Spotlight On: HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF

ABOUT THIS WEEK’S SHERO IN THE SPOTLIGHT:

Born and raised in the Bronx, musician, singer-songwriter and producer Alynda Segarra left home at 17, hitchhiking and freight train hopping their way across the country, joining up with hobo band Dead Man Street Orchestra for two years before finally landing in New Orleans. They formed Hurray For The Riff Raff in 2007, and self-released their debut EP Crossing The Rubicon that same year. Alynda put out an album nearly every year for the next six years as Hurray For The Riff Raff, and their breakthrough came in 2014 with their fifth full length studio album and ATO Records debut, Small Town Heroes. With their critically acclaimed last album, 2016’s The Navigator, Alynda dug deep to reclaim their ancestral Puerto Rican heritage, and now, in the longest time between albums since their beginnings fifteen years ago, Hurray For The Riff Raff is back with their eighth full length collection and Nonesuch Records debut, Life On Earth. We celebrate its arrival, and their return, by welcoming Alynda Segarra as this week’s SHERO in the Spotlight.

Our playlist includes new music from Ibeyi and Amber Mark, plus a track from Little Simz who was just nominated for 4 Brit Awards, and took home Best New Artist!

SHERO BIRTHDAYS: We celebrate the SHERO birthdays of Buffy Sainte-Marie who turns 81 on 2/20, and Rhiannon Giddens who turns 45 on 2/21! Rhiannon shares a birthday with Nina Simone, who would have been 89. 

This week’s Radio SHERO: Jessi Whitten of Indie 102.3 in Denver joins us as our Radio SHERO this week, spinning the track “You’re Dying” from Lonely Choir, a reminder that “we still have time.”