Babalu

About Babalu

Sherry Zhang died by suicide in 1989, leaving behind a baby daughter and unbeknownst to her family, dozens of cassette tapes recording her innermost thoughts. Years later, Luisa, the child Sherry left behind, learns about these tapes and decides to finally get to know the mother she lost through her own words. But the more she listens, the more questions she has. Showcased at the 2026 Tribeca Festival. Featured by Apple Podcasts + Top 3 in Fiction & Drama. iHeart Podcasts Staff Pick. Visit uneasytiger.com to learn how to support our series. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

Uneasy Tiger

Category

fiction · fiction

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

18 Sept 2021

Latest episode

27 May 2026

Latest episodes

3 of 14 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   27 May 2026

   Babalu B-Sides: Heritage and Health

   Host Jackie Rae Aubel interviews creator Kimberly Truong and director Katharine Chen Lerner about Asian American identity and mental health themes in Babalu's first season.

2. 

   18 May 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Babalu B-Sides: Voice and Heart

   Host Jackie Rae Aubel interviews director Katharine Chen Lerner, sound designer Charles Moody, and creator Kimberly Truong about crafting audio performance and emotional resonance through voice.

3. 

   11 May 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Babalu B-Sides: Sound and Soul

   Host Jackie Rae Aubel interviews sound designer Charles Moody about crafting the sonic landscape and emotional core of the "Babalu" series.

4. 

   4 May 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Babalu B-Sides: Creating the series

   Host Jackie Rae Aubel interviews series creator Kimberly Truong, director Katharine Chen Lerner, and sound designer Charles Moody about Babalu's personal origins and rise to podcasting success.

5. 

   3 Dec 2025

   Rewind (Season 1 Finale)

   Creator Kimberly Truong reflects on the profound emotional journey of season one, offering listeners a raw and honest look at personal struggles.

6. 

   28 Nov 2025

   Join us LIVE for Babalu's season finale

   Host [Host Name] interviews the cast and crew of "Babalu" to discuss the season one finale and its creative journey.

7. 

   26 Nov 2025

   Pause

   This episode features a cast of performers exploring the hidden aspects of ourselves, offering insights into self-discovery and vulnerability.

8. 

   19 Nov 2025

   Guardians and Angels

   This episode of Babalu features performances exploring themes of dread and vulnerability, offering listeners a profound emotional experience.

9. 

   12 Nov 2025

   Year of the Snake

   Creator Kimberly Truong explores sensitive themes of self-harm and suicide in this introspective episode of "Babalu."

10. 

    5 Nov 2025

    No Sleep

    This episode of Babalu, "No Sleep," explores the impact of a few individuals on a larger group, offering insights into destructive dynamics.

11. 

    29 Oct 2025

    Sisters, Fathers, Monsters

    "What are the chances?" Content warning: This series addresses sensitive topics such as self-harm and suicide. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please visit 988lifeline.org for resources and support. You are not alone. Created, written, and produced by Kimberly Truong. Directed by Katharine Chen Lerner. Sound design, editing and mixing by Charles Moody. With performances by: Christine Liao, Jaxy Boyd, Circus-Szalewski, Greg Smith, Varda Appleton, Chriselle Almeida, James III, Malia Macabeo, Kiera Nusbaum, and Kimberly Truong. Series theme music by Edith Mudge. Additional music by Manish Ayachit and Bernard Yin. >>> Listen to this episode's companion mixtape playlist on Spotify <<< (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vU8xB2GmQxiDROomKGqh1?si=4bac20be6fbc489f&pt=c0bb58882cb97cb60be2f1457b227a0b) To learn how to support our series, visit uneasytiger.com (https://www.uneasytiger.com/) or follow @uneasytiger on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/uneasytiger) and Threads (https://www.threads.com/@uneasytiger). Many thanks to Liesl Lafferty and the Firecracker Department for their script notes and support. A very special thanks to our astounding supporters and Kickstarter backers: Hillary and the Boys, Katie McCuen, Jennifer Waller Mottram, Mari Meyer, Maria Photinakis, rawmethodz, Rule of III, Inc., Sara, Christine Chapman, Erik Woestehoff, Chriselle Almeida, Jessica Grace, Karen Wang, Andrew Marquardt, h c, Senisan, India, DJ Sutherland, David Glasser, Amanda Elizabeth Hillsberg, Marc Nardoni, Elli, Shukri R. Abdi, Laura Michels, Mel Hartman, Olivia Gibson, Bruce Alexander Marshall, Brandon Beardsley, Kyle Kasabian, Joshua Murphy, Santosh Reddy, Matthew Rolnick, Emily Bolt, Erik von Geldern, Creative Capital x Skoll Creator Fund, Monica Szabo, Steve Mahoney, Christina Lim, Treena Landers, Jessica Coyle, Benjamin Caldwell, Anna T, Maxim Weinstein, Christina Nanos, Sheyla Ruiz, Brian Galgano, Christopher Carfi, Richard Sands, Meredith Eaton, James Coulter, Doug Aamoth, Elizabeth, Cruz Flores, Zoe Beath, Benjamin-Shalom Rodriguez, Rachel, Jacquis Neal, Amanda Spitulnik, Allison Koehler, Alex Bruno, Julianne Kolb, Cloudy, Matthew Frost, Nelinda Palomino, Nahreen Tarzi, Natalie Firstenberg, Tsailingm, John Greiner-Ferris, V.E., Anna Brading, David A. Spiro, Jack Jacobs, Ryan Tuttle, Lori Veigle, Todd Cadley, Hops Caster, Priya Chadha, Emily St. James, Ruby Marez, Serenity Westfield, Michelle Viray, Yeon Thomas, Jing Jing, donna y, Lillie Haddican, Jonathan, and Leslie Joyce. Click here to view the episode transcript. (https://share.transistor.fm/s/9ae07b70/transcript)

12. 

    22 Oct 2025

    Opportunity

    "It's okay, I'll remind you." Content warning: This series addresses sensitive topics such as self-harm and suicide. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please visit 988lifeline.org for resources and support. Created, written, and produced by Kimberly Truong. Directed by Katharine Chen Lerner. Sound design, editing and mixing by Charles Moody. With performances by: Christine Liao, Chriselle Almeida, Lee Chen, Diogo Hausen, Heather Woodward, Varda Appleton, Ruby Marez, Greg Smith, Kiera Nusbaum, Mark Morante, Julianne Kolb, James Donahower, PJ McCormick, and Kimberly Truong. Series theme music by Edith Mudge. Additional music by Manish Ayachit. Artwork by Gabi Hawkins. Logo by Alex Bruno. >>> Listen to this episode's companion mixtape playlist on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7aIGYICTqFKQ5tVyVs7AKu?si=g0otGmlOT9azsmhWkgSU6g) To learn how to support our series, visit uneasytiger.com or follow @uneasytiger on Instagram (https://instagram.com/uneasytiger) and Threads (https://www.threads.com/uneasytiger). Many thanks to Liesl Lafferty and the Firecracker Department for their script notes and support. A very special thanks to our astounding supporters and Kickstarter backers: Hillary and the Boys, Katie McCuen, Jennifer Waller Mottram, Mari Meyer, Maria Photinakis, rawmethodz, Rule of III, Inc., Sara, Christine Chapman, Erik Woestehoff, Chriselle Almeida, Jessica Grace, Karen Wang, Andrew Marquardt, h c, Senisan, India, DJ Sutherland, David Glasser, Amanda Arya, Marc Nardoni, Elli, Shukri R. Abdi, Laura Michels, Mel Hartman, Olivia Gibson, Bruce Alexander Marshall, Brandon Beardsley, Kyle Kasabian, Joshua Murphy, Santosh Reddy, Matthew Rolnick, Emily Bolt, Erik von Geldern, Creative Capital x Skoll Creator Fund, Monica Szabo, Steve Mahoney, Christina Lim, Treena Landers, Jessica Coyle, Benjamin Caldwell, Anna T, Maxim Weinstein, Christina Nanos, Sheyla Ruiz, Brian Galgano, Christopher Carfi, Richard Sands, Meredith Eaton, James Coulter, Doug Aamoth, Elizabeth, Cruz Flores, Zoe Beath, Benjamin-Shalom Rodriguez, Rachel, Jacquis Neal, Amanda Spitulnik, Allison Koehler, Alex Bruno, Julianne Kolb, Cloudy, Matthew Frost, Nelinda Palomino, Nahreen Tarzi, Natalie Firstenberg, Tsailingm, John Greiner-Ferris, V.E., Anna Brading, David A. Spiro, Jack Jacobs, Ryan Tuttle, Lori Veigle, Todd Cadley, Hops Caster, Priya Chadha, Emily St. James, Ruby Marez, Serenity Westfield, Michelle Viray, Yeon Thomas, Jing Jing, donna y, Lillie Haddican, Jonathan, and Leslie Joyce. Click here to view the episode transcript. (https://share.transistor.fm/s/0fbf80d2/transcript)

13. 

    7 Oct 2025

    Trailer

    Hit PLAY on Babalu season one starting October 22nd, 2025.

14. 

    18 Sept 2021

    Pilot

    "I feel like I'm getting closer to something." Content warning: This series addresses suicide. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please visit 988lifeline.org (www.988lifeline.org) for resources and support. Babalu is an independently produced fiction podcast. Full season drops Winter 2024. If you'd like to learn how you can support this series, visit: uneasytiger.com (https://uneasytiger.com/) Created and written by Kimberly Truong. Sound design, editing and mixing by Charles Moody. Directed by Katharine Chen Lerner. Music by Edith Mudge. Additional music by pb and Peter Lam. Artwork by Gabi Hawkins. Logo by Alex Bruno. With performances by: Christine Liao (SHERRY), Lee Chen (PATTI), Varda Appleton (DEBRA), Chriselle Almeida (SIMONE), Ruby Marez (REINA), Eric Chad Ho (BARTENDER), Cruz Flores (CUSTOMER) and Kimberly Truong (LUISA). Stay updated on release dates and see behind-the-scenes footage by following us on Instagram: ⁠@uneasytiger⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/uneasytiger)

Inside a recent episode

Babalu B-Sides: Voice and Heart

Published 18 May 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] She doesn't remember how tender. Yeah. I want to talk a little bit, too, about like, I felt like the emotions were so clear. I knew what the actor was. I could picture what was on the actor's face by their voice. I'm thinking of Jim, who was portrayed by Circus. I'm thinking of Gloria. How do you instruct actors to convey a smile or a frustration in their voice? How do you coach them through that? I mean, a good amount of it is, like, regular directing, like, in a visual medium, I would say. Like, especially for something like a smile, a lot of it is you do a take smiling. You do a take not smiling. […]

Who has been a guest on Babalu

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Kimberly Truong
• Katharine Chen Lerner
• Charles Moody

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.8 / 5

284 ratings

Contact Babalu

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Babalu