Visa problems and contentious programming decisions fail to put a dampener on the first full day of WOMAD Charlton Park 2018.
Despite the predicted dire weather conditions that thankfully never fully materialised, the final day at WOMAD was blessed with a rainbow and plenty of musical colour
Phil Stanton, who founded the record label Riverboat Records and music portal World Music Network has passed away at the age of 54, after a long battle with cancer. From the very beginning he was a great enthusiast for the world, its ecology and its music
Simon Broughton remembers one of Hungary’s best fiddlers
Our editors pick their top 10 favourite albums of 2019
The recent sacking of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings’ director Huib Schippers has surprised the music industry
As part of the British Museum's current exhibition Tantra: Enlightenment to Revolution, the West Bengali singer Parvathy Baul will be giving a special, free online performance, followed by a live Q&A with Songlines editor-in-chief Simon Broughton
A member of the hugely influential four-piece Hungarian folk band Muzsikás, Peter Éri has died from lung cancer aged 70.
Simon Broughton speaks to Shye Ben Tzur about his qawwali-Hebrew collaboration with The Rajasthan Express and Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood
A sucker for curious instruments, Simon Broughton catches up with Malawian musician Gasper Nali and his homemade babatoni
Soumik Datta reveals to Simon Broughton the secrets of his innovative, go-faster sarod
It’s rare to see 70-year-olds in our Introducing series, says Simon Broughton, but it is time to take a fresh look at the veteran master
2020 marked the centenary of the birth of the ‘Queen of Fado,’ Amália Rodrigues. Simon Broughton speaks to Mariza, the heir to Amália’s crown, and fado historian Rui Vieira Nery about her legacy
Laudan Nooshin reports on the revival of Iranian classical music since 1979 and Simon Broughton takes the pulse of the folk and pop scenes
Despite continued fighting, there is new musical life in the country and new interest abroad. Simon Broughton and Veronica Doubleday report
Simon Broughton introduces the music of Hungary, a country of ten million people with a strong musical profile
World music is a maze. And what you need is a good map. So here is our A to Z of world music, taking you from Africa Express to Zimbabwe, from Balkan brass to qawwali and from cumbia to WOMAD
Songlines’ editors Jo Frost and Simon Broughton select their favourite albums of 2017
If there was one sound emblematic of Armenia it would be the duduk. Simon Broughton appraises the career of the instrument’s most famous exponent who has just turned 90
The polymath German instrumentalist has an impressive back catalogue. Simon Broughton examines his wealth of recordings to date
Simon Broughton surveys the impressive career and beguiling back catalogue of the classical Azeri singer Alim Qasimov, including his extensive collaborations with his daughter Fargana Qasimova
The kora has become the defining instrument of West Africa. Simon Broughton picks his ten top albums, including Ballaké Sissoko, Seckou Keita, Sona Jobarteh and more
Sufi music occurs all across the Islamic world. Simon Broughton chooses the standout recordings, going for the more traditional and spiritual examples
Qawwali is a devotional music in Pakistan and popular around the world. Simon Broughton picks the best recordings of traditional qawwali, plus some interesting fusions
Simon Broughton picks out some highlight recordings from the South Korean music scene, including albums by Jambinai and Black String
Buena Vista Social Club made such an impact since its release that countless similar projects revisiting nostalgic styles or reforming veteran bands have followed in its wake. Simon Broughton selects the best of them
South Korea boasts a wealth of artists who are performing both time-honoured and progressive music on traditional instruments. Here Simon Broughton selects ten of the country’s finest instrumental albums
Simon Broughton selects some of his favourite exotic fiddle albums from across the globe
A handpicked selection of Hungarian folk albums, featuring Söndörgő, Cimbaliband, Muzsikás and more
Simon Broughton selects ten albums that explore the fertile space between classical and traditional music
The Sámi singer and educator speaks to Simon Broughton about her latest release and the importance of breathing new life into the joik tradition
Folk singer, song collector, environmental campaigner and author Sam Lee talks to Simon Broughton about his passion for the nightingale and his quest to raise awareness about this endangered songbird
The author and musician talks to Simon Broughton about how he resisted Indian music growing up and the singers who finally kindled his interest
The West African superstar talks about growing up in Benin, her various musical influences and her creative practice
FONDATION SUISA, Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia and artlink have put together an extensive 93-track spotify playlist to showcase Switzerland’s impressive music scene. Simon Broughton highlights some of his favourites.
Michael Levy speaks to Simon Broughton about his ‘lyre of Apollo’ explorations, which follow in the exalted footsteps of the ancient Greek masters
Indian sitar maestro Purbayan Chatterjee’s new star-studded album, a go-getting synthesis of South Asian and Western elements, is a creative response to the limitations of lockdown. Simon Broughton reports
Israeli-born vocalist Noam Vazana composes songs in the Jewish Ladino language and speaks here to Simon Broughton about her fascination with this dying tongue
Around half of the 80,000 indigenous Sámi people live in Norway. Simon Broughton talks to one of the country’s rising musical stars, Marja Mortensson, about how she’s invigorating the joik tradition. Photos Knut Åserud & Tom Askew-Miller
The Georgian male vocal group Iberi celebrate the country’s predilection for feasting with their new album. Simon Broughton gets a taste from the choir’s leader Buba Murgulia
The award-winning Karnatic vocalist speaks about the natural world's profound impact on her music and how, when it comes to lyrics, less often means more
BBC Radio 3 presenter Georgia Mann takes Simon Broughton on a sonic trip through her world music highlights and the sounds that have moved her
The marimba music of Colombia’s Pacific coast is enjoying a something of a revival. Simon Broughton grabs a couple of mallets and takes a swing at a workshop
Simon Broughton heads to Mumbai, India for a remarkable spectacle of Sufi and mystic music
Afghan singer Elaha Soroor talks to Simon Broughton about her role in a play that mirrors her own flight as a refugee and the fate of her family back home since the Taliban’s return to power
The Belarusian accordionist tells us how he is seeking to revolutionise the instrument's image with his debut album
Portuguese singer Sara Correia reveals the toughness and will that saw her journey from the high-rise blocks of working-class Lisbon to the global stage
Tom Cohen, conductor of the Jerusalem Orchestra East & West, previews the collective’s forthcoming performance at the Barbican with Moroccan multi-instrumentalist Mehdi Nassouli
When not herding reindeer, Finnish mother-daughter duo Solju are bringing the Sámi tradition of joiking to wider audiences
We speak to Puuluup, the mischievous Estonian duo reviving their native wooden lyre and inventing a new language for curious tales of cross-country skiing
Simon Broughton previews a festival bringing the world to Taipei, and allowing its traditions, cuisine and Indigenous arts to shine in the process
Founder of Egyptian band El Tanbura, champion of the simsimiyya and an important icon of the Egyptian revolution, Zakaria Ibrahim has passed away
The West African xylophone is steeped in the mythology of the Mali Empire. Simon Broughton meets balafon player Mamadou Diabaté, who is helping to keep the instrument’s 800-year history alive
Encounters with the Afghan Youth Orchestra find Simon Broughton upbeat about the state of the region’s traditional music
Despite continued fighting, there is new musical life in Afghanistan and new interest abroad. Simon Broughton and Veronica Doubleday report
Simon Broughton introduces the music of Hungary, a country of ten million people with a strong musical profile
Laudan Nooshin reports on the revival of Iranian classical music since 1979 and Simon Broughton takes the pulse of the folk and pop scenes
Simon Broughton gives the low-down of all nine concerts from the recent Songlines Encounters Festival at Kings Place in London, May 30-June 2
Music from Indonesia, South Sudan, Mali, Ukraine and Occitania lights up the festival
New Hungarian five-piece wow Simon Broughton at Budapest Ritmo
Slovenia's Širom take their 'imaginary folk' to London's Cafe Oto for a beguiling and rhythmic evening.
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