Search results for

Anders Osborne grew up on a remote Swedish island, made his way to the mainland, hitchhiked and sang his way across Europe, and eventually crossed the Atlantic to visit New Orleans. He had heard about the city from his merchant marine grandfather who lived here and also from his father, a jazz musician. In New Orleans, Anders finally felt at home, but his life in music began to mirror the city’s excesses and finally, its resilience.

Jimmy Charles Holmes was born in Bentonia, MS in 1947. His father was a farmer and his mother ran a juke joint called the Blue Front Cafe. Jimmy took it over in 1970, and it was at the Blue Front where he learned the Bentonia style of blues guitar from the revered Jack Owens.

In the late 19th century, African American beach communities began to emerge in places like Highland Beach, MD and Cape May, NJ. They provided havens for Black vacationers excluded from white resort communities. But get this: the historically Black Sea Breeze beach in North Carolina was open to whites in the heart of the Jim Crow South.

This week we pay tribute to the late singer-songwriter, actor and counter-culture icon, Kris Kristofferson. He wrote “Me and Bobby McGee” sitting on an offshore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, 1969. Before the song turned his life around, Kristofferson struggled to make ends meet in Nashville. Whether it was a love song like “Help Me Make It Through The Night,” or the rueful regret of “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” Kris Kristofferson’s straightforward lyrics later reached listeners and other songwriters.

Today on Louisiana Considered, we break down the results of Saturday’s elections in New Orleans. The Times Picayune/New Orleans Advocate’s Stephanie Grace joins us for more. We also hear the latest on investigations involving a former LSU football star and about STEM resources for New Orleans-area teachers.

Today on Louisiana Considered, we learn about efforts to revitalize Louisiana’s slowing film and television industry. We also hear the details behind a spooky Halloween event at a former funeral home, and learn why Hyundai is committing to manufacturing in the U.S. despite immigration concerns.

Today on Louisiana Considered, we hear about the races and runoffs New Orleans voters will weigh in on this weekend. We also hear about honoring veterans and the presence of the National Guard in U.S. cities. And we learn about the latest local restaurants to receive Michelin stars.

The Winnsboro Easter Rock Ensemble carries on a women-led African American spiritual ritual, originally performed by enslaved Africans in the Northeast Louisiana Delta region of Franklin Parish before the Civil War. It combines Christian worship and the West African ring shout tradition. The Easter Rock is held the day before Easter, with call and response vocals and foot-stomping, honoring Jesus as they circulate with a train of swaying ribbon streamers on a large heavy banner representing the burden of the cross to commemorate the death and resurrection of Christ. The Winnsboro Easter Rock Ensemble are the last known practitioners of the ritual, moving counter-clockwise around a white table representing Christ’s tomb. Leader, the elder Hattie Addison spoke with me and led the group in song and steps.

As part of NPR's "We, The Voters" series, we went to Nevada to talk to residents about their housing situation, the state's affordable housing crisis and what factors are driving it.

From grassrootsy Bernie Sanders to millionaire-fueled Jeb Bush, FEC data can tell you a lot about how a campaign is running.