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That time I DJed from space

An ode to live music with the first DJ set in space; a historic gig in apartheid Soweto; Harlem’s ‘parlour jazz’ Sundays; and the pre-dawn dance ritual at Trinidad Carnival.

Four extraordinary stories that explore the thrills and chills of live music performances.

PJ Powers, the South African singer who became the first white pop star to perform live to a black audience in Soweto during the height of apartheid. (This interview was first broadcast in 2016)

Marjorie Eliot, the Harlem jazz pianist who for almost 30 years has been holding free concerts in her living room every Sunday – she does so to honour the memory of her son who died on a Sunday. (This interview was first broadcast in 2015)

Luca Parmitano, the Italian astronaut who became the first DJ in orbit, after playing a live set from the International Space Station to a cruise ship of clubbers in Ibiza.

The rapso band 3Canal on the origins of J'Ouvert Morning, the pre-dawn dance through the streets of Port of Spain that opens one of the biggest festivals in the Caribbean – the legendary Trinidad Carnival. (This interview was first broadcast in 2016)

Presented by Emily Webb

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

Picture: Luca Parmitano
Credit: World Club Dome/ESA

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40 minutes

Podcast