Castro Coleman, also known as Mr. Sipp, was born in McComb, Mississippi. He grew up hearing his parents, grandfather, uncles, aunties, and cousins playing and singing music at home and in the church. He was also influenced by professional gospel groups, as well as the bluesman B.B. King, who inspired Mr. Sipp to pick up the guitar at age six. Sipp would go on to play B.B. King in the CMT network’s series, Sun Records. Mr. Sipp has gone on to receive many blues and gospel awards, but he has never let his music be defined by one style.

We learn about klezmer music from a local band, and some of New Orleans' most beloved musicians share their favorite Christmas songs.

Each December 24th, along the Mississippi River above New Orleans, families gather around massive bonfires–some shaped as log cabins or animals–to light the way for Santa Claus or Papa Noel. It’s a holiday tradition that goes back to colonial times along what is now called the Côte des Allemands, the German Coast. I caught up with CJ and his young son CJ Jr. who were tending to a big bonfire on the levee in Lutcher, LA.

When you think about music in New Orleans, you probably think of jazz or blues, or maybe funk and bounce. Christmas carols? Not so much. But many musicians in New Orleans have deep roots in the church.

Margaret Dauphin, the mother one of the victims killed during the 2025 New Year's Day Bourbon Street attack, speaks with the Historic New Orleans Collection about what she'll remember about her son.

Songwriter and singer Joan Shelley prefers to make music in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky rather than the industry centers of Nashville and New York City. She’s recorded a series of well-crafted contemplative albums with guitarist Nathan Salsburg at home in Louisville, at Jeff Tweedy’s Loft in Chicago, and even in Iceland. You’ll find references to rivers, waterways, and oceans in her songs and albums. We began asking her what the Ohio River means to her.

This week we remember the late Raul Malo, who passed away on December 8, 2025. Raul Malo was born in Miami to Cuban parents. In 1989, he started The Mavericks. Named for going against the grain, the Mavericks began in the punk and alternative scene and eventually found great success in country music, incorporating Latin, rockabilly, and pop sounds. By 2000, the group parted ways and Raul Malo pursued a solo career in LA. He joined Los Super Seven with Joe Ely, Freddy Fender, members of Los Lobos, Max Baca, Doug Sahm, and others. In 2012, Malo reunited with the Mavericks, releasing several albums and touring widely. In 2020, they released En Español, an album entirely in Spanish. Making a record like this took Raul many years of listening within and outside his family.