Soundcheck

Still from "Babel"

The Music of Oscar

Friday, February 23, 2007

It’s the home stretch for Sunday’s Academy Awards. On today’s show: Our annual Oscar preview with film and music historian Jon Burlingame and Gustavo Santaolalla, the Oscar-nominated composer of “Babel.” And finally: a music critic weighs in on racial stereotyping in Dreamgirls.

The Music of Oscar

And the Oscar for best soundtrack goes to... diversity! A Frenchman, a Spaniard, and an Argentinean are competing against two Americans for best score this Sunday. Film and music historian Jon Burlingame joins us to discuss the power of ethnic music in today’s cinema.

Gustavo Santaolalla

Composer Gustavo Santaolalla won an Oscar for his score to Brokeback Mountain and is now in the running for his score to Babel. He joins us to talk about making music for film and about his eclectic 35-year career that began in Latin rock bands in his native Argentina.

Bad Dreams for Dreamgirls?

Ann Powers, Chief Pop Critic at the LA Times, joins us to discuss the racial stereotyping that lurks beneath this year's Oscar feelgood story: Dreamgirls.

Ann Power's Dreamgirls Article in the LA Times