Sounds
From timeless classics to the music of the moment, experience the artists and albums that are shaping the way we hear the world.
Soul Man: New Orleans-born artist Greg Banks Is the Saint of Soul Music
Have you ever had one of those days? A terrible day, right in the middle of everything being bad, when you can’t remember how good it used to be and can’t imagine it ever being that good again? And then something happens, someone happens, they do or say something that cuts through all the bad, and they didn’t even know what they’d done? With music and song, Greg Banks has been that person to break through on more than one occasion. We know, because he did it for us.
Nathalie Joachim Gives Voice
Her voice is full of life — vibrant and soulful with an unflinching clarity. Its sound is a declaration of identity, a definitive statement of existence, and an unapologetic claiming of place in both history and the present day. In her Grammy-nominated solo debut, Fanm d’Ayiti, Nathalie Joachim’s crisp vocals pair beautifully with her stunning arrangements of flutes, strings, and electronics to seamlessly blend the weight of history with a rising sense of wonder and joy. In every song we hear not only Joachim herself, but the voices of the brave women of Haiti — the ancestors for whom she sings. Recasting songs with centuries of history in modern arrangements, the album recalls the struggles and resilience of the past as a means of gathering the strength to meet the challenges of the present. We spoke with Joachim about what drove her to create this seminal work.