Jan 26 Watch 7:26 How a lost recording became a Philadelphia soul classic By Christopher Booker Philadelphia's Sigma Sound Studios recorded more than 200 gold and platinum records before closing its doors in 2003, eventually donating 7,000 tapes to Drexel University, including recordings by Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, Gladys Knight and hundreds of other unknown artists. Continue watching
Jan 26 Watch 9:06 Shemekia Copeland: a new-generation ‘Queen of the Blues’ By Tom Casciato, Connie Kargbo For some, 40-year-old vocalist Shemekia Copeland might seem out of step with a generation more in tune with hip-hop than the blues. But since her first Grammy nomination at the age of 21, Copeland has been working to push the… Continue watching
Jan 17 Watch 6:07 How a revitalized recording studio is bringing Georgia’s Macon into the spotlight By Jeffrey Brown, Rhana Natour Many a masterpiece has been recorded at Capricorn Sound Studios in Macon, Georgia. Otis Redding’s manager, Phil Walden, co-founded the label, and Capricorn went on to produce a decade of southern rock hits. But as the music industry changed, Capricorn… Continue watching
Jan 12 Watch 9:17 Vocalist Buika fuses genres to form unique musical style By Tom Casciato, Sam Weber, Connie Kargbo Since her debut solo album in 2005, singer-songwriter Buika has built her career by defying musical genres. The Latin Grammy-winning vocalist infuses flamenco, jazz, soul, blues and Spanish folk into her music, and sings in multiple languages, including her native… Continue watching
Dec 29 Watch 10:16 Making NewsHour Weekend: Tuning into bigger conversations through music By PBS NewsHour This year, NewsHour Weekend’s Christopher Booker and Tom Casciato reported on the notion of masculinity through the lens of music and also profiled musician Carlos Santana. They join Hari Sreenivasan to discuss their mutual love for music and how it… Continue watching
Dec 26 Watch 3:05 Mike Love’s Brief But Spectacular take on life as a Beach Boy Singer and songwriter Mike Love is best known as one of the founding members of the Beach Boys, whose infectious harmonies and unique California sound first hit the airways nearly 60 years ago, in 1961. Through the ups and downs… Continue watching
Dec 20 Watch 2:54 Songwriting duo Louis York on rediscovering passion for music Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony are a songwriting duo who have spent over a decade creating hits for blockbuster artists such as Mary J. Blige, Bruno Mars and Rihanna. But they yearned to be more than just hired talent for… Continue watching
Dec 17 What caused Beethoven’s deafness? By Dr. Howard Markel It is a query that has invited many diagnoses over the last 200 years. Continue reading
Dec 13 Watch 7:21 How this nomadic music group is bridging cultural divides By Ali Rogin Tinariwen’s members are Tuaregs, an ethnic group from all across the Sahara desert. They’re nomads who lay down musical rather than physical roots, and their music follows a rich Tuareg lyrical tradition -- gone electric. But although the Tinariwen feel… Continue watching
Dec 12 ‘Lemonade’ by Beyoncé is named the AP’s album of the decade By Mesfin Fekadu, Associated Press At the beginning of this decade, Beyoncé was already the greatest singer of her generation. But somehow Superwoman — shoot, she’s Superman, too! — found a way to do more. Continue reading