Songlines

Songlines is the definitive magazine for world music – music that has its roots in all parts of the globe, from Mali to Mexico, India to Iraq. Whether this music is defined as traditional, contemporary, folk or fusion, Songlines is the only publication to truly represent and embrace it. However, Songlines is not just about music, but about how the music fits into the landscape; it’s about politics, history and identity, and the artists who incite change through their music. Through its extensive articles and reviews, Songlines is your essential guide to an extraordinary world of music and culture, whether you are starting on your journey of discovery or are already a seasoned fan.

Songlines

We didn’t start the fire

CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE INCLUDE

TOP OF THE WORLD • On your free CD – the editor’s selection of the top ten new releases reviewed in this issue

THE BRIDGE FOR BALKAN MUSIC VOL 2

Preserving Palestine

MARCH OF THE WOMEN

Band on the Wall rebuilds

Super Roopa

UK youngsters’ big bang

OBITUARIES

FOLK FOCUS • What’s happening in the folk world

Gonora Sounds • Nigel Williamson speaks to the Zimbabwean family band’s guitar maestro-in-chief, Daniel Gonora, about his first international release

Alai K • Max Reinhardt prescribes some dance floor therapy with the Kenyan-born, Berlin-based ‘musical witchdoctor’

Songlines Encounters Festival 2022

SPOTLIGHT KOG (Kweku of Ghana) • Russell Higham catches up with the Accra-born Afro-futurist seer Kweku Sackey, who is finally releasing his solo debut aft er years of collaborating

SIMON SAYS… • Simon Broughton catches a 100-strong spectacle of Indonesian gamelan in celebration of the genre’s new UNESCO status

Next Issue…

FEEDBACK • Letters, shout-outs, comments, tweets, emails and everything in between

READER PROFILE

POSITIVE ENERGY • Lucy Hallam catches up with Eno Williams and Max Grunhard of Ibibio Sound Machine, the groove-riding octet funking up southern Nigerian culture in the shadow of adversity

Desert Echoes • Touareg rockers Imarhan strip things back for their third release, Aboogi. Bandleader Sadam speaks to Daniel Brown about their dedication to preserving local traditions while simultaneously absorbing influences from the wider world

IN PERFECT HARMONY • Robin Denselow learns how a chance pairing of melodeon player John Spiers and fiddler Peter Knight evolved into one of folk’s most inspired acts, exploring well-worn tunes in new and improvisatory ways

Ragnarök’n’roll • David Hutcheon explores the world of Norse-inspired music and musicians, like Wardruna’s Einar Selvik, who are gazing into the pagan mists of Viking history with an Odinic eye to the future

Are You Ready to RUMBA? • Congolese rumba took the African continent by storm in the 20th century, but remains largely sidelined in the English-speaking world. Director Alan Brain speaks to James Catchpole about how he hopes to reignite interest in the genre with his new documentary The Rumba Kings

SONGLINES REVIEWS

Reviews • We review full-length world music, roots and folk albums (not singles or EPs), available on CD, digital or vinyl. Please note we only accept digital submissions. Email details of albums to reviews@songlines.co.uk for consideration

Africa

Americas

Europe

Asia

Middle East

Fusion

Book

Classical & Jazz • In this feature, the editors of our sister music magazines, Gramophone and Jazzwise, recommend some of their favourite new recordings

World Cinema

Live REVIEWS

Elvis Costello • The British singer-songwriter tells Russ Slater all about his disparate musical tastes, from country to...