Prakruti Bhatt

For over a decade, John Mambira has played traditional Zimbabwean music with a touch of reggae in Oregon.

You know that long list of Oregon places that OPB’s radio announcers read every hour? It gave OPB "Weekend Edition" host Lillian Karabaic an idea: to go on a single, 14-day road trip to visit every single one… all by public transit. “Stop Requested” explores the joys and challenges of rural transit, and introduces us to drivers and riders across the state.

Prakruti Bhatt and Lillian Karabaic answer listener questions about Stop Requested.

The singer-songwriter performed songs from "Preacher's Daughter" as well as unreleased tracks like “Punish” and “Dust Bowl.”

This was the band’s first show after a series of cancellations

Iconic funk band Pleasure took the stage for the first time this year as headliners of the 52nd Annual Oregon Juneteenth Festival at Lillis-Albina Park on Saturday, June 15. The free concert included classic hits like “Glide,” “Universal” and “Ghettos of the Mind” among many more.

As the world faced pandemic lockdowns in 2020, Oregonian folk musician Anna Tivel took the year as an opportunity to simply observe the slow passing of time and write “everything from the same window.” Today, those writings come together to form “Living Thing,” Tivel’s sixth studio album.

Downtown Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square will once again be home to the annual music festival PDX Live. This year, the concert series will not only feature a lineup from across genres, but also highlight musicians from the Pacific Northwest.

With a new release on Friday and a show at Holocene on Sunday, a band born out of the pandemic is drawing fresh attention.

Staff from across Oregon Public Broadcasting share the albums that shaped their year — plus a few runners-up.