NPR Staff

Frida Kahlo became known for works that are bold, colorful, rebellious and emotive. What music might best compliment her paintings? The Villalobos Brothers, a trio of singer-violinists from Veracruz, Mexico, now based in Manhattan, were asked to help answer that question.

"I think we've always been influenced by Frida's work," ...

Mary Anna King grew up in a housing project in southern New Jersey, with her older brother Jacob and struggling parents.

"When you're struggling financially and you're living in poverty ... it takes twice as much effort to do anything," she tells NPR's Eric Westervelt.

Her parents went on to ...

This week, President Obama announced changes to the government policy on Americans abducted abroad. A former FBI hostage negotiator explains what this means for the hostages — and for their families.

"It won't be [that] Miles is Spider-Man with an asterisk or some kind of adjective or adverb attached to it," says writer Brian Michael Bendis. "He is going to be Spider-Man — just Spider-Man."

Being openly transgender is officially prohibited in the Army, but Staff Sgt. Patricia (formerly Peter) King says her support system at work "has been absolutely amazing" during her transition.

Adonal Foyle has financial advice for professional athletes. "You really have to put money in its proper place," he says. "If we do that, we will respect it — but not give it too much power over us."

Soul, jazz, hip-hop and a complex mix of themes all have their moment on Bilal's new album, but there's one unifying constant: an old-school production style.

Another summer, another best-seller from novelist Daniel Silva. In The English Spy, the most famous woman in the world — a titled and gorgeous ex-member of the British royal family — is sunk on her yacht. To track down her killer, British Intelligence needs a little help — actually, a ...

The Confederate stars and bars have been taken down from flagpoles and store shelves all over the country this week. Calls for their removal follow the June 17 shooting of nine people at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C.

But the official flag of the Confederacy and ...

With a silver pompadour and a belt-busting baritone that delivers songs about heartbreak and honky-tonking, Texas musician Dale Watson is straight country — but he doesn't necessarily want you to say so.

"I think what's coming out of the industry has gotten watered down quite a bit," Watson ...

Best known for his silky voice and sultry lyrics, the R&B star takes a more personal approach on the new album Wildheart — especially when addressing his mixed ethnicity.

Forgiveness has been a major theme in cultural discussions surrounding the Charleston church shooting. But writer Roxane Gay says she can't forgive the alleged gunman.

Decades before the deadly shootings at a South Carolina church, a church bombing killed four girls in Alabama. A friend of one of the girls describes the emotional scars both incidents have left.

Kelly entered the music industry through TV singing competitions at age 11. Now 22, she visited NPR's DC studios to perform music from her debut album.

Simone's recordings still loom larger than the rest of her story. A new film about her life asks the question, What Happened, Miss Simone?

NPR's Melissa Block speaks with South Carolina State Rep. Doug Brannon, who says he wants to fast-track a bill to remove the Confederate flag from the State House grounds.

The new show, which focuses on a vigilante programmer, has gotten some rave reviews from real-life hackers. But the show's creator, Sam Esmail, says he wasn't inspired by any individuals in the news.

Mia Alvar's new short story collection spans the globe — from Manila to New York to Manama, Bahrain — to offer a more complicated narrative of Filipino exiles, emigres and wanderers.

An elite search-and-rescue team from Los Angeles County is always ready to respond to emergencies around the world — most recently, in earthquake-ravaged Nepal.

The jazz pianist has spent the past five years essentially making modern R&B records. On the new Covered he returns to a more traditional form, but adds an eclectic twist to keep things interesting.