After a one-year hiatus, the Style & Ambiance Podcast is back. The podcast landscape has sorely missed the insightful cultural commentary of New York-based Jamaican-American host Mikelah Rose Malcolm, who, with a rotation of guests, tackles topics on art, music, culture and Caribbean voyages.
Born of necessity
According to Malcolm, Style & Vibes was born out of necessity. “There are so many who love our culture from the outside,” Malcolm begins in episode zero of his podcast. “I wanted to explore (our culture) from the inside.”
The Caribbean is famous all over the world, but through half-formed impressions and stereotypes. For some, the Caribbean is endless beaches – an eternal paradise. For still others, it is a hotbed of toxicity and violence.
The truth, of course, lies somewhere in between and outside of that spectrum. The Caribbean might as well be a continent due to the cultural diversity from nation to nation and how that culture has evolved over the years. “There are so many layers to who we are as a people, and there are so many people I've come into contact with over the years in print and digital journalism, that I really wanted to create a space to have engaging conversations with them. » Malcolm explained.
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This mission crosses the entire platform. “The name was the first thing I thought of – it was really indicative of our culture,” she explained on her website. Don't call it a comeback episode last November. “Vibes” has always been a universal word in the region when talking about culture and energy. Malcolm then explained the naming process. “Style is something we talk about. (It's) not just how we dress, but it's how we boassy. It's the way we dance and the way we approach people.
Caribbean cultural impact
As a marketer and cultural connoisseur, she noticed how Caribbean culture was the prototype for many developments around the world. “The impact of Caribbean culture can be felt around the world – the music in the stadiums, the fashion on the runways, (etc.)” She had these conversations within her friend groups and shared her thoughts on his blog. It was then her friend, fellow podcaster and founder of the podcast production company Breadfruit Media, Kerry-Ann Reid-Brownsuggested he create his own show.
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At first, she was reluctant. “I was really attached to traditional media,” she admitted. “I loved magazines. I loved books, articles and reading. It was hard for me to let go. » For a while, she tried to balance the two mediums, but this pushed her to her limits. “I was my own writer, my own editor, my own editor, my own graphic designer,” she laughed. “I was distributing it, creating social media content to promote it, putting together entire campaigns to get it out there.”
What finally pushed her through was realizing the power of podcasting. Malcolm could have longer conversations, cut fewer, and not worry about the constant churn of daily articles needed to keep a print media afloat. “I never looked back. I think I will be able to write and contribute as a writer at my own pace, when I am ready to do it again.
Style & Vibes is available on all podcast streaming platforms.
