Jul 22 Watch 4:23 The Harlem Renaissance’s cultural explosion, in photographs By Jared Bowen, WGBH At the turn of the last century, African Americans from across the country flooded New York City’s Harlem, leading to an explosion of books, poetry and music that is now collectively known as the Harlem Renaissance. A photography exhibit currently… Continue watching
Jul 22 Art Neville, member of funk band The Meters, dies at 81 By Rebecca Santana, Kevin McGill, Associated Press In 1968, Art, Aaron and Cyril joined four New Orleans musicians to form The Meters, an American funk band often cited by other bands as a musical influence. Continue reading
Jul 19 Watch 6:49 What The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach is doing in Nashville By Jeffrey Brown, Jason Kane The Black Keys debuted its first album in five years at the top of the U.S. charts. But band vocalist and guitarist Dan Auerbach has been making a name for himself in another setting over the past few years. Jeffrey… Continue watching
Jul 12 Watch 7:57 Folk legend Joan Baez reflects on a life in music and activism By Jeffrey Brown After six decades performing, folk legend Joan Baez is saying farewell to music with a tour this summer. But before setting off, she sat down with Jeffrey Brown to talk about her long career in music and political activism, and… Continue watching
Jul 11 Watch 3:12 How Grammy-nominated singer Falu found her identity through music Falu is a Grammy-nominated songwriter and performer who grew up in India, where she studied music religiously before even having the opportunity to touch a microphone. Although she had long blended American influences into her music, it wasn’t until she… Continue watching
Jul 02 Watch 6:56 A memoir of musical reverence to A Tribe Called Quest By Amna Nawaz Pioneering hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest crossed musical genres, influenced other artists and delivered social commentary. Their unique sound and chemistry earned them decades of commercial and critical success. A memoir by poet and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib reveals… Continue watching
Jun 24 Watch 3:34 Why this Italian violin travels with its own security By Jackie Shafer, WOSU In 2015, a delegation of city leaders from Columbus, Ohio, went to Italy's Genoa, where they heard a performance of the famed Paganini violin. The contingent spent the next four years working to arrange a visit for the violin to… Continue watching
Jun 19 Watch 7:11 This musician is taking the sounds of the pipe organ on the road By Cat Wise Pipe organs are typically associated with churches and cathedrals. Their very size and complexity can render them intimidating. But one young organist, Cameron Carpenter, is reshaping the perception of the instrument. Special correspondent Cat Wise recently attended one of his… Continue watching
Jun 14 Watch 7:06 With the Juke Joint Festival, a Mississippi city aims to lose its economic blues By Jeffrey Brown, Frank Carlson In Mississippi’s Clarksdale, the heart of the rural Delta, a celebration of the blues has been drawing thousands of fans to the area for the past 16 years. The Juke Joint Festival, named for bars and informal music venues scattered… Continue watching
Jun 13 Watch 6:09 How this Palestinian music festival is breaking down cultural barriers By John Yang Typically, the Palestinian West Bank is referenced in the context of Middle East peace talks. But for the past three years, the organizers of the three-day Palestine Music Expo, or PMX, have sought to encourage people to open their minds,… Continue watching