Hafez Modirzadeh: Persian Classical Music Meets Bebop and Beyond

The music on Iranian-American jazz saxophonist Hafez Modirzadeh’s new album is the result of a decades-long effort to find ways of meshing Persian and Western musical scales together.

Riccardo Crespo: Brazilian Music with New Orleans Flavors

Riccardo Crespo grew up in southern Brazil, and has lived in New Orleans for 13 years. His music is a calm mix of the two cultures.

An Urban Twist to Son Jarocho Music

The New York City-based group Radio Jarocho puts an urban twist on Mexican son jarocho music.

Sonia M’Barek: Tunisian Singer with Roots in Medieval Iberian Kingdom

Tunisian singer Sonia M’Barek performs a musical style with roots in the courts of Al-Andalus, the medieval Muslim kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula.

The Dominican Republic’s Presidential Campaigns Take Manhattan

Domincans living abroad may help decide the outcome of this weekend’s presidential election back home in the Dominican Republican. The campaigning is fierce in New York City’s Washington Heights, where many Dominican ex-pats live.

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival: Loads of Global Hits

Catching all the Global Hit-related acts took some tight choreography, a little bit of hustle, and regular hydration [...]

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival: Lessons Learned

Here are some things I’ve learned about the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival [...]

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival: The Crescent City Looks to Africa

“We want to weave together a tapestry of percussion, rhythm, and harmony from New Orleans through Cuba, the Caribbean, and back to Africa,” Sam Price said, by way of explanation [...]

D’Banj: Nigeria’s Latest Music Sensation

Reporter Bruce Wallace introduces us to Nigeria’s new music sensation: D’Banj.

The Art and Friendship of Marcel Khalifé and Mahmoud Darwish

Lebanese composer and oud player Marcel Khalifé tours the US paying homage to his friend, the late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish.

Spanglish Fly Revives New York City’s Latin Boogaloo

In Manhattan’s East Village, once a month, a crowd gathers in a low-ceiling, dimly-lit, hard-to-find club to pay homage to a music with deep New York City roots. The 11-member group is part of a group of people reviving interest in a Latin-soul musical hybrid called “boogaloo.”

Myanmar Elections: A Changing Country and its Exiled Opponents

What Sunday’s elections in Myanmar (Burma), and the broader changes happening there, mean for the country’s exiled opponents.

The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs

“The World” has removed Bruce Wallace’s story, “The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs,” from our website. The story was about Mike Daisey’s critically acclaimed one-man stage show and the response to it. In the monologue, Daisey describes what he saw and people he spoke with at a Foxconn factory in Shenzhen, China that manufactures iPhones and iPads. Portions of Daisey’s story, however, have since been discredited by reporter Rob Schmitz of “Marketplace,” who covers China for that broadcast.

A similar story also aired on “This American Life.” Speaking on the program since these recent developments, Daisey expressed his regret to “the people who are listening, if they feel betrayed.”

We would like to also apologize to our listeners for presenting Mike Daisey’s story without proper corroboration. Below are reporter Bruce Wallace’s thoughts on the episode.

Sanctions Block Burmese Rock Band Side Effect

Side Effect is a Kurt Cobain-inspired Burmese band. The band raised money to buy equipment, but could not get it because of US sanctions against Burma.

Video: Myanmar’s All-Girl Band Me N Ma Girls

Me N Ma Girls is an all-girl group from Myanmar (Burma). The girls conjure up images of the Spice Girls and other female pop singers like Britney Spears with their colorful wigs and dance tunes.