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Episode 238

Before the legend, before the ballads and the bronze statues, there was a man known simply as السيد — al-Sayyid.
A title whispered with respect across the plains of medieval Spain.
Not a king. Not a saint.
But a warrior whose life would shift the balance of power in a land divided by faith and ambition.

In the dust of the 11th century, al-Sayyid — Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar — lived in a world where alliances changed with the wind and loyalty was often measured in steel. Christians and Muslims fought, traded, negotiated, and coexisted in a fragile rhythm, and Rodrigo moved through it all with a skill that would make him both feared and admired.

This is the story of the man behind the myth.
The soldier before the hero.
The exiled knight who carved his own path long before history called him El Cid.

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Episode 237

He steps off the train in Hiroshima with a folder of shipyard plans under his arm, thinking only of getting home. It’s the summer of 1945, and Tsutomu Yamaguchi is just an ordinary engineer — a quiet man who sketches oil tankers and counts down the days until his child is born. He has no idea that, within hours, the world around him will twist into something unrecognisable.

And he certainly can’t imagine that he will face the same nightmare again.

Yamaguchi isn’t a soldier, a leader, or a symbol. He’s simply a man caught in the epicentre of history twice — surviving what no human should see once, let alone two times. His story isn’t loud. It’s not heroic in the traditional sense. But it’s proof of something deeper: the will to stand, the will to live, and the quiet strength of someone who refuses to disappear.

This is the path of Tsutomu Yamaguchi — the man who walked out of two atomic blasts and kept going.

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Episode 236

Born Gary Mounfield in 1962 in Manchester, Mani became the iconic bassist of The Stone Roses, a band that helped define the Madchester sound of the late ’80s and early ’90s. Known for his melodic basslines and effortless cool, Mani’s style was as much a backbone of the band’s sound as it was a quiet statement of personality—playful, inventive, and undeniably British. Beyond the music, Mani embodied the rebellious yet charming spirit of the era, moving seamlessly between studio, stage, and later projects, leaving an indelible mark on indie and alternative rock. His journey is a story of rhythm, resilience, and the quiet power of a bassist who always let the music speak for itself.

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