If you enjoyed Cultureverse, you'll love Mija Podcast, an audio drama that tells immigrant stories from around the world through immersive sound design. The show is available in English, French, Spanish, Mandarin, and Arabic versions and is recommended by Common Sense Media for kids and families! The latest season of Mija was produced in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month and tells a special story of musical migration. *Mija Música* tells the story of how the city of Monterrey (México) became...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

In this episode of our cultural adventure series, Amita meets the Loyal Mongoose from the ancient Indian tale of the same name. This story is inspired by the Indian morality folktale about the Loyal Mongoose. An ancient tale from the Panchatantra collection, an enormously influential group of stories from ancient India. In this particular story, a farmer couple has a pet mongoose. One day, the couple leaves the mongoose with their baby, assured that he would guard their baby well. While...

In this episode of our cultural adventure series, Juan visits his family in Puerto Rico and loses a very valuable watch in this homage to the classic Puerto Rican folk character: Juan Bobo. This story is inspired by Juan Bobo, a Puerto Rican folk character. In Spanish, bobo means “fool,” and Juan Bobo is a jíbaro -which means “farmer.” He’s known for always getting into sticky situations, but in the end, Juan’s choices always show he is much wiser than expected. This podcast was produced...

What happens when you step into the Cultureverse? In this episode of our cultural adventure series, Kevin celebrates the Korean ceremony of Jesa and travels through a sacred cosmic tree.  This story represents the importance of Sacred Trees in South Korean mythology. These trees are usually outside of villages in South Korea, and they are the location for the community's rituals. According to Korean shamanism, the Sacred Tree, also known as the Cosmic Tree, keeps a connection between the...

In this episode of our cultural adventure series, Sarah creates her own Golem in this homage to the ancient Hebrew folk creature of the same name. This story is inspired by the Jewish folktale of the Golem, a stone figure brought to life to protect a Jewish community in Prague. Golems are not intelligent, and if commanded to perform a task, they will perform the instructions literally. There are many variations of the golem story which originates from the Czech Republic, Poland, and ancient...

In this episode of our cultural adventure series, May finds a curious watermelon that connects her to her Vietnamese heritage and herself. This story is inspired by the Vietnamese folktale, The Watermelon Prince. It is the story of a king’s adopted son who gets banished to a faraway island after the king’s biological son spreads vicious rumors about the adopted one. It is on the island that the son discovers the watermelon. One day, he carves a message of love to his adopted father in the...

What happens when you step into the Cultureverse? In this episode of our cultural adventure series, Sean receives a gift with the power of the Celtic God: Dagda. This story was inspired by Dagda's harp, a mystical object in Celtic mythology. Dagda is one of the most important Celtic gods. He owns objects with magical powers, including a cauldron and a club... But his most famous and iconic instrument is his magical harp. It’s made of oak and richly decorated, and this instrument allowed...

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...

In this episode of our cultural adventure series, Isa meets a mysterious little round creature in this homage to the Mexican folk character: the Cholito de la Suerte. This podcast was produced by Studio Ochenta for TRAX on PRX and is hosted by Kelly Marie Tran. Isa was voiced by Daisy Guevara. Dali was voiced by Lisha López. Olga, Isa’s mom, was voiced by Sylvia Rosas, the Cholito was voiced by José Érick Yáñez and the English teacher was voiced by Lory Martínez. Special thanks to our...

What happens when you step into the Cultureverse? In this episode of our cultural adventure series, David and Jenny meet the most revered creature in the Chinese Zodiac: The Water Dragon. This podcast was produced by Studio Ochenta for TRAX on PRX and is hosted by Kelly Marie Tran. David was voiced by Ivan Mok. Jenny was voiced by Jenny W. Chan. The Water Dragon was interpreted by Andy Lowe. Auntie Ming was voiced by Hua Szu Yang, and Sandy Poplore is Cherie B. Tay. Special thanks to our...

What happens when you step into the Cultureverse? In the first episode of our cultural adventure series, Winston sneaks out to go camping with his friends and encounters a Jamaican folk creature called The Rolling Calf. This story is inspired by the Jamaican folktale of the Rolling Calf. The Rolling Calf is one of many "duppy" spirits who used to roam about on plantations in Jamaica. In the 1800s the creature became popular because there was very little electricity, and stories about...

From Studio Ochenta and Trax: CULTUREVERSE is an immersive audio drama that celebrates our collective cultural past. It is a place where myths and legends come alive in the modern world, hosted by Kelly Marie Tran and Yara Shahidi. Airing weekly on TRAX beginning June 17th, 2021, wherever you get your podcasts. So subscribe now and follow us on IG @CULTUREVERSEPOD for updates!

Coming soon to TRAX.