Rajni Kumar landed in New Zealand from small-town Punjab about 20 years ago with zero English and no idea what she would end up doing for work. Over the years since, she's grown her thriving seedling business from ground up – NZ Veggies, successfully navigating the landscape and language all at once.

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The bombings on Iran come after weeks of negotiations between Iran and US. Iranians living in New Zealand talk to Kadambari Raghukumar about their views on the war that's killed over 1000 people so far.

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Born in Japan, Mayu Tangaito traveled across the globe to join the Royal New Zealand Ballet 2012. She’s since become one of the most recognizable faces of New Zealand ballet. In this episode she talks to Kadambari Raghukumar about making a come back after injuries and becoming a mother.

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Multi-instrumentalist Esmail Fathi grew up during the early years of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, when most music came under a ban. In Christchurch, today he leads the Persian traditional music ensemble Simurgh—alongside fellow multi-instrumentalist Liam Oliver. In this episode Esmail reflects on a wealth of his memories, at a time of turmoil and transition in Iran.

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Enhancing aural and oral health in New Zealand is what's been driving selector, curator and DJ GoldTooth after migrating from the UK. In this episode, GoldTooth talks to Kadambari Raghukumar about growing up as Eelam Tamil immersed in the global sounds of London.

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From Rio Grande Do Sul in southern Brazil, singer and musician Henrique Morales joins Kadambari in this episode of Back to Basics - sounds that he grew up with.

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Back to Basics delves into the foundational music artists grew up with, before moving to New Zealand. In this episode, Kadambari Raghukumar is in conversation with Auckland-based, Nigeria-born singer Ch!nonso. From Ijebu Pleasure club to releasing music under his own name, Ch!nonso is now an unmistakable voice in Auckland’s music scene with a style that bridges his worlds. Starting off in church choirs and university boy bands in Nigeria, Ch!nonso was a 2025 APRA Silver Scroll finalist in New Zealand with artist Mazbou-Q's 'Torque'. So, when we go back to basics what were the foundational sounds for Ch!nonso?

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To wrap up the year, some of the conversations on the podcast that took us from Trinidad to Spain and Germany to Zimbabwe - some of our fave Here Now episodes from across the year.

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