Actress Alfre Woodard On The Music That Moves Her

Veteran actress Alfre Woodard shares the music that keeps the rhythm in her life, as part of Tell Me More's "In Your Ear" series.

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MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

And now it's time for the occasional series we call In Your Ear. That's where some of the guests of our program tell us about the music that's on their personal playlists. Today, we hear some of the songs that actress Alfre Woodard likes to groove to. Alfre Woodard is certainly known for a long list of impactful appearances, most recently in the film "12 Years a Slave." Here's what's playing in her ear.

ALFRE WOODARD: Hi, I'm Alfre Woodard. And right now, playing in my ear is Trombone Shorty, "Something Beautiful."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL")

WOODARD: It just lifts me up and makes me feel loving and makes me feel pretty and makes me feel something beautiful.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL")

WOODARD: Another song I'm listening to just happens to be Shorty, as well. Trombone Shorty, just anything he ever says, but, "Where Y'At" really gets me going.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WHERE Y'AT")

WOODARD: I stand on the street, in the middle of wherever I am - I can be in an airport - and I just start to go for it. I can't stop dancing. I can't stop smiling.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WHERE Y'AT")

WOODARD: I'm also always listening to K'naan, "T.I.A."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "T.I.A.")

WOODARD: Oh, my God. K'naan is brilliant. He is a poet. He's a singer. He is a force of culture.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "T.I.A.")

WOODARD: And I love the fact that the way he sings it, the way he brings it, everybody from around the world can feel that music 'cause it's a part - everybody's music is in it because everybody's music comes out of Africa, as well as everybody's DNA. When you hear "T.I.A.," you cannot help but bounce.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "T.I.A.")

MARTIN: That was actress Alfre Woodard telling us what's playing in her ear. To hear her previous interview or any other past interviews with us, go to our website, NPR.org/TELLMEMORE. And that's our program for today. I'm Michel Martin and you've been listening to TELL ME MORE from NPR News. Let's talk more tomorrow.

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