Introducing NPR Music's Southern Bureau With 'World Cafe' Nashville Hub
October 11, 2016; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - The NPR-distributed World Cafe music program and NPR Music have partnered to establish a new Nashville-based enterprise for creating content from Music City and the Southern US. The new entity, called World Cafe Nashville, will be launched with two special events at City Winery in Nashville featuring Eric Church, Steelism and other special guests on October 27 and 28.
With the establishment of World Cafe Nashville, the WXPN/Philadelphia-produced World Cafe music program and NPR Music will expand coverage of the depth and diversity of music emanating from Nashville and the Southern US, through artist recording sessions, interviews and other activities.
World Cafe, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2017, is hosted by David Dye and presents interviews and performances with today's essential and emerging artists. It is distributed by NPR and heard on more than 200 US radio stations, including Nashville-area public radio station WMOT-FM/Roots Radio 89.5. World Cafe also produces two weekly podcasts: World Cafe Words and Music, featuring music and conversation from a variety of important musicians, and World Cafe Next, which highlights up-and-coming artists who are making exciting, innovative music.
NPR Music presents music features, streams, live concerts and music news covering rock, pop, jazz, classical, hip-hop, R&B/soul, folk, Latin, world and electronica/dance.
"This commitment to a deeper dive on World Cafe into the music of Nashville and places like Muscle Shoals, Memphis, Atlanta and New Orleans is central to our exploration of regional roots music, whether it be Americana, R&B, gospel, blues or rock," said World Cafe host David Dye. "This will be musical discovery with a southern accent."
Nashville-based critic and correspondent for NPR Music and World Cafe contributor Ann Powers said, "Living here, I've come to believe it's the most exciting music city in the country right now. Nashville has it all: an incomparably rich musical legacy; a core of working musicians who've made lives here and are behind many of the past half-century's most memorable recordings; and an ever-expanding group of younger musicians making the Nashville sound ever more wide-reaching and innovative, while still grounded in America's musical roots. World Cafe's commitment to musical eclecticism matches the spirit of the Nashville I've come to love, and of the South in general in this decade, where so many surprises emerge from the seedbed of tradition."
Two special events at City Winery in Nashville will help celebrate the launch of World Cafe Nashville: On Thursday, October 27, a VIP reception for members of the music industry and media will precede a solo performance by acclaimed country singer-songwriter Eric Church. On Friday, October 28, the "The Intoxicating Sounds of Steelism and Nashville's Femmes Fatales" featuring instrumental band Steelism and Lera Lynn, Caitlin Rose, and Ruby Amanfu will be presented. Both shows are free, with tickets to be distributed via World Cafe and WMOT.
About NPR Music
NPR Music collaborates with NPR's newsmagazines, public radio Member stations and the passionate NPR community to celebrate great music in every genre. Visit NPR.org/music to find the complete Tiny Desk Concerts series, live music, extensive archives of performances, interviews and reviews of artists from all genres.
About WXPN
WXPN, the nationally recognized leader in Triple A radio and the premier guide for discovering new and significant artists in rock, blues, roots and folk, is the non-commercial, member-supported, public radio service of the University of Pennsylvania. WXPN produces World Cafe, public radio's most popular program of popular music, hosted by David Dye and syndicated by NPR, and the Peabody Award-winning Kids Corner hosted by Kathy O'Connell. WXPN serves the greater Philadelphia area at 88.5 FM, the Lehigh Valley at 104.9 FM, Worton/Baltimore at 90.5 FM, Lancaster/York at 88.7 FM, Harrisburg at 99.7 FM, Northeastern PA and Northwestern NJ at 91.9 FM, and the world via online streaming at www.XPN.org. The WXPN app brings all of WXPN to any mobile device. WXPN produces XPoNential Radio on XPN2 as its secondary radio channel in HD, also available online.
Contact
Isabel Lara, NPR Media Relations
mediarelations@npr.org
(202) 513-2300
Elise Brown, WXPN/World Cafe
elisewxpnpr@gmail.com
(215) 990-6955