Olivia Wilde, Questlove, Yasiin Bey, and more guests gather on ‘Noble Champions’
Santigold hosts a “modern day salon” in “Noble Champions,” inviting artists, activists, authors, and thinkers to share what’s on their mind on weekly episodes. This series is inspired by Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky who said “periods during which art has no noble champions are ones of retrogression.”
In these revelatory conversations, you’ll hear insight and vulnerable commentary on topics ranging from the creative process to worldly issues, exchanges of ideas and experiences, and much more. Santigold and “her fellow champions try to make some sense out of our world, to push culture forward” with the podcast’s inspiring format.
Stream the series in any order with new guests each episode. Since October, the series has released over 4 episodes that run less than an hour on average. Upcoming guests will include Idris Elba, Dan Kovalik, and Resmaa Menakem.
Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def) and Sanford Biggers joined the first episode. They drew connections between art and spirit, how spirituality influences their work, and why creativity is a type of spiritual ritual. They explored art mimicking culture and how the creative process can be taxing for artists.
Santigold’s old friends Questlove, Angela Yee, and Tunde Adebimpe joined an episode to examine the question, “What exactly is Black music?” They dove into what happens when you leave your genre’s “box,” nerded out over some of their favorite artists like Bad Brains, Nina Simone, Fela Kuti, and The Last Poets.
Olivia Wilde and Rebecca Walker discussed what it’s like to be working mothers in creative fields. Rebecca also shared her experiences being raised by her creative mother, Alice Walker, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Color Purple.
Saul Williams and Mary Annaïse Heglar joined an episode to share where race meets climate change and its impact on our future world. They discussed Secretary of State, Antony Blinken’s trip to Africa, climate legislation passed by the U.S. Senate, and the former Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Patrice Lumumba’s assassination.
Fans of inspiring conversational shows like “Questlove Supreme” and “Playing with Fire” might also enjoy “Noble Champions.” You can catch new weekly episodes wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.