Kwaku Alston.
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KCRW, the L.A.-based public radio station that’s home to vanguard, cultishly adored shows like “Morning Becomes Eclectic,” invited Kwaku Alston to guest DJ last week, and the session is now online for streaming or download.
Kwaku takes host Mathieu Schreyer through his playlist—”Ambicion Eterna” by Thievery Corporation, “Blue in Green” by Miles Davis, “Uptown” by Aya, “I’ve Seen That Face Before” by Grace Jones, and “Love” by John Lennon—and the two chat about Kwaku’s school days in D.C. to life in Venice Beach and the music he played on one of the occasions that he photographed First Lady Michelle Obama.
Here’s an excerpt:
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Kwaku Alston: Music, photography, video, whatever it is – it’s all hand in hand. When I’m thinking of a song sometimes I’m thinking about how I can make it into a moving image, into a still image. When I’m doing a photo shoot, music plays a vital role in getting the mood or energy, or the emotion out of the subjects that I’m photographing.
Mathieu Schreyer: Do you always bring music to your photo shoots?
KA: I bring music to all my photo shoots and I kind of try to tailor for each individual celebrity or subject matter. Like when I photographed the First Lady, Michelle Obama, I had a playlist just for her. The John Lennon “Love” song is on that playlist.
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To listen to the show, click here.
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