Jasraj (“Jazz”) Hothi

Sharing this episode a little late, but here’s episode #25 from yesterday…

🎙️ #25: Biblical narratives & US Culture

Barely a couple of hours after recording this episode, my parents surprised me in the very same parking lot that features in the thumbnail of this podcast.

Call it poetry, a story I could never have dreamt up, a miracle… seriously, I am struggling to find the words.

I have been through so much these last 5 months, and they have too. I have put myself ~ and put them ~ through the mill.

I have been baptised and then, just a couple of weeks later, had the opportunity to embrace them both and feel accepted for this new journey I am on, this re-birth I am experiencing.

I love this country ~ and I love my parents. To be able to spend time in this country with them is a gift I wasn’t sure I would ever experience again. I am going to treasure these next few days for all that they are. A precious gift.

Thank you, God.

I am extremely passionate about my Sikh-Punjabi roots, and I am extremely passionate about my Christian faith.

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📸: A shot from what I’m calling the ‘Down to the River to Pray’ scene from O Brother Where Art Thou. The song in the scene is this one, and the movie is by the legendary Coen Brothers ~ and happens to be one of my favorites of theirs.

I open today’s recording with the lyrics of Oliver Anthony’s viral hit, “Rich Men North of Richmond”, and go on to share why I love country music and what I appreciate about country folks. 

I was also fortunate to attend the John Wayne Museum on Memorial Day, to celebrate the anniversary of his birthday. I got to soak in the life and works of this American national hero and the values he embodied ~ ones I believe have gone missing from American society in recent years.

🎙️ #24: Country music & John Wayne

by, Jazz

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📷: enjoying some country music & dancing @ Hip Pocket outdoor theater before a performance of ‘The Mad Dog Blues’

Why i have been writing and podcasting for several years and why i’m now going to be embracing video, too

This is my very first solo video podcast ~ thank you for watching and supporting it:

🎙️ Why I podcast - video

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Let us not today, nor on any day, forget our veteran men, our veteran women, and their stories 🙏🇺🇸

#23: Honoring the fallen heroes on Memorial Day 🎙️

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Why i have been writing and podcasting for several years and why i’m now going to be embracing video, too

This is my very first solo video podcast ~ thank you for watching and supporting it:

🎙️ Why I podcast - video

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I’ve spent time today in the ‘Near Southside Cultural District’, a revitalised community in Fort Worth and an example of an upstart that has been injected with funding that has allowed local arts venues and businesses to pop up and bring life back to a once-derelict area.

These communal spaces are the lifeblood of any downtown area, and we can truly use our dollars to “vote” to support them — and not just the online businesses and platforms we have come to rely on and whose interests are not at the local level.

It is up to US to support our local spaces and enable them to bloom — in-person gatherings, where in arts, hospitality or commerce, are the lifeblood of our communities. By investing in these local businesses, we are investing in the health of our neighbourhoods.

🎙️ #18: A revitalised neighbourhood in downtown Fort Worth

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In this episode I open up on why I became a Christian, specifically in the context of family values and healing from a lust and pornography addiction which took hold whilst I was in my teens.

Having searched far and wide for answers to help me better understand and move through this addiction, I came across Christian couples on YouTube talking about this topic and the rest, as they say, is history.

🎙️#17: Family, lust & why I became a Christian

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(please note: this narration makes various ‘end of life’ references. listener discretion is advised)

Yesterday, the dog who was the reason I arrived in Texas passed away.

I’ve only known Tibby a few weeks, but is the first creature I have changed diapers for, both young and old in his nature, and he has certainly helped teach me about how precious life is.

Whether it was our little walks around the block, sitting together on the sofa in the evening, or him just toddling around me nearby with his little bell… Tibby, you were loved and you will be remembered.

Thank you for bringing me to Texas, Tibby.

Rest well, little buddy. 🕊️

🎙️ #16: An ode to a dog

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Since arriving in Fort Worth, Texas a few weeks ago, I’ve had the opportunity to immerse myself in the local theatre scene here.

In this episode I reflect on the what I’ve been getting from the performing arts, including a performance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime at the Theater Arlington — first released as a 2003 a book I read as a teenager and whose story I found it interesting to experience through this stage adaptation, particularly given the nature of the lead character and my own neurodivergent assessment just over a year ago.

I also mention my having been a “creator” for the last 10 years… I believe every artist, whether a writer or a musician or a dancer or an actress, needs to think of themselves as a CREATOR in today’s world. I’ll be expanding more on that in a future blog post. You can check out my new site and subscribe to receive my latest blog content @ www.jasraj.co

🎙️ #15: My ongoing immersion in the performing arts

ps. I recorded this indoors on the Voice Memos app on iPhone ~ I apologise for the ‘tinny’ audio

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With funding for the creative industries being an ongoing struggle, and the performing arts long being under-appreciated and not recognised for the immense value they bring to the health and the income of local communities… in this episode I reflect on how we can transform our local arts centers.

As a member of one local theater in Dallas-Fort Worth, attending the KD Conservatory College of Film & Dramatic Arts last night, and off to watch another show this evening, I am experiencing the vibrancy of the local arts scene.

With the artistic hunger, the people, and the technology at our disposal, there must be a way to better fund our arts programmes, our artists and our arts spaces… for the betterment of all.

Our communities deserve thriving arts spaces, and I believe the answer to is to start with tiered, crowd-funded campaigns to fund local arts.

This is something that Amphibian Stage is doing and ~ if enough of us vote with our dollars and put our money into these spaces ~ the impact and the income that can be generated is significant!

🎙️ #14: Funding our performing arts centers

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As a recently baptised Christian, I share something I like about Jeff Bezos, ex-hedge fund manager turned billionaire founder of Amazon. Each day brings new opportunity.

🎙️ #13: What I like about Jeff Bezos