Gorillaz On World Cafe
Beyond being intelligent, thoughtful and perceptive, Gorillaz band member Damon Albarn is incredibly gregarious, infectious and fun.
Music Interviews
The Complex Life Of Leonard Bernstein, A Once-In-A-Century Talent
Born 100 years ago on Aug. 25, 1918, Bernstein was a larger-than-life character — on stage as a conductor, at the piano as a composer, on TV as an educator and in a sometimes tangled personal life.
Dermot Kennedy On World Cafe
Listening to this Irish singer is like hearing someone drag their own heart through their vocal cords and send it right up to the heavens.
'A Tone Of Melancholy': How Jocelyn Pook's Music Captures Pain
Jocelyn Pook has written award-winning music for the theater, dance and the concert stage. Her work can be heard right now in cinemas on the score to 'The Wife' and in households in the Netflix series 'The Staircase.'
Rayland Baxter On World Cafe
A slick mix of power pop, rock, folk and even a little glam make up Rayland Baxter's latest album 'Wide Awake.'
Vanessa Parr On World Cafe
The seasoned engineer behind hits from Lucinda Williams and Rhiannon Giddens gives fans a look on the other side of the glass.
Meet Ray BLK, Britain's Rising Star
Rita Ekwere, also known as Ray BLK, is the first unsigned artist to win the BBC Sound Of poll. She tells NPR's Lakshmi Singh why it's important for her to highlight social justice issues in her music.
Musician (And Landscaper) Ryan Culwell On Making Ends Meet
NPR's Jennifer Ludden talks to Ryan Culwell about his latest album. The Last American is about the struggles of ordinary Americans.
Yo-Yo Ma, A Life Led With Bach
If the celebrated cellist could soundtrack his life, the music would be J.S. Bach's six Cello Suites. Yo-Yo Ma explains why they mean the world to him while he played the music at the NPR offices.
'The Voice Of A Century': Michael Eric Dyson Looks Back On Aretha Franklin's Life
Noel King talks to Dyson, a professor at Georgetown University, about the legacy of Aretha Franklin. The Queen of Soul died August 16 at the age of 76.