News & Updates — Video

Happy birthday to Edulfamid Molina Díaz, also known as Piper Pimienta, one of Colombia's most distinct salsa voices and one of the slickest dancers of his day. His name was inspired by his spicy dance, along with his uncle's claim that he resembled a pepper. Born in Puerto Tejada, outside of Cali, he got his start in the business around 1959 with orchestras such as Sonora del Pacífico and Orquesta Los Supremos. In the early '70s he joined Fruko y sus Tesos and was also a member of the Latin Brothers (with Joe Arroyo), El Combo Candela and the Colombia...

One of my all time fave rap groups was the X-Clan, with their Afrocenric funky samples, mystical verbal conjurings and knowledge deeper than Atlantis. Professor X was always in the mix, offering insight and focus, as well as some devil-taunting. The Brooklyn-born son of activist Sonny Carson, Lumumba Carson picked up some of the provocateur genes from his father. Funk upon a time he knew Malcolm X as a kid, he himself got shot in a gang dispute, and after serving some prison time remade himself as a hiphop sage of knowledge and black pride, founding X Clan and also recording...

There are so many interesting artists born on July 15 that it is impossible in my schedule to write pieces about them. So here are some shorties, along with a video or two for each. --Francis Bebey / July 15, 1929 - May 28, 2001 This unique Cameroonian composer and his interesting DIY synth-pop crossed with traditional music has been justly making new fans in recent years. --James Jacson / July 15, 1932 - Aug 10, 1997 Happy cosmic birthday to James Jacson, one of my favorite characters from Sun Ra's Arkestra. Jacson is the one who was instructed to...

A major star in his day, Louis Jordan STILL remains one of the most successful chart performers in black music history. R&B, rock & roll and rap can all be traced to this man, as well as what became known as the music video. From the Little Rock area, Jordan played saxophone and displayed a highly entertaining stage presence that mixed comedy, dancing, singing and his jumping band. He came from swing to develop the jump-blues style. He started out with the Chick Webb band in the '30s and became their popular frontman. His Decca sides of the '40s pretty...

Billy Eckstine was one of the most popular singers and bandleaders of his day. As well, he has been held in high regard by musicians for his groundbreaking 1940's bebop big band, of which membership included Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan, Kenny Dorham, Tadd Dameron, Fats Navarro, Wardell Gray, Dexter Gordon and others. That band was in effect a "finishing school" for musicians who would go on to legendary status themselves. Eckstine was born in Pittsburgh and later attended high school in Washington DC. He was a gifted athlete but an injury curtailed his football...