Open Book is a new show premiering on Monday: each episode focuses on a single neighborhood or community to introduce you to the musicians, actors, poets and other storytellers whose work reminds us we're all connected. This premiere episode takes place in Ft. Greene, Brooklyn, a neighborhood with a rich cultural heritage.

Guests include former child soldier Ishmael Beah, award-winning novelist Jennifer Egan, legendary jazz musician Bill Lee, Walt Whitman-devotee Daryl Blaine Ford, creative genius Carl Hancock Rux, Def Jam poet Suheir Hammad, singer Nucomme, and star of stage and screen, and actor Jeffrey Wright.

I had the good fortune of being in a small, 20-person interview/seminar with Carl Hancock Rux back in 2004. He talked about his experiences as an artist, and read excerpts from his book, Asphalt. It was pretty incredible. I'm really excited to see this show, if only to see Rux speak again!

Learn More about Open Book here

From natknits on YouTube:

"When I heard the song for the first time I was actually watching the video. I was so deeply moved by it. I remember I was on the couch feeling horrible from a cold and when this came on I forgot I was even sick. It made cry because of the strong message but it also made me want to get up and dance. As a way to help spread the message, I choreographed this for my Zumba class."

Here's the video!

We're so excited about this!

In case you missed the original Amnesty International/Link TV co-production here it is:

This week's World Music premiere is online! Here's what Michal Shapiro, Link TV's Director of Music Programming had to say about it over at World Music.

"Reason #85 why I love my job: So you may love the video premiere this week, or it may really be just too much for you.  But I can tell you that this video has quite a history. I heard Aygun in Samarkand, singing at a banquet with any number of amazing singers, all of whom had extraordinary voices. But she stood out for the soulfulness of her interpretation. It took me a year to get my hands on the tape of her performance, and another two to get a signed license. So you’d think that would be the end of it; I'd be in the clear and ready to put the thing on the web. But NO! After all, what was the name of the song, what was she singing about, etc. etc. etc. another two years went by and lo and behold, in a DVD of another festival in Samarkand I heard another group sing a song that bore a tremendous resemblance to part of her performance.  I was able to make out that it was "Semai Shams" (my Cyrillic is very rusty). So I contacted Ted Levin, the Dartmouth ethnomusicologist who helped put together the wonderful Central Asian music documentaries we've been showing, and asked him if he could help me. And he said "ask Jeffrey Werbock." Eight emails later, I had my answer (and some cautionary advice), and was ready to present the song to you. Thanks, Ted! Thanks, Jeffrey!"

Watch "Semai Shams" here