The April 2024 issue (#196) of Songlines is out now, filled with the best music happening around the world, and global dispatches revealing the stories behind that music. Congolese-Belgian musician and auteur BALOJI is back with his first feature film and accompanying four-album soundtrack. We chat to Asmaa Hamzaoui, Morocco’s female Gnawa ambassador, and speak to Lucy Durán about recording Toumani Diabate & Ballake Sissoko’s epochal New Ancient Strings album.
Chilean rapper Ana Tijoux, an icon of the country’s student protests, tells us why she’s had to embrace joy; and we stay in Latin America to find out about the origins of Mexican corrido masters Los Tigres del Norte, give a Beginner’s Guide to Colombian bandleader Fruko and find out about recent unrest in Buenos Aires after the election of their new president.
We have a preview of albums coming out in 2024 with many Reasons to be Cheerful, as well as features on Katherine Priddy, LAIR, Delasi, LINA_ and Singapore festival A Tapestry of Sacred Music.
Founder of Opera Holland Park, Michael Volpe, picks his favourite music and tells us why culture should be accessible to all, Eliza Carthy looks at the UK Government’s decision to ratify its Intangible Cultural Heritage and we pick out our Essential 10 Greek Folk Albums, as well as all the usual news, listings, reviews, competitions and so much more.
Subscribe today to receive your copy: https://www.songlines.co.uk/news/april-2024-issue-of-songlines-is-out-now
The January/February 2024 issue (#194) of Songlines is out now, filled with the best music happening around the world, and the stories behind that music. With a forthcoming Hollywood biopic on its way on Bob Marley, we try to find the man behind the myth by speaking to his friends and family.
We chat to Mon Laferte, the Chilean diva behind one of the albums of the year; we profile the tirelessly inventive Polish guitarist Raphael Rogiński about his search for the ‘origins’ of Eastern Europe, and discover the unexpected stories behind sea shanties.
Our editors have chosen their Best Albums of 2023, we find out about Bounaly’s guitar-shredding Malian wedding music, prodigious American fiddler Mark O'Connor gets a Beginner’s Guide, Yann & Emilie Tiersen tell us why they prefer touring by boat and we hear about the latest Felabration in Lagos featuring none other than Ezra Collective.
Plus, Ben Edge, Don Letts, Karine Polwart, Julieta Laso, Gustavo Durán and Jamala, the Eurovision winner wanted by Russia, as well as all the usual news, listings, reviews, competitions and so much more.
Both physical and digital copies of the magazine will also come with our accompanying Top of the World compilation featuring our pick of the month’s best new music – Mutabaruka, Tamsin Elliott & Tarek Elazhary, Hugh Masekela, Negarit Band, Bholoja, Corey Ledet Zydeco, Makushin and more – as well as bonus tracks from Bounaly, Raphael Rogiński, Julieta Laso and Mark O’Connor to bring our features to life.
Subscribe today to receive your copy: https://www.songlines.co.uk/news/introducing-the-january-february-2024-issue-of-songlines-featuring-bob-marley
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The December 2023 issue (#193) of Songlines is out now! 🎵🎶
We find out about the extraordinary life and unreleased songs of Ethiopian musician and nun, Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru, who would have turned 100 in December; we celebrate 75 years since Folkway Records began by discussing some of the most iconic records on the label; we chat with Manchester duo The Breath about their soul-baring new album, go deep into Senegalese rituals with NDOX ELECTRIQUE and speak to Soema Montenegro whose latest work aims to give the landscape of Argentina a voice. Ghanaian highlife tour-de-force Ebo Taylor gets the Beginner’s Guide treatment, British journalist Anthony Sattin shares his My World tracks, there’s a Dispatch from Ukraine where performing folksongs is more important than ever, and there’s still space for Dubioza Kolektiv, John Francis Flynn, HUUN-HUUR-TU, Billy Strings and Sofia Kourtesis. Plus all the usual news, listings, reviews, competitions and so much more.
Subscribe today to receive your copy: https://www.songlines.co.uk/news/introducing-the-december-2023-issue-of-songlines-celebrating-100-years-of-emahoy
The November issue (#192) of Songlines is out now!
In this issue 'Africa’s premier diva’ Angélique Kidjo talks grief, finding fresh challenges and the future of African music; we celebrate 50 years since Cuba’s most innovative group, Irakere, formed; Anoushka Shankar chats about a serene new album made with Arooj Aftab and Nils Frahm; we discover how The Mary Wallopers went from living off bread, beans and beer to being the new saviours of Irish rock’n’roll; Bebel Gilberto guides us through a very special Beginner’s Guide to her father, João Gilberto; we take a trip deep into Azerbaijan to discover mugham and speak to New Orleans’ new Grand Griot Chief Adjuah.
Our attention turns to South Korea as we interview noted Squid Game/Parasite composer 정재일, Jung Jaeil and pansori pranksters LEENALCHI 이날치; we also track down Ladaniva, a new French-Armenian group primed for glory with their multilingual Balkan pop; Nitin Sawhney chooses his favourite albums; and we find out about Corinne Bailey Rae’s radical new record, informed by the works of a Chicago artist. Plus all the usual news, listings, reviews, competitions and so much more.
Both physical and digital copies of the magazine come with our accompanying Top of the World compilation featuring our pick of the month’s best new music – @Les Mamans du Congo & Rrobin, Bixiga 70, ONIPA, No-No Boy, Ekiti Sound, Lalalar, Dengue Fever and more – as well as bonus tracks from Catrin Finch & Aoife Ní Bhriain, Angélique Kidjo, Ladaniva and Anoushka Shankar to accompany our features.
Subscribe today to receive your copy: https://www.songlines.co.uk/news/introducing-the-november-2023-issue-of-songlines-featuring-angelique-kidjo
The October issue (#191) of Songlines is out now!
Filled with the best music happening around the world, and the stories behind that music. Yungchen Lhamo recounts her journey, from humble origins in Tibet to a globe-spanning career.
London’s Mande jazz collective, Balimaya Project, dismiss the notion of second-album syndrome; Goran Bregović discusses the past, present and future of Balkan music.
We also tell the story of Burkina Faso’s former president Thomas Sankara and how he used music to unite the nation; we take a visit to Bali to witness gamelan in its devotional glory; and salute Gilberto Gil, who will soon be playing his last-ever London show, by asking fellow Brazilian musicians to pick their favourite songs of his. British poet Raymond Antrobus reveals his musical influences, we take a detailed look at Rhiannon Giddens’ discography, speak to Puerto Rico’s iLe and discover all-female NANA BENZ DU TOGO’s vibrant electro-vodoun sound. Plus, all the usual news, listings, reviews, competitions and so much more.
Both physical and digital copies of the magazine will also come with our accompanying Top of the World compilation featuring our pick of the month’s best new music – Rhiannon Giddens, Jason Singh & The Banwasi Collective, Luzmila Carpio, Enji, Balimaya Project, Haïdouti Orkestar and more – as well as bonus tracks from Amadou & Mariam, Elder Jack Ward, Yungchen Lhamo and Goran Bregović to accompany our features.
Subscribe today to receive your copy: https://www.songlines.co.uk/news/introducing-the-october-2023-issue-of-songlines-featuring-yungchen-lhamo
The August/September issue (#190) of Songlines is out now!
The August/September 2023 issue (#190) of Songlines is out now and is packed with the best music from across the globe. We speak to Femi Anikulapo-Kuti, the Afrobeat heir who is still at the top of his game who's headlining WOMAD Festival; we lose track of Zamrock pioneers WITCH as they embark on a triumphant US tour; we get up close and personal with Israel Fernández, flamenco’s latest star; we see why dub pioneers AFRICAN HEAD CHARGE are saying their new, Ghana-infused album, is their best yet; and we travel from Morocco to Glastonbury with the Master Musicians of Joujouka. We also discover viral South African vocal group The Joy and get excited about Yasmin Williams’ singular guitar style, not to mention features on Sheila Chandra, Peruvian cumbia, Nickel Creek, Jocelyn Pook and the latest news, listings, reviews and competitions in another bumper issue. As always it comes with our accompanying compilation (CD & digital) featuring ten tracks from the best new album releases along with five bonus selections including Femi Anikulapo-Kuti, Yasmin Williams and Emicida.
Subscribe today to receive your copy: https://www.songlines.co.uk/news/introducing-the-august-september-2023-issue-of-songlines-featuring-femi-kuti
Songlines Music Awards 2021 ceremony - coming soon!
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Streams From Africa | A’mosi Just a Label
Songlines Reviews Database
