Afro Indigenous Country Blues: The Sonic Sovereignty of Cactus Rose NYC

In this episode of Jack Dappa Blues Radio, we welcome Kandia Crazy Horse, Afro-Indigenous musician, rock critic, author, and frontwoman of the genre-defying band Cactus Rose NYC. From the newsroom to the stage, Kandia has blazed a singular trail across rock, country, and Americana—reclaiming sound as a site of cultural sovereignty, survival, and storytelling.We dive into her legacy as editor of Rip It Up: The Black Experience in Rock ’n’ Roll, her academic work at Princeton University, and her bold mission to center Afro-Indigenous identity in American roots music. Her concept of “sonic sovereignty” challenges colonial gatekeeping in music, and her voice—both literal and literary—carries the spirit of revolution.🎶 Listen to Kandia Crazy Horse’s music:👉 Spotify – “Gravedigger Gonna Cut You Down” Spotify - "Cactus Rose NYC" 🔗 Featured Topics:Afro-Indigenous identity in musicReclaiming Americana and country bluesThe politics of sound and representationCactus Rose NYC and creative freedomRip It Up and the Black Rock archiveCultural revolt in music journalism and academia

You can listen to Afro Indigenous Country Blues: The Sonic Sovereignty of Cactus Rose NYC online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Afro Indigenous Country Blues: The Sonic Sovereignty of Cactus Rose NYC is an episode from Jack Dappa Blues Podcast by Jack Dappa Blues.

This episode is 01:04:53 long.

This episode was published on May 31, 2025.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Jack Dappa Blues Podcast when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.