Yuval Ben-Ami is a big fan of Lorde — and he turned the artist's music into a way to highlight the diversity of Israel.

PRI's The World host Marco Werman is in the middle of a two-week, cross-country writing residency aboard Amtrak trains. His first stop was in New Orleans, where he heard about the death of famed trumpet player Travis "Trumpet Black" Hill and was reminded of how Japan and New Orleans are linked by a love of jazz

A young girl from Afghanistan escaped being forced into marrying a man when she was 14 years old — by writing a rap song about it. The young rapper is now living and going to school in the US, and she’s still making music about social justice in Afghanistan.

Syrian American hip-hop artist Omar Offendum realized long ago that his music could be a tool. Now the focus of his lyrics is to remind people that beneath all the political posturing and proxy wars still taking place in Syria, there’s still real human suffering the world has to solve.

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, or Gurrumul for short, is a top selling indigenous artist from Australia who just made his American debut. But how did a blind, shy musician from a remote Australian island become a star?

April Verch, a Canadian fiddler, comes from the Ottawa Valley that straddles the border between Ontario and Quebec. It's the home of a bluegrass-like "old time Canadian" style with deep roots, but an uncertain future.

When the sun goes down, Judge Hamadal Moumine of Niger picks up a guitar and hits the stage with his band, Tal National — sometimes for hours. But he says we shouldn't be surprised by his unique combo of professions.

Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Diaz are twins and daughters of the late Cuban musician and Buena Vista Social Club member, Miguel "Anga" Diaz. The sisters are now following in their dad's footsteps and their shared Yoruba heritage. Their self-titled album is called "Ibeyi," which means "twins" in the Yoruba language.