Carmen and Fryda

Carmen and Fryda are BFFS and co-hosts of teikirisi. Follow teikirisi on Twitter here, Carmen on Twitter here, and Fryda on Twitter here.

How did you get introduced to the audio space? Have you always loved it, before podcasting?
Fryda listens to podcasts at least every day and reads most of her books via audiobook. Carmen is a professional in the audio-visual space, specifically video production. 

I LOVE hearing your friendship explode throughout the show. How did the two of you meet? How did you know you would be a great podcasting duo?
Ah! Thank you! We met in middle school, went to the same high school, and have always remained close. When we found ourselves both living in New York we decided to move in together. People around us kept commenting on our combined energy, we share a very big sense of humor and many interests. We’d always wanted to create something together, but it wasn’t until we really landed on the subject of what it means to be Cuban-American that the idea really took off. We knew it would be a great podcast because nobody else is doing it this way. 

Fryda, you got your parents to share some shocking stories about El Periodo Especial. Had these stories been part of your upbringing or did you learn anything new while making that episode?
Fryda: These stories definitely came up throughout my childhood, especially when I was picky about eating my food growing up. You can imagine how that went! My parents also shared these stories in jest with old college friends in Miami, so any time I overheard their conversations, I’d learn about some new ridiculous story. Honestly, I’ve heard enough accounts of their life to fill volumes. It was actually tough to get my parents to stick to one period of time and one aspect of life during our interview. One story that I had never heard before was the one my dad shared of biking through fields and evading guards. He’s far more reserved about his life than my mom is, and I have a feeling there’s a lot of things he’s never shared with me and would rather forget. 

How have your families reacted to the show?
Our families have been very supportive! Fryda’s parents came on for a hefty interview that yielded two whole episodes, sharing recipes and more! Carmen’s parents contribute more behind the scenes with background information. We’re constantly on the phone asking them questions, to send us pictures, or stuff in the mail for reference. We think they really love being involved, even when they criticize!

I am a representative of the basic white bitch community, and I can safely say I don't think most Americans have any idea how unique the Cuban American experience is, or all that Cuban Americans have been through. Is that one of the reasons you wanted to create the show? Are you ever frustrated that not more people know about the hardships your families have been through? (I had an idea, but I have learned so much listening to your stories.)
Carmen: Yes! Absolutely that is part of it. More than frustrating, I think it’s just really important to understand communities as unique entities. This year was very challenging in our community politically. Historically, Cubans are super conservative, it’s very difficult to mobilize on any other rhetoric there. It’s impossible to separate politics from this narrative, but it is not a story that is a monolith. At least when talking about the struggles we can begin to lay down the foundation for understanding viewpoints like the Cuban vote, the wide range of beliefs and values, and what pull the US/American culture has when influencing the Cuban-American experience. There are moments when we hear tone-deaf statements like “I want to go to Cuba before it changes,” or the glorification of the communist revolution because of its promoted ideas such as universal healthcare and education that we do get a little frustrated. But we hope to engage in conversation and expand an understanding in a thoughtful and relatable manner.

I am listening to Anything for Selena, and the host says she grew up kind of ashamed to not be 100% American, but grew to love her Mexican heritage by watching Selena. Were you always proud to be Cuban American? What was it like growing up for you?
Carmen: One very unique part of being Cuban and growing up in Miami is that Miami is a Cuban enclave - we are the majority there. So in that way, I never thought to be proud or reject my culture. I will say that I was dying to leave Miami and experience other environments and cultures. As soon as I left, I didn’t really feel quite “American” and it became very clear that most people didn’t know anything about Cuban culture or history. I’d get a lot of “you don’t look Cuban,” I presume because I’m white-passing, and I know Fryda gets that a lot too. I grew up very differently from my peers in other states or part of the world, and then my Cuban-American identity is more underscored. I do feel proud of that, even when I don’t agree with or am frustrated by the prejudices and misconceptions other people have about that.

Is it hard to turn your ideas into episodes? What is that process like?
Not at all! It is truly a joy. When we first began planning episodes, they came out faster than we could type them! Many times we will sit there to get on the same page about one topic, and come up with 17 more episode ideas. 

We are both big nerds so we love to muse around topics, spend hours researching and down rabbit holes, we love history, and we love learning!

We planned our first season entirely during a Sunday morning. We try to think about how the episodes will flow from the first one all the way to the end. You can listen to each episode as a stand alone piece, but they also fit into a larger narrative arch. So we go in order researching, writing, recording, editing, and promoting. Carmen has a background in journalism and storytelling, and Fryda is also really bomb at researching and writing!

Can you tease us with anything exciting coming up in this season?
This season is almost wrapping but we’re very excited to tackle the subject of visiting Cuba!

Your show artwork is beautiful. How do you develop it alongside the stories?
We work with an amazing graphic designer, Jesse Pales. She just GETS us. We met her in high school, so we share a history and have a very close team. We send Jesse an early version of every episode, and we give her any specific notes, photos or other references. Sometimes we have a specific idea in mind, most of the time Jesse just runs with it and turns out something magical. It’s always like opening a gift when she sends artwork!

What have you learned about yourselves and each other making the show?
We have learned so much about our families, I believe we have a deeper understanding of them now. We’ve learned a lot about our strengths in the production, distribution and promotion machine. I think though, that the most fulfilling thing we've learned has been that people are eager to learn and connect.

What’s something listeners don’t understand about podcasts and what goes into making them?
It’s a lot of work! Especially if you are going for tight story-telling rather than free-form banter. We spend a few days researching, writing up a skeleton or script for the episode, we sit down and record for nearly 2 hours.

Then we have several rounds of edits. Fryda does a first go of editing, then Carmen cuts some more, does some pretty intense audio editing, adds sound effects & our intro and outro music (which Fryda composed #humblebrag!) We work with our graphic artist, Jesse Pales, to create content for the episode cover, the cubanismo, and more! And we schedule posts or stories to go out almost every day, including our biweekly instagram live “cafecito.” We also make sure to engage with people in the space and set up meetings to learn how we can expand & be better. It’s kind of a part time job… we love it though!

Women in podcasting are constantly being criticized for their voices. What is your relationship with yours? How would you describe your voice?
Women are taught to be highly critical of the “shrillness” of our voices, we are also encouraged to silence and censor ourselves. This project is supposed to do the opposite of that for us! 

Still, the first time Fryda heard the unedited pilot episode, she cried because she hated hearing herself. Carmen regularly breaks down while editing because she “can’t stand her voice.” It’s just a very vulnerable experience, putting our voices at the forefront. What has kept us going is believing in the power of the stories we are sharing.

It’s a little crazy because we often get compliments on our voices despite this internal battle. We’ve learned to appreciate our voices as a dynamic, yet soothing and expressive vehicle for the stories we tell.

Do you think there are any rules all podcasters should adhere to?
We wouldn’t want to set any rules -- podcasting is such a liberating format because you can tell stories in whatever way you’d like! However, we will say that if your audio sucks, then you’re shooting yourself in the foot. Storytelling is also important, don’t just sit there and talk with no goal.

Should podcasters read their Apple Podcast reviews?
We are relatively new to the space, and apple podcast reviews were the first somewhat official place where we learned that people were EXCITED and relating to our work!! It motivated us further, but so do the texts we get from friends, DMs we get on social media, and articles we’ve read (like yours!) We weren’t exaggerating when we said we both needed to go and cry after reading your review. Carmen & Fryda cry a lot, okay?

What shows do you love?
Fryda: I’m a huge fan of Invisibilia, Ologies, Life Kit for inspo, learning about things, and life affirmation; The Daily & Up First for news; and IVFML, a one-off autobiographical podcast that is highly entertaining and informative. 

Can you tell us about the name of the show? What does it mean, and why did you decide to go with it?
teikirisi is the accented way many Cubans (and spanish-speakers) say “Take it Easy.” We wanted something very unmistakably Cuban/Latinx, but still easy for gringos to say. I know that without the spanish language background, you would read it and pronounce it more like “tai-ker-ee-see” but once you listen to the show it clicks! So phonetically we liked that play, and then also we knew we’d be talking about tough subjects alongside more fun ones, so we felt it was the most fitting. 

Thanks, Carmen and Fryda!