By Graeme Thomso BBC September 13th, 2023 Earlier this year, award-winning producer Ian Brennan visited the notorious Mississippi State Penitentiary,…
Ian Brennan
‘It’s a charged place’: Parchman Farm, the Mississippi prison with a remarkable musical history
By Sheldon Pearce Guardian UK Wed 20 Sep 2023 Inmates at this bucolic but brutal prison have long been singing…
Obituary: Yanna Momina (1947-2023)
Photo © Marilena Umuhoza Delli By Ian Brennan Songlines June 20th, 2023 Afar singer Yanna Momina has passed away, just…
And the Oscar for best international film rarely goes to …
By Ian Brennan NPR March 10th, 2023 “I’m sure the majority of the world doesn’t even know we make movies.”…
Visa dissonance: Why world music performers can’t always make it to the stage on time
By Ian Brennan NPR August 31st, 2022 Global musicians can run into daunting red tape when it comes to obtaining…
Fantastic Negrito: Taking Left Turns & Pushing Back
By Ian Brennan TapeOp Fantastic Negrito’s new album, White Jesus Black Problems, is based on the true story of Negrito’s…
Opinion: Grammy’s ‘global music’ categories ignore musicians from much of the globe
By Ian Brennan NPR Music In theory, international music makers should be thrilled about the Grammys being handed out this…
CITY LIGHTS LIVE! Ian Brennan on “Muse-Sick: a music manifesto in fifty-nine notes”
City Lights Grammy Award Winning Producer Ian Brennan discusses his book “Muse-Sick: a music manifesto in fifty-nine notes” published by…
Remembering ‘Small,’ the funeral singer who made joyful music in the face of deat
By Ian Brennan NPR February 17, 2022 Mbabila “Small” Batoh and his group would perform at funerals in Ghana through…
An African immigrant’s pizza wins global raves — and overcomes Italian prejudices
By Ian Brennan NPR January 30th, 2022 Ibrahim Songne, an immigrant from Burkina Faso, opened a pizza spot called IBRIS…