Sound Tracks RSS feed for PBS programming.http://video.pbs.orgen-ushttp://video.pbs.orgFri, 24 May 2013 18:23:14 -0400Fri, 24 May 2013 18:23:14 -0400http://video.pbs.org/video/2284505638/Travel the world in search of compelling music and hear the stories behind the music and its creators. 3/5/2013http://video.pbs.org/video/2284505638/09/27/2012Airs Tuesday, March 5, 2013 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. Check your local listings.nrArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentBiography & ProfilesBiography & ProfilesMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsPromotionhttp://video.pbs.org/video/2290087565/A fast-paced song for the trying economic times we live in, “Dirty Money” is the signature track from the band’s latest album on the Brooklyn-based Daptone label. It’s a two-pronged response to the 2008 financial crisis that still looms large around the world and the pressure of living in an oil-based economy.http://video.pbs.org/video/2290087565/10/12/2012Inspired by Latin music, jazz, funk and Afrobeat, Antibalas delvers music with a message.nrArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentMusicMusicCliphttp://video.pbs.org/video/2290123455/“Sanctuary” was first released on the 2007 Antibalas album “Security.“ It’s a slow-burner of a tune, in the classic Fela Kuti style: a build-up of rhythm around drums, percussion, and Hammond organ. And then Amayo – the lead singer -- begins to preach the words. Where do you find sanctuary in a world that yanks us in multiple directions?http://video.pbs.org/video/2290123455/10/12/2012Inspired by Latin music, jazz, funk and Afrobeat, Antibalas delivers music with a message.nrArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentMusicMusicCliphttp://video.pbs.org/video/2290140767/The music of Antibalas is party music, but it’s innately political. What does that mean for a band that is trying to bushwhack its way through the tangled world of today’s music industry? It means they live the Afrobeat lifestyle from the streets of Brooklyn to the Broadway stage. The band’s Nigerian-born lead singer Amayo and trumpet player Jordan McLean share their experiences with Marco Werman.http://video.pbs.org/video/2290140767/10/12/2012An interview with two members of the Brooklyn-based Afrobeat band Antibalas.nrArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentMusicMusicCliphttp://video.pbs.org/video/2276837326/In Episode 2, see how folk singer Julie Fowlis is leading a revival of Gaelic culture from the Scottish Highlands. Join African singer and activist Youssou N'Dour as he tries to run for president of Senegal, and watch jazz superstar Wynton Marsalis on the road in Chicago with his orchestra. The show closes with a "global hit" performance by Of Monsters and Men, a young band from Iceland.http://video.pbs.org/video/2276837326/09/07/2012Watch the full episode, with stories from Scotland. Senegal, Iceland and the US.tv-pgArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentBiography & ProfilesBiography & ProfilesMusicMusicCulture & SocietyCulture & SocietyPeople & ProfilesPeople & ProfilesTravelTravelNews & Public AffairsNews & Public AffairsPoliticsPoliticsEpisodehttp://video.pbs.org/video/2283113448/If you’ve seen the animated Pixar/Disney film, “Brave,” which is set in a fantasy medieval Scotland, you’ve heard the voice of Scottish folk singer Julie Fowlis. She sings mainly in the Gaelic language – or Gallic, as they say in Scotland – and had a surprise hit in the UK a few years back with her version of the Beatles’ “Blackbird.” In this video, Fowlis performs “Tha Mo Ghaol Air Àird."http://video.pbs.org/video/2283113448/09/24/2012Julie Fowlis performs “Tha Mo Ghaol Air Àird” (“My Love is on the High Seas").nrArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentMusicMusicCliphttp://video.pbs.org/video/2271156504/One of Senegal's best known guitarists, Jimi Mbaye has been playing with Youssou N'Dour since 1979 when they launched the "Super Etoile" band in Dakar. In this video extra, Jimi talks to Marco Werman about Jimi Hendrix and plays a song he wrote for Youssou called "Birima."http://video.pbs.org/video/2271156504/08/21/2012Watch Senegalese guitarist Jimi Mbaye perform the song "Birima."tv-pgArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsCliphttp://video.pbs.org/video/2274007063/The Gaelic revival is just part of a vibrant debate in Scotland. Here’s a brief sample of opinions about an independent Scotland, featuring musician Julie Fowlis, Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, and author Alan Bissett.http://video.pbs.org/video/2274007063/08/29/2012Watch Julie Fowlis and Alex Salmond discuss the possibility of an independent Scotland.nrArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentMusicMusicNews & Public AffairsNews & Public AffairsPoliticsPoliticsCliphttp://video.pbs.org/video/2273417128/Iceland has a long tradition of Nordic myths and folk tales, many involving spirits and animals transforming themselves into people. So, it’s not too surprising that a band like Of Monsters and Men would call their debut album, “My Head is an Animal,” and create a song like “Dirty Paws,” about an epic battle between the birds and the bees and a four-pawed beast that saves the day.http://video.pbs.org/video/2273417128/08/28/2012Nordic pop-folk ensemble Of Monsters and Men performs one of their new hits.nrArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentMusicMusicSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2273413361/You’ve probably heard this song on the radio this summer. To the band’s amazement, it’s a worldwide hit. “It’s even big in Turkey,” they told us, shaking their collective heads, pleasantly bewildered. But it’s easy to see why the song has caught on with its rolling, infectious energy, that chorus of “heys!” and a foreboding lyric that ends up reassuring us we’re all going to make it back safely.http://video.pbs.org/video/2273413361/08/28/2012Of Monsters and Men performs their smash hit live for Sound Tracks: Quick Hits.nrArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentMusicMusicSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2254473425/Sound Tracks is coming to PBS this Fall.http://video.pbs.org/video/2254473425/07/09/2012Sound Tracks is coming to PBS this Fall.nrArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentPromotionhttp://video.pbs.org/video/2247683487/This Quick Hits video brings together all four members of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, including cellist Leyla McCalla, for a rendition of a bluegrass standard, "Don't Get Trouble in Your Mind." It's hard to imagine a quartet being more in sync than the Drops are during this virtuoso, rowdy romp.http://video.pbs.org/video/2247683487/06/19/2012The Carolina Chocolate Drops perform a bluegrass standard for Sound Tracks: Quick Hits.nrArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentMusicMusicSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2247695427/"No Man's Mama" was originally sung in the 1920s by blues diva Ethel Waters. At the time its lyrics were downright radical for detailing a woman's giddy liberation after getting her divorce decreed. This version features guitar and banjo strumming by Hubby Jenkins and Dom Flemons, but it's Rhiannon Giddens' impeccably fearless vocals that steal the show.http://video.pbs.org/video/2247695427/06/19/2012The Carolina Chocolate Drops perform a blues standard for Sound Tracks: Quick Hits.nrArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentMusicMusicSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2247687489/Featuring Dom Flemons on the bones and Rhiannon Giddens on the 5-string banjo, "Old Corn Likker" was performed backstage exclusively for Quick Hits. This is a square dance song with Flemons calling out to the dancers and telling the story of a man who fell off a wagon and lost his hat due to some overindulgence in some homebrew alcohol.http://video.pbs.org/video/2247687489/06/19/2012The Carolina Chocolate Drops perform an exclusive song for Sound Tracks: Quick Hits.nrArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentMusicMusicSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2247676322/Original band members Dom Flemons and Rhiannon Giddens spoke with Quick Hits reporter Mirissa Neff backstage at the Mystic Theater in Petaluma, California. The two live and breathe African American traditional music, and once you get them started on the topic it's clear that their knowledge runs deep. The interview includes a sample of Thompson's music and a clip from a music video.http://video.pbs.org/video/2247676322/06/19/2012An Interview with the eclectic string band, the Carolina Chocolate Drops.nrArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentMusicMusicSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2232090827/Anoushka Shankar is a sort of musical gypsy, having grown up in London, Delhi and southern California, and touring the world in performances with her father, Ravi Shankar. Now she’s repeating the pattern by traveling with her child on her own concert tours. As she tells Arun Rath, she was pregnant when she recorded the album, and the song “Inside Me,” is about her unborn son dancing inside her.http://video.pbs.org/video/2232090827/05/08/2012Legendary sitarist Anoushka Shankar reflects on her life and illustrious career in music.nrArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsCulture & SocietyCulture & SocietySegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2232192575/The featured singer in this piece, Sandra Carrasco, is a traveler herself, crossing the globe as an evangelist for Andalusian flamenco singing. The words she sings are Anoushka’s, translated into Spanish by her collaborator, Javier Limon: “I deserve to spend my life dancing while leaning on my true love’s shoulder, dancing.”http://video.pbs.org/video/2232192575/05/08/2012Anoushka Shankar, legendary sitarist, performs a song live at City Winery in NYC.nrArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsCulture & SocietyCulture & SocietySegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2232108097/The album version of “ISHQ” features a vocalist singing in Hindi, “My body is an instrument, my heart is a melody.” Here, Sanjeev Shankar takes on the vocal role on the shehnai, a double-reed instrument rather like a cross between an oboe and a soprano sax. This all-instrumental version shows off some exceptional percussion.http://video.pbs.org/video/2232108097/05/08/2012Anoushka Shankar, legendary sitarist, performs a recent track live at City Winery in NYC.nrArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsCulture & SocietyCulture & SocietySegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2232184084/This song renders the lyrics of a medieval Sufi mystic into Spanish: “If I cannot see her, at least I can think of her, and so, be happy.” But you don’t need to understand the words to hear the beautiful sense of longing.http://video.pbs.org/video/2232184084/05/08/2012Anoushka Shankar, legendary sitarist, performs live at City Winery in NYC.nrArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsCulture & SocietyCulture & SocietySegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2208172463/Levon Helm - drummer and lead singer for The Band - presides over what he calls “midnight rambles” – concerts in his Woodstock, N.Y. barn, where he’s surrounded by musical friends and family, including his daughter, singer Amy Helm. His voice may be raspy, but his energetic drumming and high-beam smile can warm the coldest winter night. Part of the Sound Tracks: Quick Hits series by PBS Arts.http://video.pbs.org/video/2208172463/03/09/2012American legend Levon Helm reflects on battling cancer and his lifelong journey in music.nrArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentBiography & ProfilesBiography & ProfilesMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2208170210/Levon Helm - drummer and lead singer for The Band - presides over what he calls “midnight rambles” – concerts in his Woodstock, N.Y. barn, where he’s surrounded by musical friends and family, including his daughter, singer Amy Helm. His voice may be raspy, but his energetic drumming and high-beam smile can warm the coldest winter night. Part of the Sound Tracks: Quick Hits series by PBS Arts.http://video.pbs.org/video/2208170210/03/09/2012Rock legend Levon Helm performs "Ophelia" at his Woodstock, N.Y. home in February 2012.nrArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2208149502/Levon Helm - drummer and lead singer for The Band - presides over what he calls “midnight rambles” – concerts in his Woodstock, N.Y. barn, where he’s surrounded by musical friends and family, including his daughter, singer Amy Helm. His voice may be raspy, but his energetic drumming and high-beam smile can warm the coldest winter night. Part of the Sound Tracks: Quick Hits series by PBS Arts.http://video.pbs.org/video/2208149502/03/09/2012Rock legend Levon Helm performs "The Weight" at his Woodstock, N.Y. home in February 2012.nrArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentBiography & ProfilesBiography & ProfilesMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2195030894/Written in 1858 after a trip to Russia, Johann Strauss' 'Tritsch Tratsch Polka' is a jaunty, high-spirited affair and Yuja Wang obviously delights in playing it. Watch her smile at the end.http://video.pbs.org/video/2195030894/02/10/2012Yuja Want plays Johann Strauss' 'Tritsch Tratsch Polka'nrArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2194141974/Born in Beijing in 1987, Yuja Wang began playing the piano at the age of six. From a music conservatory in China to the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, she never stopped, and now she roams the world, playing a demanding schedule of concerts across Europe, Asia and North America. She's recorded three critically acclaimed albums for Deutsche Grammophon, her most recent is a Grammy nominee.http://video.pbs.org/video/2194141974/02/10/2012Born in Beijing in 1987, Yuja Wang began playing the piano at the age of six.nrArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2194141972/In this video, recorded at the Steinway showroom in West Hollywood, Yuja plays two pieces by Gluck and Liszt, stopping briefly in between. It's wonderful to watch her change pace and mood and see the concentration and deep feeling in her expression. At the end, it's almost as if she emerges from an intense dream, smiling, and telling us, "This piano's nice."http://video.pbs.org/video/2194141972/02/10/2012In this video, Yuja plays two pieces by Gluck and Liszt.nrArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2184880155/You can use any superlative you like to describe Tom's playing; he's one of those rare figures who has actually extended the vocabulary of the jazz trumpet. Since hitting the scene in the early '70s, Tom has also established himself as one of jazz's most important composers.http://video.pbs.org/video/2184880155/01/09/2012You can use any superlative you like to describe Tom's playing.nrArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2184949115/It might seem strange that a composer as original as Tom Harrell would throw himself into the melodies of dead French impressionists, but he's done far more than write "jazz" arrangements of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. While staying true to the melodic roots of the music, he's effectively re-composed these pieces.http://video.pbs.org/video/2184949115/01/09/2012Jazz trumpeter Tom Harrell plays Debussy's "Beau Soir."nrArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2184949116/The Passepied from Debussy's Suite Bergamasque is probably one of the composer's most recognizable tunes - but you might not recognize it here. It's been slowed down quite a bit and re-harmonized - and right before this violin solo, it's just shifted out of a Brazilian bossa-flavored blues.http://video.pbs.org/video/2184949116/01/09/2012Jazz trumpeter Tom Harrell plays Debussy's "Passepied."nrArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2184949104/"Sainte," Ravel's first published composition, was originally written for a vocalist. Tom Harrell says he hears French composer Eric Satie in this piece, and tries to bring out Satie's 'saintly' quality in the music. But after starting out in a prayerful mood, this saint isn't above getting a little funky.http://video.pbs.org/video/2184949104/01/09/2012After starting out in a prayerful mood, this saint isn't above getting a little funky.nrArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2171500019/Watch this interview and you'll see that Milos Karadaglic already has the composure, the confidence and the easy charm of a movie star, which may horrify classical music purists. But all you have to do is listen to realize he's more than a poster boy for the classical guitar. He's smart, self-deprecating, funny, and a sensitive, gifted musician. His fingers are fast, and his intonation is perfect.http://video.pbs.org/video/2171500019/11/28/2011Milos Karadaglic is more than just a poster boy for the classical guitar.nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2171528721/"Prelude #1" is probably the hardest to play of all the pieces Milos performed for Quick Hits, requiring the most concentration. At the end, he sighs "phew" and smiles in apparent relief. For fans of classical guitar, this is the show off piece from a young man who says the guitar is his best friend.http://video.pbs.org/video/2171528721/11/28/2011"Prelude #1" is the show off piece of a young man who says the guitar is his best friend.nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2171538849/"Oriental" by Enrique Granados is the final track on Milos Karadaglic's debut album on Deutsche Grammophon, "Mediterraneo," a musical tour of his interior and geographical world.http://video.pbs.org/video/2171538849/11/28/2011Milos Karadaglic's "Mediterraneo" is a musical tour of his interior & geographical world.nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2171500042/Perhaps our favorite piece that Milos performed for us at Klavierhaus on "piano row" right around the corner from Carnegie Hall. This is "Recuerdos de la Alhambra" by Francisco Tarrega. It's so very Spanish, sad, melodious, and it displays Milos' incredibly fast and intricate finger work. As he says, his fingers just begin to fly.http://video.pbs.org/video/2171500042/11/28/2011Spanish, sad, melodious and displaying Milos' incredibly fast and intricate finger work.nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2171528709/We coaxed Milos out of the recital hall to wander around in the sunlight and play for us on a park bench. The result is a short, dreamy piece, "Granada" by Isaac Albeniz, that our video producer/editor, John MacGibbon, turns into an ode to New York and Central Park.http://video.pbs.org/video/2171528709/11/28/2011We coaxed Milos out of the recital hall and into the sunlight to perform "Granada".nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2163553436/On tour in San Francisco, Piers Faccini settles into an old Victorian home and talks to SOUND TRACKS reporter Mirissa Neff about his Roma gypsy great-grandmother, his early infatuation with the Smiths, and the profound influence that the Delta blues and West African music have had on his song writing and musical style.http://video.pbs.org/video/2163553436/11/02/2011Quick Hits interviews Piers Faccini on tour.nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2163553438/"No Reply" is the opening cut on Pier Faccini's new album, "My Wilderness," which he recorded at his home in southern France. It's a soulful, haunting song. The despair is existential. The singer calls out to the darkness, seeking answers, and "in the silence I heard my reply and no one will ever no why."http://video.pbs.org/video/2163553438/11/02/2011"No Reply" is the opening cut on Pier Faccini's new album, "My Wilderness."nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2163706358/Accompanied only by some jostling bells, Piers Faccini stands alone in a garden and delivers a kind of ancient chant, part spiritual, part stripped down work song. It promises a new morning, a new life, but in a world where "all our words will soon be broken." Like a monk chanting in an old European monastery, Faccini invokes Biblical images of "seven days, seven nights, seven years, seven lives."http://video.pbs.org/video/2163706358/11/02/2011"A New Morning" promises a new life in a world where "all our words will soon be broken."nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2163706357/"Two Grains of Sand" is the title track from Piers Faccini's previous album released in 2009. As you'll see in this acoustic guitar, solo performance, it's a sad, intimate, philosophical song with an oblique story of jealousy and violence. There's "a murder buried under autumn leaves" and a plaintive cry: "How can we turn to violence and burn/Forget all we've learned/ to darkness return."http://video.pbs.org/video/2163706357/11/02/2011"Two Grains of Sand" is a sad, intimate, philosophical song about jealousy and violence.nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/14052843/"City of Refuge" is the title track from Abigail Washburn's latest solo album. Abby sings of taking off to a place where "everyone is made new," and many of her songs speak to this need to keep moving, running, reinventing oneself.http://video.pbs.org/video/14052843/10/04/2011"City of Refuge" is the title track from Abigail Washburn's latest solo album.nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/14113804/With Abby, what would never work on paper has a way of coming out natural and swinging, this song being a perfect example. There's simply no one else on the planet who could pull this off. Piao means "floating," and Abby sings in Mandarin, "This morning I woke up to no big plans, no great ambitions, just floating, floating, floating..." It's hard to explain the mix of influences in this song.http://video.pbs.org/video/14113804/10/04/2011With Abby, what would never work on paper has a way of coming out natural and swinging.nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/14100526/Never, ever, cross Abigail Washburn. Consider this video your warning. She's playing a Gold Tone cello banjo for this selection, which has a sound that's deep and resonant - and in this context, a little ominous. The central riff has a nasty, bluesy edge, but sounds like it could also come straight out of a Chinese folk tune.http://video.pbs.org/video/14100526/10/04/2011Never, ever, cross Abigail Washburn.nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/14100515/As if our debt to China weren't big enough, it turns out we also owe the Asian giant for inspiring Abigail Washburn, a true American original, to become a musician. It's a roundabout story. But you'll get the drift of it in her interview with SOUND TRACKS reporter Arun Rath, plus a sampling of her songs.http://video.pbs.org/video/14100515/10/04/2011You'd think Abigail Washburn jumped out of the crib with a banjo in her hand.nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2101935629/Seun apologized for being jet-lagged - those Europe to California hauls can wear you out - but he made time to talk with SOUND TRACKS reporter Mirissa Neff before his show at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco.http://video.pbs.org/video/2101935629/08/22/2011Sean Kuti talks with SOUND TRACKS before a show at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco.nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2101999160/"Rise" is the title song on Seun Kuti and Egypt 80's new album. In the Fela tradition of Afrobeat, it's an angry song - protesting against corrupt leaders and corporations exploiting Africa's resources. It's also a big band tour de force, with echoes of James Brown and Miles Davis. Above all, it's a call to rise against injustice.http://video.pbs.org/video/2101999160/08/22/2011"Rise" is the title song on Seun Kuti and Egypt 80's new album.nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2101999171/As a tribute to his father, Seun Kuti opens his concert with one of Fela's signature songs, "Zombie," a scathing indictment of the Nigerian army for blindly following repressive orders. This is Afrobeat at its most provocative written by a man who repeatedly challenged the military regime and paid the price in countless beatings and arrests.http://video.pbs.org/video/2101999171/08/22/2011Seun Kuti opens his concert with one of Fela's signature songs, "Zombie".nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/2101935640/We couldn't resist including this video clip of Seun Kuti, just before he took the stage at San Francisco's Regency Ballroom. It's only a moment, but it reveals another side of his personality - smiling, sleepy, a bit shy - right before he becomes a force of nature leading a volcanic band.http://video.pbs.org/video/2101935640/08/22/2011Seun Kuti, just before he took the stage at San Francisco's Regency Ballroom.nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/1980915842/Zac Holtzman and Chhom Nimol are a memorable pair, to say the least. But after years of singing and touring together in their distinctive, tight-knit Dengue Fever band, they are clearly relaxed and comfortable in each other's company. Especially backstage at The Fillmore in San Francisco, where SOUND TRACKS reporter Mirissa Neff spoke with them after an ecstatic show they almost missed.http://video.pbs.org/video/1980915842/06/08/2011Zac Holtzman and Chhom Nimol are a memorable pair, to say the least.nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/1980936318/Long Beach, California is now home to the largest Cambodian immigrant community in the United States in a district known as "Little Phnom Penh." Chhom Nimol moved there with her family in 2000 after leaving Thailand. In her new song, "Sister in the Radio," Nimol recalls the moment in her childhood exile in Thailand when she realized the sister her family had left behind was still alive.http://video.pbs.org/video/1980936318/06/08/2011In "Sister in the Radio" Nimol recalls the moment she realized her sister is still alive.nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/1980936591/On stage at The Fillmore in San Francisco, Dengue Fever re-creates the atmosphere of a Phnom Penh nightclub in the '60s. There's a bouncy, innocent excitement to this song, "A Go Go." A song the band obviously loves to perform. Reminds us of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' 1965 hit, "Going to a Go-Go," with a wonderful Cambodian twist.http://video.pbs.org/video/1980936591/06/08/2011On stage Dengue Fever re-creates the atmosphere of a Phnom Penh nightclub in the '60s.nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/1980965265/Dengue Fever performs "Gendjer Gendjer" in a back hallway at Amoeba Music in San Francisco. According to guitarist Zac Holtzman (who formed the band with his brother, Ethan, the keyboardist), the song was originally written during the Japanese occupation of Indonesia during World World II when food was so scarce that people resorted to eating Gendjer, a weed that grew in rice fields.http://video.pbs.org/video/1980965265/06/08/2011Watch Dengue Fever perform "Gendjer Gendjer" at Amoeba Music in San Francisco.nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/1980979161/"Uku" expresses an immigrant's longing for a world left behind. It casts a spell of nostalgia and regret. "The windy season makes me think of my village," sings Chhom Nimol. "I think of the old people, young people, aunts and uncles. We used to run and play, hide and seek. But now we are far apart. Far apart."http://video.pbs.org/video/1980979161/06/08/2011Dengue Fever's song "Uku" expresses an immigrant's longing for a world left behind.nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/1841233046/Sometimes a song is more than a song. It can be a confession, a cry from the heart, a catharsis. When Charles Bradley sings "Heartaches and Pain" on stage, it's a classic, old school, soul music performance. There's even a showy James Brown touch, with Bradley carrying the microphone stand on his shoulder as if it were his cross to bear. And hey, we all have our burdens, right?http://video.pbs.org/video/1841233046/03/14/2011Charles Bradley brings a life of sorrow to this song about his brother's murder.nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/1841293211/We at SOUND TRACKS have loved Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings since we first heard their music. They've turned out four quality albums, including last year's "I Learned the Hard Way." But to really appreciate the excitement and precision of the band and the brassy, high-spirited personality of Jones, you've got to see them live. Next best thing: watch them on stage in this "Quick Hits" performance.http://video.pbs.org/video/1841293211/03/14/2011To really appreciate Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings you've got to see them live.nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/1841244524/The Queen of the soul music revival, Sharon Jones, now has a Soul Man, Charles Bradley, to back her up. "Quick Hits" found them backstage at the start of a tour, hanging out and cheering each other on. "Nothing retro about us," sasses Ms. Jones, "We're not imitating. When I open my mouth, soul comes out. Charles, too."http://video.pbs.org/video/1841244524/03/14/2011The Queen of soul music revival, Sharon Jones, now has Charles Bradley to back her up.nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/1841244512/"How long?" shouts Charles Bradley, and it's like an electric shock, and an existential question. For Bradley, it's a question about all the world's woes, but it's also very personal. As Bradley tells SOUND TRACKS reporter Marco Werman in this "Quick Hits" interview, his moment in the sun has been a long time coming.http://video.pbs.org/video/1841244512/03/14/2011When Charles Bradley shouts "How long?" it's like an electric shock.nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/1804168510/Helene Grimaud describes her new album, "Resonances," as a musical tour through the old Austro-Hungarian Empire, from Mozart to Lizst to Bartok. In this concise, moving piece, performed for "Quick Hits," she captures the spirit of Romanian folk music that inspired Bartok.http://video.pbs.org/video/1804168510/02/18/2011Helene Grimaud captures the spirit of Romanian folk music that inspired Bartok.nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/1804168502/Helene Grimaud describes herself as an agitated and unpredictable child who found her salvation in music. Now on her latest album, "Resonances," Grimaud takes on the challenge of playing Liszt's Sonata in B minor, what she calls "a monumental quest." In New York, at Steinway Hall, Grimaud performed this excerpt for "Quick Hits."http://video.pbs.org/video/1804168502/02/18/2011Helene Grimaud plays Liszt's Sonata in B minor.nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/1804039672/Helene Grimaud is a risk-taker. She may appear ethereal, even fragile, but she has the will of a tiger, or should we say, wolf, the species she has chosen to protect at a sanctuary she founded in 1999 in South Salem, New York, about two hours north of Manhattan. In her "Quick Hits" interview with SOUND TRACKS, Grimaud describes her love of wolves, overcoming illness, and the magic of performing.http://video.pbs.org/video/1804039672/02/18/2011Helene Grimaud may appear ethereal, but has the will of a tiger, or should we say, wolf.nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/1704858072/A glimpse of Ozomatli rehearsing a performance piece called "At the Edge of Urban Identity." It's a kind of history of the band, a ballad of Ozomatli, narrated by their friend Josh Kun, who they call "our resident smart guy," maybe because when he's not fronting Ozomatli he teaches music journalism at USC in downtown L.A. Segment presented by Sound Tracks: http://www.pbs.org/opb/soundtracks/http://video.pbs.org/video/1704858072/12/27/2010A glimpse of Ozomatli rehearsing a performance called "At the Edge of Urban Identity."nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegmenthttp://video.pbs.org/video/1704799260/Live from the Fillmore, San Francisco's legendary concert hall, Ozomatli breaks into a rambunctious version of "La Gallina" (the chicken). With lead vocals by Raul Pachecho and some blistering horns - Asdru Sierra on trumpet and Ulises Bella on saxophone - it's irresistible dance music. Segment presented by Sound Tracks: http://www.pbs.org/opb/soundtracks/http://video.pbs.org/video/1704799260/12/27/2010Live at San Francisco's Fillmore, Ozomatli breaks into their version of "La Gallina".nrMusicMusicPerforming ArtsPerforming ArtsWeb ExclusiveWeb ExclusiveSegment