‘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
-
Virtual
Explorers: 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.
Sign up for GBH newsletters
GBH offers several newsletters focused on the topics that matter to you.
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.
-
Colorful new mosaics portray the cogs of industrialization on the Charles River
The three art installments along Waltham's greenway are a time-traveler's delight, taking observers from the pre-Industrial era of the Charles to its speculative, and hopeful, future. -
BAMS Fest highlights local and national artists, showcasing Boston’s rich cultural heritage
The Boston Arts and Music Soul Fest, also known as BAMS Fest, takes over Franklin Park’s Playstead Field June 29 and 30. -
Boston’s cricket craze continues as the US co-hosts Men’s T20 World Cup
For the first time, the U.S. is co-hosting the Men’s World Cup with the West Indies. Just another indication of the growing enthusiasm in America for cricket, the second most popular sport in the world after soccer.
GBH Music
More Culture Programs
-
Episode 10, Season 2024<br> "The House on Mango Street" by Sandra Cisneros
Join PBS Books during the Library of Congress National Book Festival with author Sandra Cisneros.| 29:23 -
Episode 5, Season 5<br> What Makes Heavy Metal Sound Devilish?
Inspired by horror movies and dark themes, legendary bands created a theatrically dark genre, Metal.| 12:20 -
Lise Davidsen in "La Forza del Destino"
Lise Davidsen performs the Act IV aria "La Forza del Destino."| 1:52 -
Extended Readers Club | Olivia Ford
Watch our full conversation with Olivia Ford the author of Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame.| 1:02:23