The artist’s most emotionally direct album digs in the dirt to yield a richly organic collaboration featuring some of his most enduring songs.

A mesmerizing collection of traditional and modern song from the great qawwali master.

I sang a composition arranged by Roland Hayes this Sunday at church. Our church’s regular choir doesn’t do the summer services, so I sometimes sign up to sing a solo one week. This year I learned that we would be preaching from Luke 2, which tells stories of Jesus as a boy, and went looking … Continue reading "Roland Hayes"

An album mixing traditional music from Uganda and modern reflections, by turns joyous and sober, from a musician in exile.

A legendary collaboration between the great singer and ambient artist Michael Brook that gave traditional qawwali music a new beat.

His second major label album finds the Senegalese superstar making uncompromising mbalax dance music that moves feet globally.

Way back in 2003 and 2004, I wrote about a trip that we took with our friends Charlie and Carie to see the Museum of Glass and pointed to the pictures we took there. That trip started a chain of events that saw me enter an NPR phoneblogging competition and one of my photos published … Continue reading "Revisiting the Museum of Glass and Bridge of Glass in Tacoma"

In which a performance artist leans into the musical side of her art and finds emotional resonance.

For me, the American Bicentennial celebrations in 1776 came and went without leaving much of an impact. I was not yet four years old, so am unsure of what I do remember, though certain impressions (crowds, heat, loud sounds) persist. I do remember the atmosphere of the year: lots of red, white, and blue kitsch. … Continue reading "Declarations"

Kate reaches a deeper emotional resonance on the sequel to Hounds of Love, with help from an unlikely cast of collaborators.

A musical journey around the world with the collaborators and inspirations for the sounds of Peter Gabriel’s groundbreaking soundtrack.

The Senegalese superstar’s major label debut blends a deep groove with modern technology and that incredible voice into a compelling, if uneven, listen.

Nusrat’s first Western album is an ideal representation of the sacred and secular art of qawwali singing.