Outlook Mixtape: Metal music, a shock confession, and the ascent of a Mountain Queen

Martin Kanja always knew his great-grandmother had fought for Kenyan independence and was the only female field marshal in the Mau Mau. But as a young boy growing up in Kenya, his main interest was music. He fell in love with metal as a teenager and threw himself into Nairobi's flourishing underground scene. Today he's known as Lord Spikeheart and has dedicated his latest solo album The Adept to his great-grandmother and her achievements.

In 1988 the naked body of Steve Johnson’s brother Scott was found at the bottom of cliffs near Sydney Australia. A verdict of suicide was reached. But this just didn’t make sense for Steve. Scott loved life so why would he kill himself ? The question began Steve’s 35-year quest. Through many setbacks and extraordinary leaps forward he not only found the answer, but shone a light on a dark period in recent Australian history, which set the country on the path to reform.

Lhakpa Sherpa was born and raised in Nepal, in a village perched 13,000 feet high. At 15 she cut her hair and dressed as a boy to become a porter, working for the tourists who had come to attempt Mount Everest. But Lhakpa had plans of her own, she too wanted to scale the world’s highest peak.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Harry Graham

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(Photo: Cassette tape. Credit: Getty Images)