactive episodes, where listeners can truly become a part of Lydia and Elijah’s multiple worlds. Cultureverse and Milky Way Underground are part of the TRAX network from PRX. You can listen to both shows on TRAX.FM and wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode of our cultural adventure series, Dwayne, Obi, and Tiffanie encounter an ancient Pan African water spirit called Mami Wata. This story is inspired by the Pan-African folktale of the Mami Wata, a water goddess known for protecting seaside towns by sending fishermen calm waters. Africans who were displaced from their continent believed that the Mami Wata guided & protected them as they were taken to the West. Even today, for many Africans in the Western world, the deity is said to have traveled with them from Africa on the Atlantic Ocean protecting them from harm. This podcast was produced by Studio Ochenta for TRAX on PRX and is hosted by Yara Shahidi. Obi was voiced by Owen Nnamdi Aguh. Dwayne was voiced by Kevin Thelwell. Tiffanie was voiced by Marion Toro, Aunt Ngozi by Florence Mafomemeh, and Mami Wata by Janet Onye with Anooj Bhandari as crowd member and Cherie B. Tay as Sandy Poplore. Transcripts and additional resources to learn more about Nigerian and Pan African oral history are available at ochentastudio.com/cultureverse.

What happens when you step into the Cultureverse? In this episode of our cultural adventure series, Ahuli learns to listen to his animal relative: Gitli in this homage to the Cherokee myth of The Deluge. This story is inspired by the Cherokee myth called  “The Deluge”. In the story, a long time ago a man had a dog, which began to go down to the river every day and look at the water and howl. The dog warned of a flood that would soon cover the entire world. The dog convinced the man to build a raft and the man’s family (and the dog) remained safe in the raft as the water rose. It rained for a long time, and the water covered the mountaintops. When the rain stopped, the man climbed to the top of a mountain and saw that everything was still and they were the few that survived. This podcast was produced by Studio Ochenta for TRAX on PRX. Ahuli was voiced by Calvin Joyal. Ama was voiced by Lorna Bowen. Andre was voiced by Kevin Thelwell. Sandy Poplore, the Newscaster, is Cherie B. Tay. The Animal Control Officer was voiced by Bryan Green. Special thanks to our Cultureverse editorial team for this episode: Joseph Pierce, Melanie McKay-Cody and Jack Cooper who brought their experiences as Cherokee people to this story. Transcripts and additional resources to learn more about Cherokee folklore are available at ochentastudio.com