Jan 1st, 2009 · Fifty years ago Thursday, the dictator Batista fled Cuba, clearing the way for Fidel Castro and his guerilla movement to assume power. NPR's Jason Beaubien is in Santiago for the anniversary of the "Triumphant Revolution" and talks with Guy Raz about Cubans' perceptions of their country and their role in the 21st century.
Jan 1st, 2009 · Thursday marks the 50th anniversary of the start of the 1959 revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power. Luis Rumbaut recalls his experience as a 9-year-old boy when Castro's army took control of Cuba. And a former journalist talks about reporting from Havana during the revolution.
Dec 31st, 2008 · Tomorrow is the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution. Led by a young Fidel Castro, the revolution wrenched power from the American-backed Batista regime. Today, Cuba remains the only communist nation in the Western hemisphere, making Castro one of the most polarizing figures of modern times. NPR's Tom Gjelten, who spent decades reporting on Cuba, takes a look back.
Dec 12th, 2008 · Bettie Paige, the pinup bombshell from the 1950s, has died in Los Angeles. She was 85. Paige was a secretary-turned-model who helped inspire the sexual revolution.
Dec 10th, 2008 · Now that the MP3 is king, vinyl has become something of an underground revolution. More and more artists have begun to insist on releasing their new albums on vinyl, and music fans who jettisoned their collections in favor of "clear, perfect digital sound CDs" are raiding garage sales and rediscovering analog music all over again. Here are 10 releases from 2008 that are worth the extra effort of vinyl.
Nov 24th, 2008 · When The White Album was released 40 years ago this month, fans were both baffled and awe struck by its sprawling world of sound. It was released as a double LP (almost unheard of at the time) and featured instant classics like "I Will," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," and "Blackbird." But The White Album (its real name is simply The Beatles) was also filled with songs many found hard to digest, like the eight-minute, experimental sound collage "Revolution 9" or the inexplicably surreal "Honey Pie."
Oct 26th, 2008 · The artist-in-residence at New York's Middle Collegiate Church is on a mission to transform the way people think about organists and their instruments. On his new CD Revolutionary, he plays a virtual pipe organ that uses computers, amplifiers and speakers to create a big, bold range of sound.
Oct 14th, 2008 · In his new book, Hot, Flat, And Crowded, Thomas Friedman warns that our thirst for fossil fuels is polluting the planet, altering the climate, dragging down the economy and endangering national security. A green revolution, says Friedman, "is not about the whales"; it's a competitive necessity.