Auntie `Ala

I  grew up in Manoa Valley on Oahu and graduated from Roosevelt High School. I moved to Washington in 1969 after marrying a sailor from Everett. We raised one son and I worked in food service and was a barista for 17 years until my husband passed. I danced hula with Kumuhula Sally Galt for nearly 20 years. So while taking a Hawaiian language class, I learned of the opportunity to co-host with Braddah Gomes and have been doing that for almost 2 years now. Playing Hawaiian music makes me feel closer to home.

Auntie ‘Ala helps co-host Hawai`i Radio Connection Saturdays 12-2pm.

Nje

Nje is a music producer and a performing artist, born and raised in Kenya and now living in the United States. He has been involved in the music industry for over twenty years. He is the Producer and Owner of Ufuoni (swahili for Seashore) Records and has participated in charity activities, organizing concerts and events throughout East Africa.

Nje is a conscious Hip Hop and Reggae Artist, influenced and inspired by the style of underground Hip-Hop and portraying positive messages in his music. He is still learning the Hip Hop cultures in the U.S. and as a Producer he targets the underground Hip Hop artist who never had a chance to get airplay on radio stations. He explores Hip Hop culture from all over the world.

Nje hosts Hip Hop Knuckles Saturdays 11pm-12am.

Auntmama (Mary Anne Moorman)

Auntmama tells stories that are topical and narrative linking her Appalachian roots to her northwest home.

President of Seattle’s Storytellers Guild, emcee storyteller for Bainbridge Bluegrass and board member for Village Speaks, she can be heard on Sunday Folks.

Catch a story anytime at www.maryannemoorman.com/ or Madison Park Starbuck’s the last Thursday of every month.

Larry Lewin

After spending his first 21 years in New Jersey, Larry began a westward migration, which led to Seattle, where he fell in love with mountaineering and made many close friends.

KBCS became part of his life over 20 years ago as a result of a decades-long interest in folk music. He started and named a show called Risin’ of the Sun and after 15 months evolved into one of KBCS’s longest running Folk shows: Our Saturday Tradition.

Larry retired from regularly hosting in May 2021 and still contributes to KBCS subbing for Our Saturday Tradition, and occasionally filling in with Sunday Folks, Bluegrass Ramble, Sunday’s Hornpipe, and Folksounds. “Who’da thunk it!”….More like ‘Who’da DONE it!”

Larry did and so have many of the DJ volunteers at KBCS.  Thank you

Tom Voorhees

One fine summer day in my garden with a radio, spinning the dial I came across a bluegrass song. Wow. Then they played another. WOW!! First time I had heard this on the radio since the 70’s, when John Morris, the founder of Old Homestead Records had a Sunday afternoon bluegrass show in my native Michigan. Saw Larry Sparks, Charlie Moore and others at his house. Later, I joined a friend in a tin-roofed cabin 18 miles up the mountains outside Hot Springs, NC (pop. 600). A loose, scattered community of farmers who spent much of their time making music, musical instruments, moonshine, log structures, singing, praying and generally enjoying life at a slow, slow pace. Electricity had been there only 15 years at the time. At first they thought this 20-something long-haired hippie was a federal agent here to bust them for bootlegging and moonshine. Soon. though, I was accepted in the community. Gained a first hand look at the love of music, family and faith of these mountain folk. I love bringing this to all of you and I treasure your stories that you’ve added to the mix through emails and phone calls.

Tom co-hosts Bluegrass Ramble with Tom Keeney Sundays 12-3pm.

Rankin Mark

Rankin Mark started The Reggae Party at WOSU in Columbus, OH. He took the program to a number of radio stations along the west coast and into Idaho, before landing here on KBCS in 1997.