At a time when immigrants are being vilified and attacked, Movement with Meklit Hadero uplifts the songs, stories and cultural power of immigrant communities.
Movement claims public space for immigrant musicians to define narratives of migration on their own terms, based in songs, cultural wisdom and ancestral lineage.
For all of these reasons, the beautifully crafted show has been selected as KALW's 2026 Podcast in Residence.
Movement is hosted by Ethiopian-American singer-composer and former refugee Meklit Hadero and was co-created by Meklit, sound designer/producer Ian Coss and editor/producer Julie Caine.
Over the next six months, KALW will work with Movement to create a 12 one-hour episodes of the show. It will also serve as an anchor for a new model for syndication currently being developed by KALW.
MEET MEKLIT
Meklit Hadero is an Ethiopian-American vocalist, songwriter and composer, known for her electric stage presence, innovative Ethio-Jazz songs and vibrant cultural strategy work. Her sixth studio album A Piece of Infinity was released in September 2025 on Smithsonian Folkways Records.
Meklit is a National Geographic Explorer, a TED Senior Fellow, a former visiting artist and lecturer at Stanford, and former Chief of Program at YBCA. She has collaborated with Kronos Quartet, Andrew Bird, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and the late musical legend Pee Wee Ellis. Her songs have taken her to the top of world music charts in the US and Europe, as well as to renowned stages on four continents. Her music has been featured by the New York Times, BBC, NPR, CNN, and many more. Meklit is co-founder of the Nile Project, winner of the globalFEST Artist Award, and a featured singer in the UN Women Theme Song. She is the co-founder of Movement with Meklit Hadero, which is currently Podcast-In-Residence at KALW 91.7 San Francisco Bay Area, as well as co-Artistic Director of the Movement Immigrant Orchestra.