Music Interviews A.R. Rahman Scores With 'Slumdog Millionaire' January 31, 2009 • Slumdog Millionaire composer A.R. Rahman produced a driving, powerful score that's already earned a Golden Globe. His organic approach to writing draws on a simple desire to make people smile when they listen. The eclectic soundtrack also features collaborations with singer M.I.A. A.R. Rahman Scores With 'Slumdog Millionaire' Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/100089276/100109014" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
A.R. Rahman Scores With 'Slumdog Millionaire' Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/100089276/100109014" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
globalFEST Shanbehzadeh Ensemble: Iranian Dance Music WNYC Radio January 27, 2009 • The Iranian father-son team unfurled a mesmerizing set of what might be called the hidden Afro-Persian tradition. Saeid Shanbehzadeh sang, played flute and danced around his goatskin bagpipe as his son churned out hypnotic rhythms on two hand drums. Shanbehzadeh Ensemble in Concert at globalFEST 2009 Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/99888861/99888765" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Shanbehzadeh Ensemble in Concert at globalFEST 2009 Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/99888861/99888765" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Favorite Sessions Umalali: The 'Voice' Of The Garifuna KEXP January 27, 2009 • Put together by producer and musician Ivan Duran from Belize, Umalali seeks to revive the Garifuna culture of Central America. In a session from KEXP, the group performs a song by Andy Palacio, a talented Garifuna musician who died early last year. Umalali in Studio on KEXP 9/15/08 Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/99877936/99873842" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Umalali in Studio on KEXP 9/15/08 Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/99877936/99873842" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Review Song Of The Day Rokia Traore: Gershwin, By Way Of Mali January 27, 2009 • Traore isn't the first African singer to take on an American jazz standard, but her version of George and Ira Gershwin's "The Man I Love" sets a new standard. Channeling Billie Holiday without losing herself, Traore delivers a deeply satisfying read, subtly infused with African-ness as a lute converses with her electric guitar throughout. The Man I Love Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/99904237/99903638" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
The Man I Love Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/99904237/99903638" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Review All Songs Considered Brooklyn Brass, A Malian Masterpiece, Cabaret Pop, More January 26, 2009 • From All Songs Considered: David Byrne, AC Newman, Beirut, Rokia Traore, and more. Brooklyn Brass, A Malian Masterpiece, Cabaret Pop, More Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/99866524/99866575" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Brooklyn Brass, A Malian Masterpiece, Cabaret Pop, More Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/99866524/99866575" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Review Song Of The Day Bajofondo Crafts A Tango Rap Ballad January 23, 2009 • Trip-hop, rock en espanol and even hip-hop turn up in Mar Dulce, and if you're having trouble imagining a tango rap ballad, check out freestyler La Mala Rodriguez as she spits jotas in "El Anden" (The Platform). Her words hone in on a sense of loss as violins and miniature accordions scratch furiously in the background. Andén Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/99798364/99796855" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Andén Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/99798364/99796855" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
New Music DeVotchKa, Recorded Live In Concert XPN January 23, 2009 • With an eclectic blend of styles ranging from Slavic music to American punk, the Denver-based band DeVotchKa has found widespread support for its film music (in Little Miss Sunshine and others) as well as its five full-length albums, the latest of which is last year's A Mad & Faithful Telling. Hear DeVotchKa perform live in concert from WXPN in Philadelphia. DeVotchKa, Recorded Live In Concert Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/99744196/99804500" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
DeVotchKa, Recorded Live In Concert Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/99744196/99804500" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Music Lists The Many Sides Of 'The Star Spangled Banner' January 20, 2009 • The story of Francis Scott Key's "Star Spangled Banner" is the stuff of grade-school history books. But the song has inspired some memorable interpretations in the recent past, as each performer imbues it with a personal take on patriotism.
globalFEST Watcha Clan: Controlled Chaos In Concert WNYC Radio January 19, 2009 • Though the room was packed with music lovers, many didn't know what to expect of Watcha Clan at Webster Hall in New York City. The French band's globalFEST performance was filled with deep bass and frenetic electronic beats mixing the sounds from around the world in a high energy performance. Watcha Clan in Concert at globalFEST 2009 Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/99482377/99456559" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Watcha Clan in Concert at globalFEST 2009 Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/99482377/99456559" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Music Lists Memorable Takes On The National Anthem January 19, 2009 • The story of Francis Scott Key's "Star Spangled Banner" is the stuff of grade-school history books. But the song has inspired some memorable interpretations in the recent past, as performers imbue it with their own personal takes on patriotism.
Review World Cafe A Filial: Brazilian Skateboarders Meet Hip-Hop XPN January 19, 2009 • Emerging from the skateboarding scene of Rio de Janeiro, A Filial melds Brazilian roots music with hip-hop. Though it's easy to assume that the group's beats are American-influenced, A Filial has developed a sound that's at home in an American skater's stereo, yet authentically Brazilian. A Filial: Brazilian Skateboarders Meet Hip-Hop Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/99741053/99741186" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
A Filial: Brazilian Skateboarders Meet Hip-Hop Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/99741053/99741186" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Review All Songs Considered GlobalFEST: A World Music Showcase January 19, 2009 • This year, All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen attended the GlobalFEST, featuring a dozen bands on three different stages. On this edition of All Songs Bob looks back at highlights from the festival. GlobalFEST: A World Music Showcase Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/99549631/99549005" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
GlobalFEST: A World Music Showcase Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/99549631/99549005" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Presidential Inauguration Of Barack Obama We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration January 18, 2009 • NPR broadcast the star-studded concert special live from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the official kickoff to inauguration festivities.
Mountain Stage Comparsa On Mountain Stage January 16, 2009 • When he was 10, Eduardo Canelon moved from Venezuela to the U.S. In his teens, he began to study the music of his homeland, and has since formed the band Comparsa, dedicated to exploring the music of Latin America and the Caribbean. Comparsa in Concert on Mountain Stage - 01/16/2009 Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/99439561/99284296" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Comparsa in Concert on Mountain Stage - 01/16/2009 Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/99439561/99284296" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Music News The Rise And Fall Of The Music Industry Fresh Air January 14, 2009 • Rolling Stone contributing editor Steve Knopper chronicles the rise of the record industry — and its subsequent digital-age collapse — in his new book, Appetite For Self-Destruction. The Rise And Fall Of The Music Industry Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/99312293/99353163" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
The Rise And Fall Of The Music Industry Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/99312293/99353163" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">