Music

From Letters to Lyrics: Kufa Castro finds home and builds community in RI’s Hispanic music scene

I had the pleasure of sitting down to meet with Leandro “Kufa” Castro at El Eden restaurant on Broad Street in PVD’s West End, where the aromas of hearty Dominican dishes and the sound of Spanish being spoken created the perfect backdrop for our conversation. As someone who has made it a personal mission to […]

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September as Suicide Prevention Month

“988 isn’t just a number. It’s a promise: that no one has to go through a mental health crisis alone.” -988 Lifeline Supervisor Stephanie Clifford at 988 Day Event Horizon Healthcare Partners announced that there has been a 212% increase in calls since 988 became the crisis behavioral health hotline. Co-authored by RI Senator Jack […]

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Summer Retrospective: Searching for the “Song of the Summer” on Rhode Island radio

I spent nearly every day of the past three months scouring Rhode Island’s radio stations for the elusive “Song of the Summer”, even as an endless parade of national media critics declared the search futile. “The Song of the Summer is Dead,” pronounced a WIRED headline in August; I recall hearing an NPR segment that […]

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Stop, Rock, & Roll

Happy fall, Motif readers! As leaves begin to drop from the trees, local acts continue to drop amazing music. Here are five crisp cuts! Caitlyn Mitchell — “Icarus” Caitlyn Mitchell’s previous two singles were sweeping ballads, lush with strings, harmonies, and a Spector-esque production style. However, all that changes here. This song focuses instead on […]

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