The pianist who plays classical music for retired elephants

Pianist Paul Barton had an unusual 50th birthday wish: to play classical music for retired elephants at a sanctuary in Thailand, where he lives. His wife, wildlife artist Khwan Barton, managed to arrange it for him and soon Paul's one-off birthday wish became a creative project and a passion. More than a decade on, he’s acquired millions of followers for his videos – and made lasting friendships with the elephants themselves.

Kiliwa is an indigenous Mexican language now spoken by only a tiny handful of people. When Leonor Espinoza, a Kiliwa speaker, first met Arnulfo Estrada, a Mexican oceanographer by trade who was curious about her language, she dismissed him. But gradually he won her trust and together the two of them wrote a Kiliwa-Spanish dictionary and embarked on a crusade to save Leonor’s language. First broadcast in June 2021.

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Laura Thomas

(Photo: Paul Barton playing the piano to an elephant. Credit: Paul Barton)