San Diego has a thriving, diverse music scene. From rock and roll to jazz to classical to rap, there's a lot to listen to in the border region, and a lot of players making great music. Influential is a KPBS music series in which we can get to know the songs that shaped these musicians: as individuals and as artists.
The songs that resonate with each artist cross genre lines: an R&B singer talks about Mozart, or a jazz great jams to Earth, Wind & Fire. When music is concerned, the songs that impact us often come hand-in-hand with really great stories.
For each installment, you can immerse yourself in the entire audio diary as a listening session and let the artist tell you about each song in their own words. Or, for another way of checking it out, click "play" on each embedded track and read the stories as you go. We've also embedded a Spotify playlist of most of the tracks mentioned, so you can add it to your favorites and listen anytime.
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San Diego hip-hop artist Miki Vale reflects on the songs that shaped her work — with tracks from Minnie Riperton, Bahamadia, Marvin Gaye, D'Angelo and Rufus and Chaka Khan. -
San Diego rapper and hip-hop artist Ric Scales reflects on the songs that shaped him — with picks from Stevie Wonder, The Roots, Parliament, A Tribe Called Quest and Nas. -
Redwoods Music founder and songwriter Alfred Howard made us a playlist of music that influenced him as he kicks off a new, year-long songwriting challenge. -
Kristy WalkerThe San Diego Music Award-winning singer reflects on a childhood with a jazz singer mother, the songs that cultivated her love for music and the artists that shaped her style. -
Courtesy of the artistAfter a harrowing few years of dental trauma and career-saving procedures, Gilbert Castellanos reflects on the music that shaped him — and got him through it. -
Carlos CatarechaNow in his 80s, the San Diego jazz saxophonist is still performing and recently released new work. Get to know the works that shaped him and continue to drive his music. -
Listen to five San Diego musicians whose works have impacted jazz pianist Joshua White.
