Once every decade in a small Colombian village, musicians engage in a fierce battle for the title of the Accordion King. Travel down to Colombia, and go behind the scenes of the Vallenato Kings Festival where, each April, the world’s greatest accordionists assemble to perform, compete, and celebrate the squeezebox. Meet the players and hear their stories, including professors of the Turco Gil Academy, where over two thousand children dedicate themselves to their instrument, and Yeime, a young girl who overcame cultural stereotypes to become the first woman to win the competition in over forty years.
Folkways Records founder Moses Asch turned the music business model on its head. He avoided hit makers and catered to unknown musicians. He dug into vanishing traditions around the world to harness music and sounds that inspire people. Artists like Woody Guthrie and Lead Belly can still be heard on this original indie label that, for over sixty years, has made good on its mission of gathering sound and spreading it to the people.
John Cohen's influence is seen and heard throughout traditional American folk music. Many believe that he is the 'inspiration for the Grateful Dead;s famous song Uncle John's Band' A modern-day renaissance man, he is a painter, documentary filmmaker, teacher, and photographer. This is the story of one artist's amazing body of work, featuring rare footage of Bob Dylan, interviews with Pete Seeger, and narration by Sam Shepard.
Hip Hop has evolved from a musical genre into one of the most influential movements of the 21st Century, affecting the way people dress, speak, and even think. Follow the journey from its birth in the Bronx in the '70s, to the time when rap, DJ-ing, break dancing, and graffiti took over New York City and defined a generation. See how the music and its message expanded to inner cities all over the world, including Paris, Berlin, Dakar and the Palestinian territories, and how it became the universal language for people who didn't have a voice.
Artist. Activist. Philosopher. Philanthropist. Visionary. Over the last 25 years, Peter Gabriel has evolved from a gifted musician into a forward-looking ideologist and pacifist. Join him in this exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the recording of his album “Big Blue Ball.” This long-gestating collaborative effort features musicians from all over the world, brought together with one united goal: to make music. See how this positive vision of globalization brought together varying philosophies, technologies, and styles to create one harmonized sound.