Music & Culture

Sri Lankan Opera Singer Followed Her Dream To American Stage

12:32pm May 06, 2014

A Sri Lankan soprano is shattering stereotypes. Tharanga Goonetilleke tells NPR's Scott Simon about being an opera singer and the first Sri Lankan woman accepted to The Juilliard School.

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Music & Culture

Composer Elliot Goldenthal's New Work In An Odd Key

12:31pm May 06, 2014

NPR's Arun Rath speaks with composer Elliot Goldenthal about the upcoming world premiere of his "Symphony in G-sharp Minor," and some of his recent work in classical and film music.

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Music & Culture

tUnE-yArDs: Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing

1:43pm May 05, 2014

by Ken Tucker

On Nikki Nack, Merrill Garbus worries over the notion that she's just an accumulation of her influences, and she fights back wonderfully.

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"Jazz improvisation is supposed to be the highest form of communication," Sonny Rollins says, "and getting that to the people is our job as musicians."

Music & Culture

Sonny Rollins: 'You Can't Think And Play At The Same Time'

6:27pm May 03, 2014

by NPR Staff

"Jazz improvisation is supposed to be the highest form of communication," says the 83-year-old sax legend, who is about to release the third volume in his prized Road Shows series.

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Music & Culture

The Animals: The British Invasion That Wasn't

2:35pm May 01, 2014

by Ed Ward

Largely ignored today, the rough-and-tumble quintet from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne gets reassessed in a new box set, titled The Mickie Most Years & More.

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Music & Culture

Album Review: 'Everyday Robots'

2:28pm May 01, 2014

by Tom Moon

Tom Moon reviews the solo album by Blur and Gorillaz frontman, Damon Albarn. The new album, called Everyday Robots, examines the human toll of our ever-present technology.

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Sheldon Harnick (right) with the late Jerry Bock, his long-time musical collaborator. Together they worked on musicals like Fiddler on the Roof and Fiorello!

At 90, 'Fiddler' Lyricist Tells His Story

10:13am May 01, 2014

"Any successful lyricist has to be part playwright and has to be able to put himself into the minds and the hearts and the souls of the characters," Sheldon Harnick tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross.

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It's become the newest sports anthem: "The Man" by Aloe Blacc. The song is everywhere.

Music & Culture

Putting A Name And Face To A Famous Voice

12:12pm April 30, 2014

by NPR Staff

Aloe Blacc sang two of the past year's most ubiquitous singles. So why haven't you heard of him?

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Peter Bjorn And John On World Cafe

1:33pm April 28, 2014

Today's Vintage Cafe comes from 2007, when the Swedish band released its hit album Writer's Block.

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Music & Culture

Reliving 'Dylan's Gospel': Bob's Songs Transformed

6:23pm April 27, 2014

In 1969, music producer Lou Adler assembled LA's top background singers for a gospel reading of Bob Dylan songs. NPR's Eric Westervelt speaks with Adler and Merry Clayton about the album's re-release.

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