Music News

The Minnesota Opera's adaptation of The Shining brings the horror story to the stage.

Music & Culture

Even Scarier Than The Book Or Movie: 'The Shining' Is Now An Opera

6:30pm May 12, 2016

by Euan Kerr

"Stephen King's original novel is all about love, death and power," says Pulitzer-winning composer Paul Moravec. "And those are the three foundational components for an opera."

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Music & Culture

'Morning Edition' Listeners Get Creative With Show's Theme

6:25am May 11, 2016

David Greene and Renee Montagne share more covers and remixes of the Morning Edition theme produced by listeners. We'll hear bluegrass, reggae and electronic versions of the theme.

Rihanna performing at the Coachella Festival in California in April 2016.

Music & Culture

Rihanna Launches College Scholarships For Foreign Students

12:38pm May 10, 2016

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

The Barbados-born singer is offering scholarships to Caribbean and South American students who want to pursue higher education in the U.S.

An ad from the Food and Drug Administration's Fresh Empire campaign.

Notorious FDA? Feds Turn To Hip-Hop To Tamp Down Teen Smoking

12:01pm May 09, 2016

by Maanvi Singh

For its latest anti-tobacco campaign, the Food and Drug Administration wants to harness hip-hop swagger to reach minority teens — who disproportionately suffer the consequences of smoking.

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The Santana lineup circa 1970. Left to right: Carlos Santana, Jose Areas, Mike Carabello, David Brown, Gregg Rolie and Michael Shrieve.

Music & Culture

Santana On 'Black Magic Woman,' A Pioneering Cultural Mashup

5:47am May 09, 2016

by Felix Contreras

The band's leader and original drummer explain how a group house in 1960s San Francisco produced a groundbreaking union of Afro-Carribean rhythms, rock and jazz.

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Kygo's debut album is called Cloud Nine.

Music & Culture

Digital Pan Flutes And Marvin Gaye: The Blissed-Out Rise Of Kygo

5:44pm May 07, 2016

by NPR Staff

The 24-year-old Norwegian recently set a record on Spotify, exceeding a billion streams faster than any artist before him — and his debut album isn't even out yet.

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North Carolinian Rhiannon Giddens, who opposes HB2, says she struggled with whether to speak out against the bill from stage: "How can I use my platform for good without jeopardizing everything so that I don't have that platform anymore?"

Music & Culture

In North Carolina, Musicians Face Off Against HB2

6:04pm May 06, 2016

by Desiré Moses

Stars like Bruce Springsteen canceled North Carolina shows because of the state's "bathroom bill." Others, like Beyonce, played. For local musicians and venues, the decision is a complicated one.

The University of Louisville's marching band leaves the Churchill Downs infield after performing the state song at the Kentucky Derby.

Churchill Downer: The Forgotten Racial History Of Kentucky's State Song

10:32am May 06, 2016

by NPR Staff

"My Old Kentucky Home" is sung every year at the Kentucky Derby. Written in 1852 as an anti-slavery ballad, the song has a more sinister meaning upon closer examination.

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Sturgill Simpson's new album, A Sailor's Guide to Earth, is meant as a musical letter to his wife and son.

Music & Culture

Sturgill Simpson Puts A Paternal Twist On Hard-Edged Country

7:45am May 06, 2016

by Jewly Hight

On A Sailor's Guide to Earth, Simpson focuses on bringing beauty and a sentimental spirit to his buzzed-about country sound. The album is meant to be a musical letter to his wife and son.

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Music & Culture

Sense Of Community Drew Musician Jenn Adams Back To Montana

6:08am May 06, 2016

Morning Edition is broadcasting from the Feed Cafe in Bozeman, Montana. David Greene talks to singer-songwriter Jenn Adams who has been performing the music for the stories about Montana.