For the past 35 years, Riz Rollins has been taking listeners on musical journeys across time and genres as a DJ at Seattle’s KEXP. Rollins’ own journey to becoming one of the city’s most beloved musical curators — on the air and in the clubs — wasn’t always certain, but opportunity led him to become a champion of the Black and LGBTQ+ communities and a driving force behind KEXP’s mission.
Cipher Goings discovered tap at a young age and has since become not only a standout performer but also a teacher at Northwest Tap Connection in Seattle’s Rainier Beach — the very studio where he got his start. As part of the growing renaissance of tap, a tradition with deep roots in the Black community, Goings is figuring out where he fits in that lineage and discovering his value along the way.
May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander month. KEXP host Kevin Sur shares why broad terms don’t always speak to communities like his own.
A recent visit by Korean-to-English translator Anton Hur exemplified a growing appreciation for the work as an art form in an increasingly diverse city.
