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Singer Sharon Jones came to define what was called the "neo-soul" movement and was known for her high-energy performances. Jones died Friday after a battle with cancer.

It's Black History Month, and NPR's Alt.Latino team shares some gems of Afro-Latin music, ranging from Panamanian inspired hip-hop beats to Brazilian percussion.

Composer and keyboardist Bernie Worrell played funk, soul, and broke genres as a founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic and a performer with Talking Heads. Worrell died Friday at the age of 72.

The Saint John Coltrane Church, a San Francisco ministry dedicated to the iconic musician, is confronting charges of unpaid rent. The congregation has been told to leave the premises this week.

The history of how Italians integrated into America can be read, but it's more colorful when heard. Author Mark Rotella dissects the history of Italian-Americans through the songs they produced. Host Guy Raz talks with Rotella about how the songs of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Dean Martin and others contributed to the progression of Italian integration into mainstream America.

Handel's operas are only just emerging from obscurity -- like the exiled king in Rodelinda, who fakes his own death and then makes an daring comeback in a maze of intrigue and blackmail.

By the mid-1990s, the art-rock band Throwing Muses had found more than just critical success. But co-founding member Kristin Hersh almost didn't make it there.

Though it's Faust who sold his soul to the devil, the innocent Marguerite takes the fall in this classic story dating back to the 1400s. Hear the entire opera and follow along with the libretto in this production from Opera Carolina.

Though the main characters are devout Puritans, Bellini manages to pack plenty of worldly action into this love story set during the English Civil War. Hear Elvira go mad when her betrothed leaves camp with another woman.

Jay-Z is one of the most successful hip-hop artists of all time. On Fresh Air, he discusses growing up in Brooklyn surrounded by drugs and violence, and the stories behind many of his famous songs.