Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now

Music

Taiko women come together in St. Paul to beat drums, make history

Taiko women come together in St. Paul to beat drums, make history

The traditional Japanese art has been practiced for thousands of years — by men. Now, female drummers from Japan, Canada and across the United States are gathering for an all-female taiko residency.
by Marianne Combs

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
'An Evening with Whitney' hologram tour trades on the image of a complicated star

'An Evening with Whitney' hologram tour trades on the image of a complicated star

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks with Jason King of New York University about the surge in hologram tours, and about the ethical implications of re-creating the image of Whitney Houston.
by Lulu Garcia-Navarro and Jason King

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
A trip to the CMAs gave this Minnesota teen a reason to keep living

A trip to the CMAs gave this Minnesota teen a reason to keep living

When Jade Ochu was just a baby, she was diagnosed with systemic mastocytosis — a rare, painful and incurable blood condition. She was close to giving up on her treatments a couple of years ago. That’s when Make-A-Wish Minnesota stepped in with the chance of a lifetime: a trip to the Country Music Association Awards.
by Angela Davis and Katie Moritz

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
50 years of 'The Point,' Harry Nilsson's wonderful, weird musical fable

50 years of 'The Point,' Harry Nilsson's wonderful, weird musical fable

50 years after Harry Nilsson's concept album about a round-headed boy from a land of pointy heads, his son Kiefo and actor Mike Lookinland talk about a new release of the accompanying animated film.
by Ned Wharton and Scott Simon

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Hmong rappers get their chance to shine in YouTube competition

Hmong rappers get their chance to shine in YouTube competition

No matter who comes out on top, rappers say the competition is already paying off for artists in the small but growing Hmong hip-hop community hustling to get their music heard.
by Jeffrey Bissoy

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
On what would have been Bob Marley's 75th birthday, Ziggy Marley reflects on his father's legacy

On what would have been Bob Marley's 75th birthday, Ziggy Marley reflects on his father's legacy

Reggae's biggest ambassador would have turned 75 this week, had he not died four decades ago from cancer. NPR's Scott Simon talks with Ziggy Marley about his father's legacy.
by Ian Stewart and Scott Simon

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Autopsy: St. Paul rapper Lexii Alijai died of accidental overdose

Alijai, a 21-year-old rising star in the Twin Cities music scene, died Jan. 1 from a mix of fentanyl and alcohol, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner said Tuesday. The agency ruled it an accident. A police investigation continues.
by MPR News Staff

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Prince wrongful death case dismissed; estate case continues

Prince wrongful death case dismissed; estate case continues

A wrongful death lawsuit filed by Prince's family members has been quietly dismissed in recent months, suggesting family members have reached settlements with defendants including the Minnesota doctor who saw Prince in the weeks before his death and the Illinois hospital that treated him for an opioid overdose seven days before he died.
by Amy Forliti, Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Lizzo named The Associated Press' Entertainer of the Year

Lizzo named The Associated Press' Entertainer of the Year

Voted by entertainment staffers of the news cooperative, Lizzo dominated the pop, R&B and rap charts in 2019 with songs like “Truth Hurts" and “Good As Hell."
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!