China's shifting culture and Iraqi folk and pop music

Aspects of life in China - once controlled by the Communist Party - are now in the hands of everyday citizens. These days, Chinese are deciding on their own matters like whom to fall in love with, what church to attend and what careers they want to pursue. In his new book, Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China', Evan Osnos writes, “Whenever a new idea sweeps across China— a new fashion, a philosophy, a way of life— the Chinese describe it as a 'fever.'" Osnos writes for The New Yorker magazine. He spent years living in China and joins us to share his fascination with the country’s monumental change since Mao Zedong’s ‘Cultural Revolution’.
Then, Iraq has seen great instability over the last decade. It’s now facing a militant insurgency by ISIS and many Iraqis have been slaughtered over the last week. But despite the conflict, artists and musicians have continued to do their work even though they’ve also been the target of attacks by extremists. Morning Shift and Radio M host Tony Sarabia shares some tunes from Choubi Choubi vol.2, folk and pop sounds from Iraq.

(photo: A newlywed couple poses for wedding photo shooting in Shanghai, China, Monday, March 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko))