Features

Tuesday, October 29, 2019;

Harp of Darkness: “If I expose the bin-baja harp, something will have to die”

Patrick Jered ventures into Madhya Pradesh in India to unearth the legendary bin-baja harp, widely considered as a pariah instrument;

Thursday, October 3, 2019;

Spotlight: INALA

Charlotte Algar talks to composer and producer Ella Spira about INALA, an ambitious cross-cultural dance and music collaboration;

Wednesday, October 2, 2019;

Nitin Sawhney interview: “Beyond Skin was about the paradox of how we perceive nationality and religion”

The composer, producer and musical polymath Nitin Sawhney is revisiting his acclaimed Beyond Skin album 20 years after its release. He talks politics and music with Nigel Williamson;

Friday, August 16, 2019;

Youssou N’Dour interview: “Even today music can carry a message and change people’s lives”

Senegal has recently seen the long-anticipated opening of a museum dedicated to black civilisations. One of its chief supporters is Youssou N’Dour whose latest album, History, reflects on the past and acknowledges the next generation of artists. Jenny Cathcart reports;

Tuesday, June 18, 2019;

Mick Jagger interview: "Fela always had great orchestration and an amazing horn section"

Chris Jagger talks to his brother, Rolling Stones frontman Mick, about his favourite music from around the world;

Tuesday, April 30, 2019;

My instrument: Alex Vann and his Mandolin

Glenn Kimpton finds out why Alex Vann, of Spiro and Three Cane Whale, traded in his f-hole instrument for a round-hole mandolin;

Tuesday, April 30, 2019;

My instrument: Julian Rowlands and his Bandoneón

Chris Moss talks to Tango Siempre’s Julian Rowlands about his chromatic ‘cuckoo clock’ and how he came to the bandoneón;

Thursday, March 21, 2019;

20 Great Artists from 20 Years of Songlines

All of these artists who released their first solo album during the lifetime of Songlines (ie since 1999), including Fatoumata Diawara, Mariza, Sam Lee and many more;

Tuesday, March 19, 2019;

Cycling the Silk Road: Part 1 – A String of Connections

Intrepid cyclist Olly Burton is travelling from the UK to India. This is the first of a series of reports about his Silk Road musical encounters;

Tuesday, February 26, 2019;

Le Trio Joubran: by the light of the moon

The Palestinian brothers, Le Trio Joubran, are all masterful oud players. They talk to Tim Cumming about their constant battle for self-determination;

Monday, February 25, 2019;

The Pipa: a guide to the Chinese lute

A masterful instrument played by masterful players – Michael Church talks to internationally acclaimed artist Wu Man and looks at the historical importance of the Chinese lute;

Wednesday, February 20, 2019;

Gaye Su Akyol: fantasy is reality

Gaye Su Akyol is taking the world by storm with her psychedelic, surrealist take on Turkish rock. She tells Robert Rigney how she bridges worlds: between East and West, fantasy and reality, old and new;