‘Jaja’s African Hair Braiding’ showcases the joys and struggles of immigrants in America
The SpeakEasy Stage's production of the Tony Award-winning play centers hair braiders and their lives over one day in the salon in which they work.
Music & Culture Events
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VirtualExplorers: A New History with Matthew Lockwood
Prize-winning historian Matthew Lockwood looks at the impulse to explore, the travels of Pocahontas, Columbus, Sacagawea, and Captain Cook alongside others who rightfully deserve the title of “explorers” including immigrants and fugitive slaves.
According to Lockwood, people of every background imagine new worlds. The impulse to seek new places is universal to humanity. In his new book, “Explorers,” he unfurls a tapestry of surprising and historically overlooked travelers spanning forty centuries and six continents. His illustrated talk will share the stories of such seekers as David Dorr, born into slavery in New Orleans who embarked on a Grand Tour or Europe and Egypt, and the Viking female voyager Gudrid Far-Traveler, who sailed to North America in 1000 AD; among other pioneers.Partner:American Ancestors -
In Person
The Ulysses Quartet at The Boston Public Library (May 2025)
Join GBH Music's quartet in residence, the Ulysses Quartet, for a performance at the Boston Public Library! -
In PersonVirtual
GBH Music Presents JazzNOW: Gabrielle Goodman in tribute to Ella Fitzgerald
GBH Music and JazzBoston close the 2025 JazzNOW series with a tribute to jazz icon Ella Fitzgerald, featuring acclaimed Boston-based vocalist Gabrielle Goodman. Ella Fitzgerald, celebrated for her groundbreaking scat improvisation, impeccable vocal technique, and definitive interpretations of the Great American Songbook, redefined jazz over her 60-year career, earning 13 Grammys and breaking barriers for women and Black artists. Gabrielle Goodman and her band honor Fitzgerald’s legacy with fresh interpretations of the works that made her "The First Lady of Song." A professor at Berklee College of Music, Goodman is a versatile artist whose career spans jazz, R&B, classical, and gospel. She has performed with legends like Chaka Khan, Nancy Wilson, and Roberta Flack, who calls her "one of the finest singers today." Goodman has released six acclaimed albums, including Travelin' Light and Until We Love on the Verve label, and was paired with Ella Fitzgerald recordings on a compilation album from Verve. She has also performed internationally at major jazz festivals.
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Culture in the News
New book spotlights Madam C.J. Walker’s daughter A’Lelia, who forged her own path
The daughter of America's first Black millionaire became the “joy goddess” of Harlem in the 1920s.
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Author and scholar Julia Lee discusses growing up neither Black nor white in America
What does it mean to be Asian in a country where everything is Black and white? Author and associate professor Julia Lee explores the state of being caught in a racially stratified America in her new memoir, "Biting the Hand: Growing Up Asian in Black and White America." -
Director Alexander Payne talks about 'The Holdovers,' Paul Giamatti and shooting in New England
Oscar-winning director Alexander Payne talks to GBH's Executive Arts Editor Jared Bowen about his new film, “The Holdovers,” which opens in Boston on Friday, November 3rd. The film, a 70s period piece set over a winter break at a New England area prep school, focuses on the relationship among a cantankerous history teacher, Paul, his rebellious student, Angus, and the school’s head cook, Mary, who lost her son — a soldier recently killed in Vietnam. -
Author Marta McDowell explores how gardening inspires mystery writers
It’s the month of all things spooky and scary, from horror movies to haunted mansions. But what about gardens? Turns out there's an unexpected sinister side to gardening, and writer and gardener Marta McDowell traces the connection between gardening and crime fiction in her book, "Gardening Can Be Murder: How Poisonous Poppies, Sinister Shovels, and Grim Gardens Have Inspired Mystery Writers."
GBH Music
More Culture Programs
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First 10 Minutes of Now Hear This "Chopin"
Enjoy this sneak preview of Now Hear This "Chopin."| 9:28 -
Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn
The relationship between Rudolf Nureyev and legendary ballerina Margot Fonteyn.| 5:06 -
Episode 10, Season 52<br> The Magic of Nureyev
Experience Rudolf Nureyev’s legendary production of “Swan Lake” co-starring Margot Fonteyn.| 53:44 -
Episode 9, Season 52<br> Now Hear This “Chopin’s Polish Heart”
Explore Chopin’s musical evolution from Poland to Paris with Scott Yoo and pianist Jan Lisiecki.| 53:54
