The Indonesian island of Bali resounds with the vibrant, often thunderous music of its gamelans – the ubiquitous percussion orchestras of bronze and bamboo. Andy Channing conjures up the magic of its many incarnations;
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;
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;
David Hutcheon speaks to Jambinai, the South Korean band bravely exploring a middle ground between traditional music and heavy metal;
Patrick Jered ventures into Madhya Pradesh in India to unearth the legendary bin-baja harp, widely considered as a pariah instrument;
Charlotte Algar talks to composer and producer Ella Spira about INALA, an ambitious cross-cultural dance and music collaboration;
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;
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;
Chris Jagger talks to his brother, Rolling Stones frontman Mick, about his favourite music from around the world;
Glenn Kimpton finds out why Alex Vann, of Spiro and Three Cane Whale, traded in his f-hole instrument for a round-hole mandolin;
Chris Moss talks to Tango Siempre’s Julian Rowlands about his chromatic ‘cuckoo clock’ and how he came to the bandoneón;
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;
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;
The Palestinian brothers, Le Trio Joubran, are all masterful oud players. They talk to Tim Cumming about their constant battle for self-determination;
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;
Start your journey and discover the very best music from around the world.
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