Explore every episode of the podcast FolkTales set to Music from Around the Globe
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan - The Dancing Tea Kettle with Kaoru Watanabe and Bill Gordh | 30 Apr 2025 | 00:33:57 | |
The story follows an old man living in the mountains who discovers his leaking tea kettle has magical properties: When he tries to boil water, the kettle transforms into a tanuki (raccoon dog) who makes a mess of the old manās house! Once the tanuki returns to being a kettle, the old man boxes it up and gifts it to his handyman friend, Haruki, who discovers that it can dance! Haruki and the dancing kettle begin performing together, gaining fame and fortune all across Japan. Eventually, realizing his friend had grown tired of traveling and performing, Haruki returns the kettle to the old man, sharing the joy and a hidden treasure of gold. WMI Plus At Home with Kaoru Watanabe Sound courtesy of Cliff Hahn Sound Keep in touch with us! Join our newsletter | |||
| India - A Flowering Tree with Saraswathi Ranganathan and Bill Gordh | 11 Nov 2024 | 00:36:53 | |
In a tiny village, sisters Gitika and Lalitika are on a mission to save their struggling mom by selling blossoms from Gitika, who can magically transform into a flowering tree and back to herself again - but only with very careful preparations. The blooms catch the eye of Neela, the kingās daughter, who wants to keep them all for herself, but Neela's brother, the prince, uncovers Gitika's secret and falls in love with her. Unfortunately, Neela's flower obsession leads to some serious drama when she and her friends gather them carelessly, disregarding Gitika's specific instructions, and leaving Gitaka in flux. How will she transform into herself again? Keep in touch with us! Join our newsletter | |||
| Brazil - Night Comes to the Rainforest with Cyro Baptista and Bill Gordh | 21 Mar 2022 | 00:25:18 | |
Storyteller Bill Gordh and percussionist Cyro Baptista improvise the Brazilian folktale "Night Comes to the Rainforest".Ā The story follows a farmer's wife, the daughter of the mighty Snake King, who tells her husband about night, which he has never experienced. They decide to send three friends on a mission to fetch darkness from the Snake King. He hands them a nut containing night, with strict instructions not to open it until they return to his daughter, but temptation gets the better of them. Keep in touch with us! Join our newsletter | |||
| Ireland - Red Rory and the Fairies with Seamus Egan and Bill Gordh | 16 Mar 2022 | 00:25:44 | |
Storyteller Bill Gordh and multi-instrumentalist Seamus Egan improvise the IrishĀ folktale "Red Rory and the Fairies".Ā Red Rory likes showing off and telling stories - especially about the fairies. When he takes his fibbing a step too far, the fairies strike back with their playful wrath, throwing a wrench in his plans to head home for dinner with a trail of tricks and hurdles. Keep in touch with us! Join our newsletter | |||
| India - Grandmother Rabbit and the Elephant King with Saraswathi Ranganathan and Bill Gordh | 14 Feb 2022 | 00:28:39 | |
Storyteller Bill Gordh and veena player Saraswathi Ranganathan improvise the Indian folktale "Grandmother Rabbit and The Elephant King", an enchantingĀ story that dives into the drama between two ponds, one ruled by rabbits and the other by elephants. When the elephant's watering hole dries up, they barge into the bunny's pond, causing chaos. But wise Grandmother Rabbit has a plan to reclaim their turf. Keep in touch with us! Join our newsletter | |||
| West Africa - Why Sun and Moon Are Up in the Sky with Yacouba Sissoko and Bill Gordh | 17 Apr 2024 | 00:31:28 | |
For this FolkTale episode, Bill plays banjo and is joined by Malian kora master, singer, and fellow storyteller Yacouba Sissoko. Yacouba was born to a well-known Djeli family in Kita, Mali. For centuries, Djelis have been the musical storytellers and keepers of the history and fables of their culture. The kora, a 21-stringed plucked instrument with a gourd resonator, is the traditional instrument accompanying their songs.Ā Keep in touch with us! Join our newsletter | |||
| Ukraine - A Garment for the Moon with Lisa Gutkin and Bill Gordh | 05 Dec 2023 | 00:28:49 | |
Grammy Award-winning fiddler and vocalist Lisa Gutkin (The Klezmatics) and Bill Gordh tell the Jewish-Ukrainian tale A Garment for the Moon. The moon loves being up in the night sky but sometimes she gets cold. The tailors of the town try to weave a garment to keep her warm but she keeps changing shape! One tailor remembers a tale from his childhood about a place where they weave with light. Could that be the answer? And if so, how will he find it? Keep in touch with us! Join our newsletter | |||
| Persia - Parinaz and the Golden Lamp with Mehrnam Rastegari and Bill Gordh | 22 Oct 2023 | 00:29:04 | |
Mehrnam Rastegari and storyteller Bill Gordh improvise this Persian folk tale which tells the story of a young woman named Parinaz who escapes being married off to a rich man she does not love by hiding in a golden lamp stand, where she is discovered by a prince who falls in love with her voice. Mehrnam is an Iranian composer, vocalist, and kamancheh player now residing in New York City. Keep in touch with us! Join our newsletter | |||
| China - The Dragon's Eye with Zhou Yi and Bill Gordh | 04 Aug 2023 | 00:31:19 | |
Storyteller Bill Gordh and pipa master Zhou Yi improvise the Chinese folktale The Dragon's Eye which tells the story of a tinker who meets and befriends an orphaned dragon whom he raises in his home. Zhou Yi is a pipa (a four-string Chinese lute) soloist, educator, and the Artistic Director of the Ba Ban Chinese Music Society of NY.Ā She graduated from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in China. Keep in touch with us! Join our newsletter | |||
| Morocco - The Sultan's Horse with Samir LanGus and Bill Gordh | 30 Jul 2023 | 00:28:50 | |
Storyteller Bill Gordh and gnawa artist Samir LanGus improvise the Moroccan tale of The Sultan's Horse, in which the Sultan must choose one of his three sons to be his successor, and tasks them with traveling and returning with a report of what they have seen and done. While the elder sons choose the fastest horses, the youngest son chooses his father's old horse, who leads him to a singing feather, and ultimately sends them on a journey to find the Sultan of the Spirits' daughter. Keep in touch with us! Join our newsletter | |||
| Finland - The Enchanted Kantele with Kardemimmit and Bill Gordh | 01 May 2023 | 00:26:04 | |
Storyteller Bill Gordh and Finnish ensemble Kardemimmit improvise the folktaleĀ "The Enchanted Kantele".Ā In this magical story, a hunter saves a squirrel who transforms into a beautiful woman named Karina. They marry, but the King desires Karina and plots to eliminate the hunter by challenging him to a series of seemingly impossible tasks. However, the King has underestimated Karina's power. Keep in touch with us! Join our newsletter | |||
| Tibet - The Gathering Tree with Techung and Bill Gordh | 18 Jan 2023 | 00:35:52 | |
Storyteller Bill Gordh and Tibetan artist Techung improvise the folktaleĀ "The Gathering Tree", which delves into the adventures of Paulden, a lone traveler who uncovers life-saving tips byĀ paying heed to conversations among the animals at the Gathering Tree. As he shares his newfound knowledge with the village, they shower him with gratitude. But a sneaky fellow traveler who is jealous of Pauldenās good fortune tries to exploit the animals and locals, leading to a very different, not-so-pleasant ending. Keep in touch with us! Join our newsletter | |||
| South America - The Two Girls with Harpist Edmar Castaneda and Bill Gordh | 02 Jun 2022 | 00:28:19 | |
Storyteller Bill Gordh and Colombian harpist Edmar Castaneda improvise the South American folktale "The Two Girls" - a cautionary tale of two girls: one from a humble home, whose compassion earns her a well-deserved reward for helping an elderly woman in their village. The other girl who is spoiled and cruel, tries to take advantage of the same woman... but is in for a rude awakening. Keep in touch with us! Join our newsletter | |||