About The Show
Amplifying Black voices in the Southwest and beyond...
Soul Star Live® is a daily cultural affairs program examining news, current events, arts, culture, health and wellness from an African-American perspective.
Produced by Desert Soul Media, Inc., the show airs and streams Monday through Friday from 12noon to 1pm (MST) on KRDP Jazz 90.7 FM in Phoenix’s East Valley and KRDP Indie, it’s online-only sister station, listen2krdp.com, soulstarlive.com, and YouTube.
Each day has a different focus/theme:
Mondays focuses on Arts and Culture and is hosted by Truth B. Told
Tuesdays focuses on Social Justice and is hosted by Calvin J Worthen
Wednesdays focuses on our Youth and features rotating hosts
Thursdays focuses on Health and Wellness and is hosted by Aqueelah Worthen
Fridays we spotlight a “Best Of” episode from the show’s archive
Our Team
Kaja Brown
Executive Producer
Kaja Brown is Executive Producer of Soul Star Live, managing the day to day production responsibilities of the program. Kaja is a broadcast professional with more than 20 years experience working in radio station management, operations and production, as well as television operations.
Prior to his work with Soul Star Live, Mr. Brown co-founded the Arizona Community Media Foundation, worked in the programming department at KAET-TV/Arizona PBS in Phoenix, and in various operations support and management positions at KFNX (1100AM) in Phoenix, KXEG (1010AM) in Phoenix, KBZY (1490AM) in Salem, Oregon, KBPS/KPSU (1450AM) in Portland, and WAWZ (99.1FM) in the New York City metro.
Calvin J Worthen
Senior Producer & Co-Host
Calvin J Worthen is the Senior Producer of Soul Star Live, and anchors the program every Tuesday. Hailing from Chicago, Illinois, Calvin has been in radio since 2001 as host of a late night show on WVOE. In addition to his work at WVOE, Calvin has also served in management and on-air positions at KBEM/Jazz88 in Minneapolis, and at KVIT (90.7FM) in Mesa, Arizona.
Recently, he was featured with Arizona Storytellers Project. Calvin performs freelance voice work and has narrated a collection of audio books on Audible. As a well-rounded athlete and fitness expert, he spends down time exercising and playing sports. Calvin is a vocalist, a percussionist and a thespian with a number of years of experience in performance. Calvin currently resides in the East Valley.
Christopher "Truth B. Told" Owens
Associate Producer & Co-Host
Christopher Owens/Truth B. Told is an Associate Producer of Soul Star Live, and anchors the program’s CULTURE SPOT episode every Monday, which spotlights African-American artists and culture leaders.
Born in Saginaw, Michigan, Christopher/Truth is known for many things…but biting his tongue isn’t one of them. Witness just a few minutes of one of his critically acclaimed live performances, and you’ll understand why. Truth’s candid, pull-no-punches, call-it-like-he-sees-it style is one that resonates with audiences across color lines & age ranges. Never one to rest on his laurels or past accomplishments, he has completed work on a book, “Words I Remember”, as well as his hip hop/jazz-infused spoken word project, “Oxymoronicotineverland” both released in June 2015. In fall 2015, Truth B. Told was also featured in Dove & Twitter’s #SpeakBeautiful online campaign targeted at empowering women and challenging the societal standards of beauty.
Aqueelah Worthen
Associate Producer & Co-Host
Aqueelah Worthen is an Associate Producer of Soul Star Live, and anchors the program’s health and wellness episode every Thursday with the Black Nurses Association of Greater Phoenix.
Aqueelah is a native of Minneapolis and currently resides in the East Valley. She studied accounting at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul, where she earned a bachelor degree. Her professional and volunteer experience includes work in accounting services, community organizing, and early childhood education. Likewise, she has led both a neighborhood association and parent advisory council. With a passion for education and community development, Aqueelah desires to help others to expand their worldview and reach their full potential.