Music

Music & Culture

The Tale Of Mingering Mike, Who Painted Himself A Music Career

1:29pm March 28, 2015

by Joel Rose

A self-taught visual artist who longed to make soul records, Mingering Mike ended up realizing his dreams on paper rather than vinyl. Decades later, his work is paying off.

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Carlos Varela, a Cuban protest singer, poses for a picture at the bar of the historic Hotel Nacional in Havana.

LISTEN: A Cuban Protest Singer On The State Of U.S.-Cuba Relations

8:07pm March 27, 2015

by Eyder Peralta

For decades, Carlos Varela has doled out incisive criticism of the Cuban government. On our recent visit to Havana, he sang a song he says reflects the mood of the country at this historic moment.

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Music & Culture

Courtney Barnett Makes Ennui Vivid On Debut Album

11:01am March 27, 2015

by Ken Tucker

Barnett just released her first full album called Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit. Critic Ken Tucker says she somehow manages to infuse with a freshness rare in any songwriter.

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A Nile Project concert in Al Azhar Park, Cairo, Egypt, 31 January, 2013.

Egyptian Singer, Meet Burundi Bassist. Play Among Yourselves!

8:23pm March 24, 2015

by Banning Eyre

The musicians who live in countries along the Nile rarely got to meet — until the Nile Project came along. Now they learn from each other, make records together and are currently touring the U.S.

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Music & Culture

'We Wanted To Entertain': Jon Spencer On 25 Years In New York

8:21pm March 24, 2015

by NPR Staff

Spencer is equal parts Little Richard and Iggy Pop, the funky, yelping frontman for the Blues Explosion. The band's new album is called Freedom Tower: No Wave Dance Party 2015.

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Music & Culture

'Still The King': A Tribute To An Icon Of Western Swing

8:20pm March 24, 2015

by NPR Staff

Don Gonyea talks to Ray Benson, leader of the Austin-based band Asleep at the Wheel, about a new tribute to the late Bob Wills that features contributions by the musicians Wills helped inspire.

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Soprano Catalina Cuervo, singing the role of Frida Kahlo, rehearses with bass baritone Ricardo Herrera, singing the role of Diego Rivera, on Feb. 21, 2015 at the Michigan Opera Theatre in Detroit.

Detroit's 'Frida' Aims To Build Latino Audiences For Opera

8:18pm March 24, 2015

by Veronica Zaragovia

The opera, based on the tumultuous lives of painters Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, coincides with a new exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts devoted to the year they lived in the city.

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The crowd was all smiles during NPR Music's showcase at this year's South By Southwest music festival. We can't send you back in time to hear the shows, but you can listen to some of Bob Boilen's favorite performers from the festival.

Music & Culture

From Kate Tempest To Torres, Female Artists Shone At SXSW

8:16pm March 24, 2015

by NPR Staff

A throat singer, a hip-hop preacher, an Irish introvert: NPR Music's Bob Boilen says it was the Year of the Woman at the South By Southwest music festival. He shares some of his favorite performances.

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Jamal (played by Jussie Smollett) and Cookie (played by Taraji P. Henson) attend the all white party in the "The Lyon's Roar" episode of Empire.

Swagger On Display At 'Empire' Season Finale Parties

12:18pm March 20, 2015

by Bilal Qureshi

With its flashy swagger and quotable one-liners, Empire, the Fox series about a black music label, has become a cultural phenomenon. A watch party in D.C., had just as much.

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Music & Culture

Bluegrass Musician Norman Blake Releases An Album Of Original Songs

10:57am March 20, 2015

Blake has performed for more than 60 years. He was in Johnny Cash's band and played on Bob Dylan's Nashville Skyline album. Now 77, his new album is called Wood, Wire and Words.

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