Cultureverse
Studio OchentaCULTUREVERSE is an immersive audio drama that celebrates our collective cultural past. It is a place where myths and legends come alive in the modern world. In each episode, an ordinary kid encounters an extraordinary creature, myth, or folk character from their culture, embarking on an exciting journey of self-discovery. Cultureverse isn’t just an audio adventure, it’s a show that celebrates who we are, and where we come from.
CULTUREVERSE is an immersive audio drama that celebrates our collective cultural past. It is a place where myths and legends come alive in the modern world. In each episode, an ordinary kid encounters an extraordinary creature, myth, or folk character from their culture, embarking on an exciting journey of self-discovery. Cultureverse isn’t just an audio adventure, it’s a show that celebrates who we are, and where we come from.
Mami Wata
In this episode of our cultural adventure series, Dwayne, Obi, and Tiffanie encounter an ancient Pan African water spirit called Mami Wata.
This story is inspired by the Pan-African folktale of the Mami Wata, a water goddess known for protecting seaside towns by sending fishermen calm waters. Africans who were displaced from their continent believed that the Mami Wata guided & protected them as they were taken to the West. Even today, for many Africans in the Western world, the deity is said to have traveled with them from Africa on the Atlantic Ocean protecting them from harm.
This podcast was produced by Studio Ochenta for TRAX on PRX and is hosted by Yara Shahidi. Obi was voiced by Owen Nnamdi Aguh. Dwayne was voiced by Kevin Thelwell. Tiffanie was voiced by Marion Toro, Aunt Ngozi by Florence Mafomemeh, and Mami Wata by Janet Onye with Anooj Bhandari as crowd member and Cherie B. Tay as Sandy Poplore.
Transcripts and additional resources to learn more about Nigerian and Pan African oral history are available at ochentastudio.com/cultureverse.