Mareva Lindo

I’m an independent podcast producer, writer, editor, and musician based in Chicago.

From 2015-2020 I hosted and produced The Archives podcast at the Old Town School of Folk Music, where in 2017 I conducted an oral history of the school in partnership with StoryCorps. As a freelance audio producer, I’ve done editing, consulting on podcast development, and tape syncs for independent podcasts. In the past I led workshops on audio storytelling for Northwestern’s field studies program, worked as an arts writer for Northampton’s Daily Hampshire Gazette, and crafted ethnography-based theater as a company member of Albany Park Theater Project.

A lifelong singer and multi-instrumentalist, I was raised singing and playing folk songs and sea shanties with my family. I perform regularly with old-time string band Prairie State Ramblers, touring duo Spitzer & Mareva, and grunge-pop trio Courtney. In 2019 and 2020 I studied traditional fiddle tunes and songs of Illinois with Genevieve Koester, funded by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency’s Master-Apprentice Program. I’m a co-founder of the Midwest Sing & Stomp and Maypole Folk Festival, and I’ve been producing concerts, dances and festivals in Chicago for years with the Old Lazarus’ Harp folk collective.

Currently I’m the blog editor and coordinator of the annual Studs Terkel Community Media Awards at Public Narrative, and coordinator of the Chicago Community, Media & Research Partnership with Northwestern University. I have an B.A. in American Studies from Smith College.