Whistles in the Mist

“Whistles in the Mist,” is the award-winning documentary on the whistling style of speech that developed in the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico. Linguist and film maker Mark Sicoli says there are only a few places in the world where this purely melodic form of language can still be found.

The ancient settlement of Çatalhöyük existed from 7500 to 5700 B.C. in what is now Turkey. Saikou Diallo and his colleagues have made a 3D virtual recreation of Çatalhöyük that transports the visitor back in time, including the sounds and smells of the ancient city.

Michael Mucedola is one of the nation’s foremost experts on collecting old dimes.  He stunned his friends when he revealed their grandfather’s tackle box filled with coins was actually worth a small fortune.

A CD anthology: Chekhov’s Band: Eastern European Klezmer 1908-1913 reveals what traditional Jewish Klezmer music sounded like before the Russian revolution. Joel Rubin is a master Klezmer musician.  He speaks about this treasure trove of music and plays from his work with the band Veretski Pass on their new CD Poyln.

There was a time when opera was as beloved in American society as sitcoms and movies are today — but it all came crashing to a halt in 1873. Katherine Preston, author of  “Opera for the People” walks us through the forgotten history of the American people’s love affair with opera and how it turned into theater for the elite.