Monday, May 18, 2026
Folk Round-up (Old Spot, Wayward Jane & more)
Essential folk releases from the England, Ireland, Scotland & Wales featuring Anna McLuckie, Honey and the Bear, Wayward Jane, Old Spot and Ali Levack
Features
Thursday, May 14, 2026
A Conversation with Fatoumata Diawara
Kayleigh Watson hears how the Malian musician has maintained strength and positivity throughout her 15 years in music, celebrating her homeland while never being afraid to speak out against injustice
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Jonny Greenwood and Shye Ben Tzur: Cosmic Pilgrims
Russ Slater Johnson talks to Jonny Greenwood and Shye Ben Tzur about Sufi poetry, embracing sonic change and the tensions of making music at a time of political crises
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Brìghde Chaimbeul and Scottish Ensemble Explore the Hypnotic Power of the Drone
Freya Parr visits Brìghde Chaimbeul and the Scottish Ensemble on the Isle of Skye to hear how one unyielding note serves as the cornerstone to intricate musical structures
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Mexican Institute of Sound and Meridian Brothers Ride the Wild Tracks of Ruido Tovar
Mexican Institute of Sound and Meridian Brothers tell Charis McGowan about their Beck-featuring ode to 70s Mexican cumbia, Ruido Tovar
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Reimagining The Planets: Will Pound and Delia Stevens Find Earth at the Centre
Harmonica-and-percussion duo Stevens & Pound tell Julian May about their distinctive take on the English classicism of Holst and Vaughan Williams
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Rostam’s American Stories Blends Persian Tradition with Indie Pop Americana
Lucia Gadau meets Rostam to learn how the former Vampire Weekend man is leaning into his Iranian heritage
Thursday, May 14, 2026
The 4 Corners and Centre of Ibrahim Maalouf’s Universe
A cultured talent straddling the worlds of Arabic, classical and jazz, the French-Lebanese trumpeter picks out the albums that shaped his life and sound
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Morgenland: A Festival of Tomorrows
As she takes the reins at Morgenland Festival, Shabnam Parvaresh discusses migration, identity and music as cultural diplomacy with Jo Frost
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Take Note: Maryam Saleh
The Egyptian singer-songwriter shifts her focus from politics to love’s vulnerabilities on her long-awaited new album, hears Bianca Carrera
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Dispatch: The Azores, Portugal
Charis McGowan visits the Azores for a festival built on collaboration, social inclusion and unexpected musical results
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Dispatch: Manchester Folk Festival
Kevin Bourke visits an urban folk fest where Catalan party bands, Australian charisma and homegrown talent prove folk music thrives in the heart of the city
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Introducing: Bobo & Behaja
Lucia Gadau meets Maxime Bobo, the free-jazz-loving French saxophonist who, with Malagasy guitarist Behaja, is carrying Madagascar’s ceremonial tsapiky music to the world
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Label of Love: Babani Records
Chris Wheatley explores how a childhood prescription inspired Avneesh Bacha to found a label dedicated to preserving and innovating music from Mauritius
Thursday, May 14, 2026
BISHI on the score for Maya: The Birth of a Superhero
“It’s our duty as artists to show the light and the shade of the world.” Lucia Gadau speaks to composer and sitarist BISHI, whose score for Maya: The Birth of a Superhero reframes menstrual taboo
