Camels, Tamales, and Music! It’s our annual Holiday Show! And don’t forget to subscribe to our podcast so you can take our show on the road with you this holiday weekend.
The Punjabi Immigrant Who Started El Cerrito’s Favorite Christmas Tradition
Punjabi immigrant Sundar Shadi created an ornate Christmas display on the hillside above his home in El Cerrito nearly 70 years ago. He wasn’t a Christian, but he wanted to do something to delight his neighbors for the holidays. His hand-crafted sheep, camels and wise men are still displayed every year by a community that wants to keep his creation alive. Reporter Spencer Silva brings us the story behind Shadi’s elaborate tableau.
Giving Back With the Gift of a Tamalada
We head to the bustling kitchen of the St. Francis Center in downtown LA, near Skid Row, where pots are steaming on the stove and the air smells of onions, chilies, and garlic. This place has been supporting homeless and low-income folks for decades. But as KQED’s Tena Rubio explains, the people who receive those services are now giving back through a tamale-making contest. The winner makes thousands of tamales each holiday season – and the sales help keep the center going.
Rainbow Girls Turn Up Their Political Message By Turning Off Their Amps
The Sonoma coast town of Bodega Bay is best known as the dark backdrop for Alfred Hitchcock’s film, The Birds. These days, the town is home to Rainbow Girls, a folk group whose new album “American Dream” explores the frayed promise of that dream. Lively harmonies, with politics at their core. They join host Sasha Khokha to chat about their songwriting process, their lives as roommates and bandmates, and their transformation from an edgy rock band to a stripped-down acoustic trio. They bring along their guitars and harmonica for a mini-concert in our studios.