Through his far-reaching endeavors as composer, performer, educator, and ethnomusicolgist, Béla Bartók emerged as one of the most forceful and influential musical personalities of the twentieth century. Born in Nagyszentmiklós, Hungary (now Romania), on March 25, 1881, Bartók began his musical training with piano studies at the age of five, foreshadowing his lifelong affinity for the instrument. Following his graduation from the Royal Academy of Music in 1901 and the composition of his first mature works – most notably, the symphonic poem Kossuth (1903) – Bartók embarked on one of the classic field studies in the history of ethnomusicology. With fellow countryman and composer Zoltán Kodály, he traveled throughout Hungary ……..From Allmusic
Through his far-reaching endeavors as composer, performer, educator, and ethnomusicolgist, Béla Bartók emerged as one of the most forceful and influential musical personalities of the twentieth century. Born in Nagyszentmiklós, Hungary (now Romania), on March 25, 1881, Bartók began his musical training with piano studies at the age of five, foreshadowing his lifelong affinity for the instrument. Following his graduation from the Royal Academy of Music in 1901 and the composition of his first mature works – most notably, the symphonic poem Kossuth (1903) – Bartók embarked on one of the classic field studies in the history of ethnomusicology. With fellow countryman and composer Zoltán Kodály, he traveled throughout Hungary ……..From Allmusic
The dominance of rhythm in African and African-derived music is the pillar of this journey across piano pieces by Ernesto Lecuona and Louis Moreau Gottschalk, deriving from the combination of long melodic lines, often related to popular songs, with Caribbean and, in particular, Afro-Cuban rhythms. These are shown not only in the bass line, resembling drums and percussions, but in each rhythmic layer and in the melody itself. Each piece tells a story that evokes the spirit and energy of the composers’ native lands, Cuba and Louisiana, reflecting their historical and cultural landscape characterised by multifaceted influences. A vivid portrait of the Caribbean culture, in which dance has been used as form of expression since ancestral times, is rendered through this music, with those typical rhythmic patterns, such as tresillo, cinquillo and habanera, captivating and appealing to an European audience and loved by the American and Caribbean ones, unaccustomed to seeing their soul depicted in a music score.
The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise sets sail twice a year with the presentation of an all-star lineup of today’s best blues artists. A floating blues festival in its own right, the Blues Cruise is the world’s only seven-day, fully chartered cruise that travels the high seas. Launching annually from both sides of the U.S, the luxury Blues Cruise departs from San Diego, CA and travels to the Mexican Riviera; it also departs from Fort Lauderdale, FL and travels to the Caribbean Islands. The cruises always feature about two dozen of the best blues artists ever brought together for one of the most amazing blues experiences on the planet……
Rhythm of Love is the fifth album by the American R&B/soul singer Anita Baker. The album was certified double platinum giving Baker her fourth platinum selling album. Baker also received a Grammy Award in 1995 for Best Female R&B vocal performance for I Apologize. Body And Soul was nominated for 1995 Grammy Awards for Best Female R&B vocal performance and best R&B song, and Rhythm of Love was nominated for best R&B album.