Music & Culture

Music & Culture

Vic Flick's Riff Captures The Sound Of James Bond

4:39pm December 26, 2012

The 007 theme is one of the most famous themes in movie history. The infamous guitar riff that gives the theme its secret agent feel was performed by Vic Flick, who spoke to Morning Edition about the day he played it, 50 years ago. (This piece initially aired on October 03, 2012 on Morning Edition).

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Dancer Fogo de Deus, who is part of the Os Kuduristas project of traveling kuduro artists.

Music & Culture

'Kuduro,' The Dance That Keeps Angola Going

11:40am December 26, 2012

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

An exuberant, fast-paced electronic dance music born during a civil war has started traveling from its southwestern African home to dance floors around the globe. Some international stars have embraced the style, but its leading ambassador is a son of the Angolan head of state.

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Marin Alsop conducted the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra in a beachfront concert Sunday for 20,000 people in Santos, Brazil.

Music & Culture

Marin Alsop: A Utopian Musical Dream From South America

11:40am December 26, 2012

by Marin Alsop

The inspirational El Sistema music education program, developed in Venezuela, has Sao Paulo Symphony conductor Marin Alsop fantasizing about a better musical world. Her other orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony, is bringing similar opportunities to Charm City children.

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Music & Culture

Catherine Russell: The Fresh Air In-Studio Concert

9:55am December 26, 2012

The standards singer's solo album, Strictly Romancin', explores the ups and downs of love. Russell sings several tracks from the record during this interview and performance.

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Music & Culture

Top 10 Top 40 Of 2012

7:51am December 26, 2012

by Ann Powers

Ann Powers picks her favorite chart-topping, radio-dominating songs of 2012.

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Music & Culture

Perfume Genius: A 'Creepy, Beautiful Mix'

6:07am December 26, 2012

by NPR Staff

The Seattle songwriter covers unsettling topics, including teen suicide and his own mother's experience with sexual abuse.

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E.T.A. Hoffmann's original story, "Nutcracker and Mouse King," is darker and spookier than the ballet version most people know.

No Sugar Plums Here: The Dark, Romantic Roots Of 'The Nutcracker'

4:20pm December 25, 2012

by NPR Staff

Few people today remember E.T.A. Hoffmann, but most everyone is familiar with his most famous creation: The Nutcracker. NPR's Robert Siegel traces the history of everyone's favorite Christmas ballet all the way back to its much darker original version.

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The Chipmunks, left to right: Simon, Theodore, Alvin.

Music & Culture

Another Year, Another 'Christmas With The Chipmunks'

6:37pm December 24, 2012

by Stephen Thompson

Like egg nog and advent calendars, Christmas songs pop up everywhere for a month and then disappear, only to be repackaged and resold 11 months later. Some of the biggest-selling and most frequently reissued holiday music of all time comes from three animated rodents.

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Music & Culture

'White Christmas': A Concert With Rosemary Clooney

4:29pm December 24, 2012

To celebrate Christmas, Fresh Air listens back to a concert given by the late singer and actress on Feb. 11, 1997. Clooney spoke then with Terry Gross about her childhood, being on the road as a young performer with her sister, and working with Bing Crosby and Billy Strayhorn.

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Music & Culture

A Musical Montage, As Hosted By Guy Raz

5:02pm December 23, 2012

On his last day as the host of weekends on All Things Considered before moving to NPR's TED Radio Hour, Guy Raz looks back at some of his memorable music interviews from the past 3 1/2 years.

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