WARSAW, Poland — Once banned by rulers dispatched from Moscow, Poland’s stately polonaise dance that nurtured the country’s spirit even through the dark years of its partition is now honored by UNESCO. This 18th century dance has been performed from aristocratic balls to village celebrations, inspiring composers the likes of J. S. Bach and Frederic … Read more
People had been coming to Ziggy Marley and his family for years with ideas about how to turn reggae icon Bob Marleyâs life into a movie. But it never felt quite right, until a few years ago when they decided to be the instigators. âIt was just a feeling,â Ziggy Marley said of getting his … Read more
RIO DE JANEIRO — Sound begins blasting ear drums and rattling bones even before the speakers — hauled by big rigs creeping their way through Brazil’s thronging Carnival crowds — draw near. The behemoth sound trucks known as electric trios are a Brazilian innovation that amplified music and effectively did away with front-row seats — … Read more
NEW YORK — Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Cher, Lenny Kravitz, the late Sinéad O’Connor and heavy metal’s so-called Prince of Darkness are some the 2024 nominees for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a wide musical net that also includes the pop-soul of Sade and Britpoppers Oasis. Ozzy Osbourne, who led … Read more
TOKYO — World-renowned conductor Seiji Ozawa has died of heart failure at his home in Tokyo, his management office said Friday. He was 88. The acclaimed Japanese maestro led the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1973 to 2002, longer than any other conductor in the orchestra’s 128-year history. From 2002 to 2010, he was music director … Read more
NEW ORLEANS — Branford Marsalis, the jazz saxophonist and composer acclaimed for his movie scores, Grammy-winning recordings and his stint as the leader of The Tonight Show band, is taking on the role of educator in a return to his hometown of New Orleans. Marsalis was named Tuesday as the new artistic director for the … Read more
NEW YORK — The songwriters who gave us “Your Song,” “Tiny Dancer” and “Rocket Man” will add to their stuffed awards shelf later this year when Elton John and Bernie Taupin are awarded the Gershwin Prize. The Library of Congress said Tuesday that songwriter-performer John and lyricist Taupin will receive the library’s Gershwin Prize for … Read more
NEW YORK — Thirty-nine years ago, the biggest music stars in the world crammed into a recording studio in Los Angeles for an all-night session that they hoped might alter music history. “We Are the World” was a 1985 charity single for African famine relief that included the voices of Michael Jackson, Willie Nelson, Bob … Read more
LOS ANGELES — A look at notable facts, figures and curiosities from Tuesday’s nominations for the 96th Academy Awards, which saw “Oppenheimer” lead with 13 Oscar nominations, with “Poor Things” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” also running up big numbers. Jodie Foster became an Academy Awards mainstay starting at age 14 with her first … Read more
NEW YORK — The New York Philharmonic will play excerpts of music from the Academy Award-nominated “Maestro,” on the life of former music director Leonard Bernstein, on Feb. 14. Bradley Cooper, the movie’s star and director, will participate in a post-performance conversation at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall. Metropolitan Opera music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who … Read more
