Low and Slow – The Low Riders of Española

Despite modern stereotypes, low riders are a celebrated family tradition in Española, New Mexico. The town was even nicknamed “The low rider capital of the world” decades ago. This video is a companion to the State of the Re:Union episode, Española – The Land Remembers, and explores the incredible culture of these amazing vehicles and their owners.

Discover why this pastime is as much about community as it is about cars, check out the full episode for more information on the surprising history of low riders and share your thoughts by posting your comment below.

New Mexico Nonprofit Helps Small Communities Find Their Voice

When I was in high school, I used to write in a little red journal. Whenever I had some spare time, I’d sit and scribble down musings about my life, my family and my neighborhood – knowing that nobody else would read them, but still hoping to get my thoughts out there in the universe. Like most teenagers, I had a busy mind, but I didn’t have much of an audience to share it with.

A few weeks ago, then, I was thrilled to learn that a few students in Taos, NM, are getting a chance to voice their thoughts on the radio – thanks to a nonprofit organization called Cultural Energy. (more…)

Listen to Our Newest Episode Here!

We are excited to announce the release of our Española episode: The Land Remembers. Al Letson and team explore this incredible area to examine the ancient water distribution culture of acequias, the heroin epidemic and what is being done to combat it and the amazing family tradition of low riders. To listen to the episode, watch our documentary, check out our pictures and much more on our Española page.

To discuss this episode, please comment on this post. We would love to hear your thoughts. Start the discussion!

For the first episode of our new season of shows, we spent the third week of June in the Española Valley of New Mexico, a place none of us had been to before.  It was truly eye-opening and exciting to spend time with farmers, santeros, mechanics, therapists, professors, oral historians, addicts, cashiers, musicians and poets…

The reason we ventured southwest-ward in the first place was because of water.  Specifically the way in which the people of the valley, for well over 400 years, have thought about, shared and used water.  In New Mexico, there are more than 1,000 acequias, which are not only man-made irrigation ditches, but also an entire culture and decentralized democracy in and of themselves. (more…)