Something wonderful happened in Brazil in the late 1960s. Stevie Wonder's soul-funk, Bob Marley's revolutionary reggae, and the smooth bossa nova of Joao Gilberto came together in one person: Brazil's irreplaceable Gilberto Gil. As a youth raised in rural Bahia, Gil was intoxicated by the bossa

Bright, Charming, Ebullient, Eclectic, Joyful, Playful, Political, Rebel, Rhythmic

Bobby McFerrin's voice scours the vast horizon of sound. Though he's only one man, he routinely transforms himself into a five-piece band, a skilled soprano, or a trio of tribal-sounding chanters singing in harmony. His voice can replicate the sound of almost any instrument, from the delicate whistle

Bright, Eclectic, Improvised, Layered, Playful

At age 12, Franz Liszt performed a rendition of Beethoven's "Symphony in C-minor" as the master composer sat in the audience. Legend has it that after the superb performance, the great maestro kissed the juvenile Liszt on the forehead. Liszt's future as the most brilliant of pianists seemed to be sea

Death, Dramatic, Eclectic, Moody, Organic, Religious, Romantic music

As both a conductor and a virtuoso pianist, Daniel Barenboim approaches each of his projects from a dual perspective: he sees a piece as both a physical, sonorous expression and as a structural whole. For Barenboim, integrating the two perspectives is essential to making good music. "The element of p

20th-century music, Eclectic, Elegant, Pathos, Sophisticated