The Influencers

What do an indigenous rock guitarist, a Norwegian opera singer, and Tchaikovsky have in common? Taylor Swift!

Dr. Kyle Adams joins Lisa Robbin Young on a deep-dive exploration of the musical family trees of three of our pop music mystery artists.

How do Elvis, a Peanut Vendor, and The Martin Luther King of Music connect to Bruno Mars?

Music Journalist Aurora Flores traces the early origins of Latin music in New York and the rise of Tito Puente

As we journey towards our next Mystery Artist, we find that in the early 20th Century, the US was a veritable "melting pot" of Afro-Caribbean and Latin music styles. But why? And can we trace this music back any further?

So much of the early indigenous music of the Americas was documented through the lens of Europeans, which makes tracing some music history more complicated.

How do an ancient Celtic chant, a murderous Italian composer from the middle Renaissance, and a Black millionaire pharmacist from Baltimore connect to Lizzo? Find out in our premiere episode of "The Influencers"