Kumail Nanjiani and Willie Colon

Episode notes

 

 

Photo by Jesse ThornKumail Nanjiani on Identity, Comedy, and Working with Mike JudgeWhen Kumail Nanjiani was a boy growing up in Karachi, Pakistan, he absorbed a lot of American culture. He loved Ghostbusters and Gremlins. He read MAD Magazine. And he knew that someday, he’d move to the U.S. What he never imagined is that he’d become a comedian.

His first exposure to stand up comedy was a Jerry Seinfeld HBO special, and a few short years later, Kumail was on stage himself. He’s performed with The Second City, at the Upright Citizens Brigade theater, and on numerous late night shows.

He also co-hosts a stand up showcase, The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail, and stars in HBO’s Silicon Valley.

Kumail talks to us about growing up Pakistani, choosing a distinctly American way of life, and creating comedy about things you love, rather than things you hate.

Kumail’s Comedy Central stand up special, Beta Male, is available on CD+DVD and by direct download.

This cut of our interview includes the following segments:
Kumail Studies The Cheesecake Factory for “Portlandia”
Kumail on Mike Judge and the Butthead Voice

This interview originally aired in August 2013.

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Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty ImagesWillie Colón: From Jam Sessions in the Bronx to International Salsa SuperstarWhen Willie Colón was a kid in the South Bronx, he and some his friends from the neighborhood would take their instruments and jam outside in the summers. His neighbors weren’t too pleased, but they probably didn’t know they had a budding talent in their midst. Willie went on to secure a record deal in his teens and then become a hugely influential musician and bandleader. His music is salsa: a blend of the Caribbean, Africa, South America and his native New York City.

His discography has now sold over thirty million records, and he’s collaborated with legendary figures like Hector Lavoe, Celia Cruz and Ruben Blades.

Willie joins us to talk about his early success, how he envisions salsa, and his work with Hector Lavoe and Celia Cruz.

Willie is out on tour frequently; catch up with him on Twitter to find out where he’ll be next.

This interview originally aired in April 2014.

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The Outshot: Michael PalinJesse explains why Michael Palin is everything good about British colonialism.

This segment originally aired in October 2013.

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