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November 22, 2011 The colorful drummer and composer was known for his deep internal sense of swing. He was 80.

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November 3, 2011 Juanes' five albums have struck a chord with millions, making him a superstar who can fill stadiums and large arenas across Latin America and the U.S. Watch the charismatic Colombian superstar give an intimate performance at the NPR Music offices.

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October 23, 2011 The hard-rocking trio sounds better than ever on its fourth album, which wraps the songs of singer Nina Diaz in just the right arrangements.

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October 19, 2011 The Texas trio performs loud Latin alt-rock in both English and Spanish — though its members are only fluent in one of the two.

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October 4, 2011 Like the best conjunto music, El Brown Recluse is all about the dance floor. But the ballroom in this case is full of cowboy boots and skinny jeans.

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September 23, 2011 The crime writer picks five songs essential to characters in his D.C.-centered books or HBO's Treme.

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September 14, 2011 Earlier this year, the categories for the Grammys were reorganized — affecting folk music and jazz categories hardest. Some Latin jazz musicians have filed a class-action suit to reinstate that category and to get the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to reexamine the reorganization.

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August 25, 2011 For years, the American Federation of Musicians has used part of the royalties its members earn to sponsor free concerts across the country. But as sales stagnate in a tough economy and the music industry as a whole faces an uncertain future, the fund is in trouble.

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August 24, 2011 We sample music from albums with one strong song after another.

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August 17, 2011 Covers can find unheard possibilities in familiar songs. This week we feature reinterpretations of classics from Puerto Rico, Argentina, Mexico and more.

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July 27, 2011 The reedman and composer/arranger, an NEA Jazz Master, was known best for his longtime association with the Count Basie Orchestra. The writer of "Shiny Stockings" was a direct link to the eras of bebop and big bands. He was 82.

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July 21, 2011 Hear a re-imagined song by Mexican singer-songwriter Carla Morrison, an Argentine trio takes on feminist punk and a Brazilian grunge band with a love for distortion.

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July 3, 2011 On its new album, the Brooklyn band works modern elements into its traditional Mexican rancheras, polkas and corridos. Hear El Desierto y la Ciudad in its entirety.

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July 3, 2011 The late actor was also an amateur drummer, as well as an inventor with four patents to his credit. His lost prototypes for tuning conga drums were recently uncovered in a West Los Angeles storage facility.

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