Darek Mazzone is a longtime KEXP DJ, filmmaker, cultural producer, and technologist whose work bridges global music, humanitarian innovation, and cultural diplomacy. He is the co-founder and Executive Director of SAMA: Music & Art, a Seattle-based nonprofit presenting sacred, traditional, and diasporic music through performances, films, and educational programs—with active cultural exchange projects in Portugal and Poland. An immigrant from Poland, Darek has spent over three decades hosting Wo’Pop, building deep connections with artists worldwide and helping shape KEXP’s global identity. Beyond the booth, he has led creative and tech initiatives across borders—from empowering youth in Jordanian refugee camps to developing Crossfader at Microsoft, a platform for real-time music collaboration among artists around the globe. Through SAMA, Tashkent Park Creative, and his international media work, he continues to champion a polyphonic world where music becomes a force for empathy and connection.
