Duke Ellington, musicien de jazz légendaire, partage ses réflexions durant le Festival de Dakar en 1966. Il évoque sa première expérience en Afrique et l'intégration d'éléments africains dans sa musique. Ellington souligne l'importance des racines culturelles des musiciens afro-américains. Il parle aussi de l'impact significatif du festival sur les artistes de couleur et de la nécessité de préserver l'individualité dans le jazz. Enfin, il exprime son émerveillement face à la beauté de Dakar et à la dignité de ses habitants.

Explore the rise of Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie as trailblazing musicians who revolutionized jazz. Learn about their humble beginnings, personal challenges, and societal impact. Delve into the hidden truths behind their public personas and the legacy they left in American music history.

Today, we are featuring “The Voice of Christmas,” Mr. Johnny Mathis. Over the years, Mr. Mathis has released six Christmas albums. His iconic first holiday record, Merry Christmas, is a tribute to his mother and father and still stands as one of the most beloved collections of Christmas music ever. Now 87 years-old, Johnny is celebrating his 66th year as a recording artist. And he’s still performing. In fact, we only had a brief 30 minutes to speak with him because he needs to save his voice for his rigorous performing schedule. On today's episode, Justin Richmond talks to Johnny about his illustrious career, and performing with greats like Duke Ellington and Nat King Cole. And Johnny shares the story about how he turned down the opportunity to qualify for the 1956 Olympics to launch his music career. You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite Johnny Mathis songs HERE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.