Deli Radio

Due to the process-based nature of the Session program, this project will undergo constant modifications; the features of this page provide accruing information on the project’s developments.

Conceptualized during the era of social distancing, Deli Radio was inspired by the comfort that both radio and delis provided during times of isolation. Before the digital age, corner stores and their radios were key spaces for discovering new music, shaping the soundtrack of our daily lives. Founded by June Canedo de Souza and Daniel Santos, the project aims to foster connection and shared experiences at a time when communal spaces feel essential. For over a century, radio has functioned as a pivotal medium for accessible communication, transcending geographic boundaries while shaping and sustaining collective memory. Delis similarly serve as vital communal hubs, nurturing connection through sustenance. By merging these two concepts, Deli Radio reimagines familiar, everyday interactions as catalysts for community-building and collaboration.

The experience begins at the deli located in the lobby of Recess, where visitors can peruse and purchase a curated selection of goods from small-scale producers such as Live Loud Foods, East Branch Farms, Gus & Grey, Canaan, and Root Elixir. These offerings are supplemented by in-house snacks, including pão de queijo (Brazilian cheese bread) and sweets and other snacks by Zacarias Gonzalez. Gonzalez, whose work considers sustainable agricultural practices, will present a hydroponic garden within the deli, as part of a larger project exploring relationships with food, community, and health. This culinary entry point invites visitors to engage with food as ritual and medium, establishing a sensorial foundation for the program that follows.

As visitors enter the listening room located within the main Session space, they are immersed in a sonic environment designed by Daniel Santos, featuring sound from Booker Mitchell of Bridge Street Sound. The spatial and acoustic design encourages thoughtful listening, creating an experience that invites a deep engagement with the present moment.

Over the course of two months, Deli Radio will host live recording sessions and broadcast a series of programs most Thursdays-Saturdays. The programming was curated to foreground diverse creative practices and narratives. December highlights include the relaunch of Top Rank, a podcast by Isabel Flower and Marcel Rosa-Salas that will examine themes of motherhood, artistic labor, and the sociopolitical shifts of the post-pandemic era; Playground Salon, curated by Zenat Begum, which transforms the space into an immersive setting for live performance, meditation, and dance; and Architecting Archives for Liberation, a collaborative program featuring architect Khloe Swanson and sound artist Kafilah M, exploring the intersections of architecture, diasporic Black voices, and Palestinian cultural resilience. Additional programming features Dancing While Caged hosted by future Session Artists, Dancing Through Prison Walls, a dialogue with formerly incarcerated individuals reflecting on dance as a form of liberation within and beyond the prison system, and Co-Creations at the Farm, hosted by Madalyn Warren, a program on Marguerite Uhlmann-Bower's investigation into plant communication through hieroglyphic imagery, multimedia art, and oral histories. The month will also feature live DJ sets by Sienna Fekete, Daniel Santos, Booker Mitchell, Stefan Ruiz and Zarina (Sarah Zarina Hakani), celebrating the joy of music and movement.

Deli Radio will also feature original programs throughout the two months, such as Waves On The Rock, a fusion of field recordings and music that explores the depths of ambient sound, navigating unpredictable shifts to reveal fresh experiences with each wave. Until the End of the World, inspired by Wim Wenders' 1991 sci-fi film, is an immersive musical journey created by Daniel Santos, capturing the desire to live until the very end. Brazil 24h offers a curated selection of 24 tracks, showcasing the diverse sounds of Brazil's vast landscape. And Daylight Clube, celebrating the magic and intimacy of a live daytime set. Our January programming will be made available soon.

Deli Radio is drawn to spontaneous encounters and is open for submissions. All recorded programs will be broadcast live between Thursdays and Saturdays, and archived for future listening. Submissions can be made through Deli Radio's online platform. At the end of the inaugural edition at Recess, a public archive of the programming will be made available.