Radio Archives

March 2012 :: It was my pleasure and an honor to welcome my teacher, my friend Glen Velez to WDIY! Legendary master percussionist and composer, Four-time Grammy winner aka founding father of the modern frame drum movement.
(Read more about my studies with the Maestro: tahya.com/maestro-glen-velez/)

Father’s Day 2012 :: I dedicated the show to my dad Jack Keenan, who loved bossa nova!  
PLUS this 2-hour program also includes an interview with Hector Rosado.
Inspired by the photos on his brother’s wall of
Ray Barreto and the music that echoed from a distance from his brothers 8 Track tape, Hector Rosado knew at young age he was destined for a lifetime journey in the music industry. In his early teens he followed his dreams to become a professional percussionist in New York City. His hard work, efforts, and sacrifice paid off. He soon attracted attention and became one of the best and most demanded percussionists. He toured with David Byrne (from Talking Heads). Hector toured Japan, Israel, Australia, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Brazil. He also appeared with Byrne on the Johnny Carson Show and the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He accompanied the late Tito Puente to Argentina and Colombia with the late Celia Cruz. We talk about his experiences in NYC , the Fania All-Stars and more… Take a listen:

September 2015 :: American musician & songwriter, producer and percussionist best known for providing backing vocals with The Rolling Stones for over 25 years on recordings and tours, Bernard Fowler is at home on both rock and roll stages and jazz cabarets. His dynamic vocals have appeared on hundreds of albums for bands as diverse as Herbie Hancock, John Mayer, Rod Stewart, Duran Duran, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Michael Buble, Philip Glass, Yoko Ono, Alice Cooper, The Neville Brothers and many more. Tahya was lucky enough to conduct a phone interview with Bernard while on a break during a tour with The Rolling Stones and along with that interview she played a couple tracks from his newly released CD, The BURA.
(Photo at right is Tahya with Bernard at NAMM 2016.)

July 2016 :: To a certain set of devotees, Hossam Ramzy (1953 –2019) was known as the very essence of world percussion. Peter Gabriel, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, Chick Corea, Joe Bonamassa, and Shakira represent a fraction of the stars this renowned darbuka (Egyptian tabla) player worked with in his storied career. With the strains that emanate from Saudi Bedouin camps and Egyptian baladi—the urban folk and dance music that is his native tongue—Ramzy fuses sounds from around the world in performances that are expansive and earthy, overflowing with mesmerizing rhythms. An international cohort of like-minded musicians backs him for an intoxicating evening. Tahya speaks with world-renowned Egyptian percussionist Hossam Ramzy about his Fall 2016 concert at Lafayette College’s Williams Center f/t Arts . Ali Almasi also visited the show to introduces listeners to music from his native Tabriz. (Photo to right taken back stage at the performance at Lafayette College in which Maestro Ramzy invited Tahya to perform with this ensemble.)

2016 & 2019 :: Bakithi Kumalo ‘s musical career has been characterized by a series of serendipitous events, ranging from his debut gig as a precocious seven-year-old filling in for the bassist in his uncle’s band to his enlistment into Paul Simon’s group during the recording sessions of the pop star’s landmark Graceland album in 1985.  In addition to touring with Simon, he’s also recorded and/or toured with the likes of Gloria Estefan, Derrick Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, Chico Ceasar, Harry Belafonte, Laurie Anderson, Cyndi Lauper, Gerald Albright, Miriam Makeba, Grover Washington Jr., Bob James, Angelique Kidjo and Chris Botti among others.