Features

Friday, November 22, 2019;

Introducing... Lakha Khan

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;

Friday, November 15, 2019;

Introducing... Santrofi

The new band from Ghana are injecting a fresh energy into the country’s traditional highlife style. Jo Frost speaks to them;

Friday, November 15, 2019;

My world: Gruff Rhys

The Welsh musician of Super Furry Animals fame speaks to Garth Cartwright about his fascination for songs sung in languages other than English;

Thursday, November 14, 2019;

Introducing... Bongeziwe Mabandla

Diane Coetzer catches up with the South African singer-songwriter who is making waves on a European tour prior to the release of his third album;

Wednesday, November 13, 2019;

Toby Jones: “Music is, of all the art forms, the one that is most commonly employed to put humans in touch with the numinous”

Jim Hickson speaks to acclaimed British actor Toby Jones about his lifelong love for music, and how it always manages to finds a way into his work;

Thursday, November 7, 2019;

Rowan Rheingans: “We need to learn not to be afraid to sit with some sorrow and grief. We need to make room to feel and have compassion”

The musician Rowan Rheingans has a new solo project and album that are part-memoir, part-theatre. She talks to Julian May about the many influences that shaped these works;

Tuesday, November 5, 2019;

Kayhan Kalhor: “We have to make politicians see what we see as artists”

Kayhan Kalhor, a master of the Iranian kamancheh, speaks to Nigel Williamson about his various collaborations and why he has always played simply for the enjoyment of making music;

Monday, November 4, 2019;

Taraf de Impex: “it’s exciting to be doing this. Fresh. A new way for Romanians to look at making music”

Garth Cartwright travels to Bucharest to preview the revitalised and reformed Romanian Gypsy band, Taraf de Haidouks, who are making their UK debut as Taraf de Caliu, alongside Impex;

Friday, November 1, 2019;

What next for the record label?

The record industry is in a state of flux, with many labels struggling to keep up with the rapidly changing marketplace. Yet there are artists and labels still riding the wave and who are unanimous about their ultimate motivation – making great music;

Thursday, October 31, 2019;

At home with Ali Farka Touré

To record Ali Farka Touré’s album 'Niafunké', World Circuit took a mobile studio all the way to Mali. Nigel Williamson went to meet Touré for Songlines in the summer of 1999 and found out why his commitments at home meant that the mountain had to go to Mohammed;

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;