Some recent music stories from VOA:

The Mega-hit television show, "American Idol", is gaining a new judge in the person of celebrated song-writer, Kara DioGuardi, who will join Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul as the fourth judge in the first installment of the singing competition's eighth season, which begins in January 2009. VOA's Ilir Ikonomi interviews Ms. DioGuardi about her new role in this enormously popular prime-time TV program.

With all the anxieties and even panic in the U.S. at the current financial crisis, one San Francisco banker has found a special place in the hearts of his fellow "Frisco" citizens. Listen to Jan Sluizer's radio report on financier Warren Helman's annual sponsorship of "The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival," which is held each October in the city's famous Golden Gate Park.

The above-mentioned crisis has of course affected people in countries all over the world, including musicians. Yet for Zimbabwe's star Oliver Mtukudzi, his popularity among fans outside his country have enabled him to continue his successful career, as Unathi Kondile tells us in this radio feature from Capetown, South Africa.

For artists involved with jazz, perhaps the highest honor is to be selected as a "Jazz Master" by the National Endowment for the Arts, or NEA. Mona Ghuneim reports from New York City on those individuals who were recognized for 2009.

Brazil is a the largest and most populous country in South America, with an enormously rich range of musical traditions, some of which (for example, Bossa Nova), have achieved wordlwide popularity. Yet despite the major Hispanic population in the U.S., contemporary Brazilian artists--perhaps because the dominant language in Brazil is Portuguese, not Spanish--have continued to struggle to find an audience here. VOA's Steve Mort brings us his radio story from Rio de Janeiro on the challenges facing Brazilian musicians in reaching the market in their northern neighbor, the United States.

Flash: Aretha Franklin LIVE on Border Crossings!

Larry London's show on 22 October included an appearance by the American musical icon, Aretha Franklin. To hear Larry's interview, click here, and then click on the Wednesday program under "Last Week's Show" to listen to the entire program, including Aretha's interview.

A musical legend for decades, the Ms. Franklin had numerous hit records spanning a period of decades. For more information on her go to the Wikipedia article on this unique and Protean American artist.

More recent programs on music

Here are some of the latest music stories from VOA on music and musical events from the U.S.:

Pete Seeger's name has appeared in several of my previous blogs. Now Katherine Cole reports on his latest album, "Pete Seeger at 89", in which he sings "old favorites" with a new approach.

Doug Levine reviews the exciting series of events that took place here in Washington during the recent Fourth Annual Duke Ellington Jazz Festival. The event culminated with a splendid performance at the Voice of America celebrating the music of the Americas, with a group led by the electrifying Paquito D'Rivera, and featuring outstanding musicians from the U.S., Peru, Colombia, Curacao, Argentina, and Cuba. We are hoping to be able to make at least portions of this concert available on line, pending obtaining the appropriate clearances from the musicians.

Bluegrass music, like jazz, is one of the quintessentially American contributions to the musical world. Originating in the southern mountains of the United States, and characterized as having "a high, lonesome sound", bluegrass has now become a major musical genre, practised by performers from around the world. Listen to Katherine Cole's report on the 19th International Bluegrass Music Awards, in which a number of performers emerged as new stars.

Returning to jazz, Doug Levine tells us about a very successful new album of jazz standards by the vocalist Nicole Henry, "The Very Thought of You." You can see, and hear, more of her on her official Website, www.nicolehenry.com.

Moving to country music--related to but separate from bluegrass--Mary Morningstar reports on the success of the new album, Learn to Live, by Darius Rucker, the African American lead singer for Hootie and the Blowfish.

Keep listening, and send us your reactions and requests!

Music news notes from VOA's Mary Morningstar

Click here to see more details on the following musical updates:

Britney Spears' "Womanizer," the first single from her upcoming album Circus, zoomed up 95 places to become the Number 1 song on Billboard's Top 100 Chart--the biggest one-week gain in the chart's history.

Janet Jackson resumed her "Rock Witchu Tour" October 15 in Washington, D.C.

Madonna (herself a new film director) and her film director husband Guy Ritchie are divorcing after less than eight years of marriage.

Singer Patti LaBelle, after a hiatus of 32 years, releases Back To Now-- her first new album in 32 years!

Sony Legacy will release a four-CD, 71-track box se--Love Train: The Sound of Philadelphia--on October 21, showcasing songs, released between 1967 and 1983, by a host of stars representing the "The Philly Sound".

And see

The new album releases as of the 20th of October . . .


Musical events, festivals, and benefits . . .


A list of the week's award presentations and winners . . . and

Who's going on tour.

Flash: 7-year old Connie Talbot LIVE on Border Crossings!

This show (on Wednesday, 8 October) featured Larry London's live interview of perhaps Britain's youngest pop superstar, Connie Talbot. That show is no longer currently available for you to hear (the usual program is replaced by that broadcast a week later), but I have contacted Larry to see if there is some way it can be archived, since the original entry did attract a large number of visitors.

The young Ms. Talbot has appeared twice in the Guinness Book of World Records, and her YouTube videos have received millions of hits. She was also a finalist on the English TV show, "Britain's Got Talent".

Music news notes from VOA's Mary Morningstar

Click here to see the following musical updates:

Janet Jackson hospitalized.

Bruce Springsteen slated for half-time at the Super Bowl.

Sebastian Bach of the band Skid Row wins the second season of Gone Country, the reality series from Country Music Television.

At the Grand Old Opry, Winona Judd tapes a holiday special for the troops to be aired on Armed Forces Radio and Television.

The Allman Brothers Band will receive Billboard's prestigious Fifth annual Legend of Live award.

And see

The new album releases for the second week of October . . .

Who's going on tour . . . . and

A list of the week's award presentations.

More recent VOA programs on music

The past two weeks have continued to bring a range of interesting radio and television reports about music and musical events from the U.S. and around the world:

VOA's Adam Phillips has created a fascinating radio feature on how a jazz clarinetist, who like many youngsters, was entranced by by the visual zap and sizzle of television cartoons in his childhood, has founded a big-band jazz ensemble, The Cartoon Jazz Orchestra, which performs some of the music so vital to enhancing or changing moods in the rapid-fire action of classic American animated films.

Listen to Philip Graitcer's radio report on a new exhibit honoring the great soul singer Otis Redding (who died tragically at the early age of 27) at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

American songwriter, Brent Burns, whose work is usually humorous, has written "Pain at the Pump" to express motorists' frustrations at the high price of gasoline (petrol). VOA Central Programs' Faisa Elmasry's piece brings us the details of the creation of this song, which helps us to laugh at an all-too-painful set of circumstances.

You can hear about how Tutu Puoane, an Exciting jazz vocalist from South Africa, finds enthusiastic audiences in Belgium. Unathi Kondile files for VOA from Cape Town.

VOA also carried Mary Morningstar's radio feature on how major pop star Jessica Simpson's first Country music album has drawn rave reviews.

You can listen to Mike O'Sullivan describing a recent tribute, held in Los Angeles, to Sammy Cahn, the famous writer of the lyrics for many of America's greatest pop stars, including Frank Sinatra.

In the world of the Blues, senior artist Buddy Guy, who has won five Grammies and a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has recorded a new album with a number of his famous friends, as described by Doug Levine.

And finally, Doug also tells us of the sad death of Motown Producer Norman Whitfield, who in addition to winning three Grammies for songs he had written or produced, brought the world such hits as "I heard it through the Grapevine" and "Papa was a rolling stone."